Skip to content
Attorney Advertisingall 50 states
Book a consultation

Immigration

VAWA for survivors of abuse

For people abused by a spouse or parent who is a U.S. citizen or green-card holder, or by a U.S.-citizen son or daughter aged 21 or older.

A confidential application you file yourself. Your abuser is not told and does not need to help.

Book a consultationCall 212-680-4139
Primary form

I-360

The form at the center of your case

Is this you?

A quick check, before we talk.

Tick anything that sounds like your situation. It's just for you — nothing is saved or sent.
Statements that may describe your situation

5 statements. Tick the ones that describe you.

Only a consultation can confirm eligibility. This is general information, not legal advice.

Book a consultation

How it works

A clear path, start to finish.

The same five-step method, applied to your case.

  1. Confidential consultation

    We listen to your story in a private setting and confirm which VAWA category fits your situation.

  2. Build a confidential record

    Together we gather evidence of the relationship, the abuse, and your good moral character — without contacting your abuser.

  3. Form I-360

    File your self-petition

    We prepare and file your self-petition. By federal law, USCIS keeps it confidential from your abuser.

  4. Form I-485

    Apply for your green card

    Once a visa is available, we file your application to become a lawful permanent resident.

  5. Interview preparation

    If USCIS schedules an interview, we prepare you for it and can request a safe mailing address for future notices.

Fixed fee

What your fixed fee covers.

One fee, agreed in writing before we begin. Nothing hidden.

Included

In your fee

  • A confidential eligibility review
  • Preparing and filing your I-360 self-petition
  • Guidance gathering evidence and drafting your personal statement
  • Filing your I-485 green-card application when you're ready
  • Interview preparation, if USCIS schedules one

Not included

Billed separately

  • Translation or notarization of foreign documents
  • Family or criminal court matters, such as an order of protection, unless separately agreed
  • Immigration-court representation, if your case is later placed in removal proceedings
  • A waiver application for a ground of inadmissibility, quoted separately if your case needs one

Government and court fees are set by the agency, not by us, and change from time to time. Current USCIS amounts are published at uscis.gov/fees.

Come prepared

What to bring to your consultation.

Bring what you have. If something's missing, we'll tell you how to get it.
  • A government-issued ID or passport
  • Proof of your relationship to your abuser, such as a marriage or birth certificate
  • Anything that shows you lived together, such as a lease, mail, or photos
  • Police reports, protective orders, medical records, or messages related to the abuse, if you have them
  • A short written timeline of what happened, in your own words

Questions

Frequently asked.

No. VAWA self-petitions are confidential by federal law. USCIS cannot notify your abuser, and cannot deny your case based solely on information your abuser provides.

No. You can file while still married to your abuser. If the marriage has already ended, you may still qualify in certain circumstances, such as filing within two years of a divorce connected to the abuse.

USCIS looks at your conduct, generally over the three years before you file. A single past mistake does not automatically disqualify you; we review your history with you before we file.

Yes. Your unmarried children under 21 can generally be included as derivatives when you apply for your green card, including a child born after your self-petition is approved.

Timelines change with USCIS workload, so we can't promise a date. We'll tell you exactly where your case stands every time we hear from USCIS.

Next step

Ready to talk about your VAWA case? We’ll take it from there.

Book a consultationCall 212-680-4139
CallBook a consultation