Austin VAWA Attorneys

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a law that provides benefits to survivors of domestic violence and other crimes committed against them by spouses who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (green card holders). The law also provides benefits to an abused parent of a U.S. citizen son or daughter. A person who qualifies can self-petition, meaning they can file a petition and have it considered without the involvement of the abusive relative. Even when self-petitioning, it is important to have the help of an experienced Austin VAWA lawyer.

Read on: What is Required to Receive Protection Under VAWA?

To obtain benefits under VAWA, victims of abuse who seek the benefits must file an application whose processing time varies, depending on the current backlog of applications in the VAWA category, the complexity of the case, and other factors. Generally, however, it takes approximately 24 to 36 months to have the application processed. VAWA petitions are processed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). If you wish to know the most updated processing time for the application, you can check with the USCIS processing times website.

The main purpose of VAWA is to prevent abusive U.S. citizens or green card holders from denying their abused relatives the opportunity to seek immigration benefits as part of their abuse. A victim of such domestic abuse does not need the abusive relative to file or be involved in any way with their application for benefits under this law. Many victims of domestic abuse are either afraid to ask their abusive husbands to help them get immigration benefits, or if they ask for help, the abusive relatives refuse to offer that help. This law makes sure that is not the case.

A strong VAWA application is one that has attached to it the following:

• Identification of the applicant and their current immigration status.
• Evidence of the applicant’s relationship with the abuser. If the abuser is a spouse, it’s important to provide evidence to show that the marriage was entered into in good faith, meaning not for purposes of circumventing U.S. immigration law.
• Evidence that your abuser is a U.S. citizen or a green card holder.  
• A written statement describing in detail the abusive relationship between you and the abuser.
• Proof that you currently live in the U.S. with your abuser or you lived with them at some point in the past. 
• Evidence of “good moral character.”

An Austin VAWA lawyer can help you in many ways, including helping you put together your application package and identify and address any issues before filing. Many applicants make the mistake of applying by themselves without the help of an experienced Austin VAWA lawyer. An experienced VAWA lawyer can spot and address issues that can be a basis for denying your application if not addressed.