Name: LegalService
Item: Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, P.C.
Rating: 5
Author: Jehan B.

Attorney Medya Ansari is a VAWA immigration lawyer in San Jose who is ready to assist you.

Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, P.C. is a law firm committed to assisting those who have experienced violence and abuse in protecting their immigration rights. For immediate assistance, contact us now. Confidentiality is our number one priority.

Help From a VAWA Attorney

Immigrants are especially at risk of domestic violence and sexual assault. If you are a domestic abuse survivor, you have important rights. We assist women, men, and children.

You may wonder about your immigration status. Does leaving your abuser mean losing your immigration status? What can you do to protect yourself? Will my abuser find out? How would this impact the abuser?

You can have help from a VAWA immigration lawyer. Let us evaluate your case — you may qualify to adjust your status because of family abuse or violence. Our immigration law firm serving San Jose can take care of everything.

Who do we help?

We help:

Wives
Children
Parents
Husbands

who have been harmed by a U.S. citizen or lawful resident immediate family member

What is VAWA Immigration?

VAWA immigration is acquiring lawful resident status in the United States after experiencing domestic abuse. It applies when the perpetrator of violence is a close relative who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. United States law protects the rights of domestic abuse survivors. VAWA self-petition allows those experiencing family violence to remain in the United States without needing a sponsor.

The Violence Against Women Act and immigration

The Violence Against Women Act was enacted in 1994 and renewed several times. Although it affects immigration, it is broader than that, as it also protects housing for abuse survivors in the United States.

How a VAWA Lawyer Can Assist

As your lawyer, we can:

Evaluate how VAWA may protect you in your situation.
Determine what documents you need and prepare them for you.
Gather supporting documents for your application.
Respond to bars to adjustment or grounds for inadmissibility.
Answer your questions.
Make sure that your application gets submitted to the right place.
Look at all possibilities and options for your situation.
Use our legal experience for your best interests.

Grant of VAWA petition based on family violence is discretionary. Immigration officials choose who merits the exercise of favorable discretion and who gets denied. That makes it important to have a competent lawyer handling your application.

Violence Immigration Protections

To qualify for immigration protections as a domestic violence survivor, you must:

Have a qualifying relationship with a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (the marriage must have been in good faith and valid)
Be married, divorced within two years, or a widow(er)
Suffered family violence, as defined by the law (emotional and/or physical)
Not have any disqualifying criminal conditions, bars to adjustment, or grounds for inadmissibility (unless a waiver applies)

What if I am not living with the abuser? Can I still apply for VAWA immigration then?

VAWA immigration does not depend on living with an abusive spouse or other family member at the time of filing. You may apply while you are married or for up to two years after. You may apply even if you are separated.

Even if the offending spouse or child may have lost their status, that would not disqualify you if you file within the two-year limit.

LEAVE YOUR IMMIGRATION WORRIES IN OUR HANDS

Our experienced team of immigration attorneys can manage all the paperwork and challenges on your behalf. Book a consultation.

What crimes qualify for VAWA immigration adjustment?

Examples of crimes qualifying for VAWA immigration adjustment include:

Assault and battery, domestic violence
Sexual assault, rape (criminal sexual conduct)
Child abuse
Trafficking, exploitation
Stalking, intimidating, coercion, threats
Extreme cruelty (may include verbal abuse, isolation, emotional degradation)

Self-Petitioning for Violence Survivors

If you have experienced violence, you can self-petition for a green card. Your abuser does not have to know or agree to it. You do not need any sponsor.

The purpose of VAWA immigration is to free you from dependence on the abusive person, allowing you to leave an abusive or unsafe situation.

How to Self-Petition for VAWA Protections

Submit Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant.
Submit Form I-485 (You may qualify to file Form I-360 and Form I-485 together. Also, you may convert Form I-485 to a self-petition if the abuser filed an I-130 for you.)
Submit the required supporting documentation.
You may receive an I-797 Notice of Action confirming receipt of your application. Subsequently, you may also receive notice of a prima facie case. By itself, that is not approval, but it may give you access to certain benefits. You may receive work authorization while your case is pending.
For work authorization, submit Form I-765
For travel outside the United States, submit Form I-131
Pay fees for your application and complete biometrics processing.

Supporting documents are quite extensive, including photographs, government-issued identity documents, birth certificates, and other documents as required. As your lawyer, we will determine what documents you need and assist you in gathering them.

Contact a VAWA Lawyer in San Jose

When you need skilled representation, Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, P.C. is here to assist you. We assist clients in San Jose and throughout the Bay Area and California.

★★★★★

I am forever grateful for the support and guidance I received. I appreciate the team for all the effort they put in to win my case. I must say the team was very responsive, detail oriented, and easy to work with. The outcome was fabulous! Much recommended!

Jehan B.

I am thankful I reached out to Medya/Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys and all teams as they are taking care of my case. I am truly grateful and thrilled, as their assistance could make a significant difference in my life. Thank you so much.

Abeba H.

I appreciate you all at Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, you all are wonderful. Highly professional, knowledgeable, experienced and compassionate. I sincerely recommend them to anyone that needs Immigration solution.

Chinyere E.

Reliable and Accurate Service.

Nahom B.

They helped us every step of the way and every time we had questions we always got to answer absolutely amazing. Thank you!

Ronald H.

It is my honor to have met Yemi, and to provide this unqualified review of her, as a person and as one of the best immigration attorneys that I know. I have been benefitted by her expertise, knowledge, and professionalism. She is truly a trusted advisor. Most importantly, to me, she cares about and is committed to her clients. For her, "going the extra mile" is not just a metaphor; indeed, she will travel that extra mile for you. She makes your journey her own, and holds no bar in helping you achieve your immigration goals in the United States. I would look no further and hire her today!

Alison Yew A.

A short while ago, my wife and I consulted Miss Ansari on the subject of applying for U.S. naturalization and citizenship. We found Miss Ansari, from the very starting point, quite energetic, knowledgeable, and efficient. We thus retained her to represent our case. I think the whole process took us about four months, and we are now U.S. citizens. It is also of interest to new applicants that her fees are very reasonable and indeed are worth it. I might also add that the office personnel were courteous and friendly.

Shahram G.

We could have not picked out a better advocate. Apart from having a wealth of knowledge and being a highly skilled professional in immigration law, Yemi also connected with us at a personal level. Yemi Getachew gets a five star rating because she is competent, empathetic, and accessible.
Yemi had made what would have been a lengthy and complicated process more straightforward and manageable. She is also very creative and thinks outside outside of the box. Although I tend to fret a lot during stressful situations, Yemi constantly maintained a calm and reassuring demeanor by which we gained confidence from. She was very open, honest, and realistic with us. She was by our side throughout the immigration process clear up to our interview; hence, our interview was a great success thanks to the extensive prep work that she had gone over with us.
As an individual that had immigrated here herself, Yemi was able to relate to me in a personal level while also maintaining her professionalism. It truly felt reassuring to have an advocate that was able to empathize with us.
Last but not least, Yemi was and is always accessible. She would diligently call and update us about our case and how to prepare for the next steps of the process. We never felt alone throughout our immigration process and knew that we were in good hands.
I highly recommend Yemi Gatachew without reservations to anyone who is seeking legal immigration services. As a matter of fact I found out about her from a close friend who had undergone a complicated immigration case. She handled it exceptionally well and has done an excellent job representing my wife and I as well.

Mikko A.

VAWA Immigration Lawyer in San Jose