Why choose us?

  • Extensive Experience

    Our evaluator has completed over 500 immigration-related psychological evaluations over the past 10 years.

    We have extensive experience working with immigrants from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Our practice has specialized training in psychological diagnosis, trauma, and domestic violence, as well as a strong working knowledge of immigration law. Our evaluations integrate thorough clinical analysis with a clear understanding of USCIS-specific requirements.

  • Invest in Quality

    Our evaluations are not generic reports. Our reports are carefully prepared to address the USCIS factors most relevant to your situation and are typically 20–30 pages, depending on the complexity of the case. It is not uncommon for clients to come to us after completing an evaluation elsewhere that was too brief or lacked key details, which can lead to delays or a Request for Evidence (RFE). Our goal is to provide a thorough, well-supported report that covers all applicable aspects of the case.

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For Immigration Clients

We are specialized in providing mental health evaluations to help your immigration case. Our reports provide valuable information needed in many immigration cases and have been found helpful by attorneys in and outside of Chicagoland.

  • An immigration evaluation is a report written by a therapist and used by your lawyer as part of your immigration case. While we can’t guarantee the outcome of your case, we know that the chances of your case being approved doubles if you have a high quality psychological evaluation.

  • We charge a $1200 flat rate per report, which covers all the services needed for the report, including a video conference interviews, file reviews, correspondence with your attorney, report writing, and editing. We ask for 50% of the payment to reserve your spot. Your report will be ready around 6 weeks after your interview.

    If you need your report sooner, expedited service is available which the report will be ready within a week. The price for an expedited evaluation is $1600.

  • Our normal process for completing the evaluation is to schedule a video conference interview, with the qualifying US citizen relative (hardship) the applicant (other cases). Once the interview has been completed, the therapist will write up a detailed report which will be sent to client and attorney for their review, after the interview. Attorney is able to request changes to the report. Our report is very comprehensive because we want to include all the details USCIS is looking for in these evaluations.

  • We typically spend around 60 minutes for the interview. If needed, we may schedule more time. We charge a flat fee for the evaluations; we do not charge by the hour. It is more important to us that we obtain all the necessary information, even if that takes a little more time.

  • For all clients, we ask about their personal/family history, education, and work, as well as their physical and mental health. We may also ask client to fill out some questionnaires or rating scales about any symptoms they are experiencing.

    For extreme hardship waiver cases and cancellation cases, we will ask about client's relationship with the qualifying relative (your spouse, parent, or adult child). We will discuss in detail the ways client would be impacted if they were separated.

    For asylum, VAWA, and U&T visa cases, we will ask you about the trauma you experienced and the impact this has had on all aspects of your life.

  • We will meet with client via video conference. For teletherapy, we meet via a confidential platform.

    We ask client questions about their background, daily life, and circumstances, as well as client's current mood and functioning. Depending on the case, we may also ask client to complete some simple questionnaires that will help us in the assessment process.

    This is not a test that client needs to pass. Instead, we, together with your attorney, are working as a team to support client along the immigration journey. Client does not have to answer any question that makes them uncomfortable, and client would never be required to share particular details of life if they don’t want to. In addition, not everything client shares in the interview will be included in the report. Client can decide how much to share, but the more we know, the better we will be able to write a robust evaluation report.

    We may also ask to see additional documents, such as medical records or school reports, that are relevant to client's case.

    For extreme hardship waiver cases and cancellation cases, we will ask client about their relationship with the qualifying relative (your spouse, parent, or adult child). We will discuss with client in detail the ways that client would be impacted if they were separated.

    For asylum, VAWA, and U&T visa cases, we will ask client about the trauma they experienced and the impact on all aspects of client's life.

  • The comprehensive report will include client's personal history and mental health diagnoses. We always include a section that summarizes our findings and how they relate to client's immigration case. We also offer recommendations for ongoing treatment.

  • In most cases, the report will be completed 6 weeks after the interview meeting. In urgent cases, we are often able to have the report completed in a few days for an expedited fee.

  • We have Spanish and Mandarin speaking staff on our team. We can also work with clients who speak other languages by using an interpreter, which we can help clients arrange.

  • Yes, payment plans are available. However, payments need to be made in full before we release the report. We will not send the report to client or client's attorney until full payment is received.

For Attorneys

If you are an attorney looking for evaluation service for a client, here are some questions you might have about working with an immigration therapist.

  • Yes. I have extensive experience working with immigrants across a variety of settings and states. I specialize exclusively in immigration psychological evaluations and have over 10 years of experience in this field. I have worked with dozens of attorneys nationwide, maintain long-standing referral relationships with many of them, and have completed over 500 immigration-related evaluations.

  • Yes, our clinicians are trained to see clients of all ages. We are especially experienced in working with children whose parents are in the removal proceedings.

  • A well-written psychological evaluation can provide objective evidence of the psychological effects of trauma, abuse, or potential familial separation.

    In cases where the client has experienced trauma, a clinician can help assess whether the findings of the evaluation corroborate the client’s story. In addition, a mental health clinician can provide their expert opinion on:

    severity of harm

    impact of harm

    fear of returning to the home country (asylum)

    hardship if returned to home country (VAWA & T visa)

    need for ongoing care In asylum cases, a psychological evaluation can determine the consistency of psychological symptoms with the client’s history, and educate others about the effects of physical and psychological trauma and abuse, as well as explain behavior that makes the applicant appear not credible.

  • Yes. While research on this subject is relatively new, it has been shown that psychological evaluations can make a positive impact on the outcome of a case. In extreme hardship waiver cases, research has found that when an appeal included testimony from a mental health professional, applicants prevailed about half of the time; when such testimony was not included, applicants prevailed in only one out of three cases.

    Testimony from a mental health professional was associated with favorable appeal outcomes, without regard to whether the professional had an ongoing relationship with the client.

    Psychological evaluations can also significantly increase the likelihood that asylum will be granted. In 2015, a study of 540 asylum seekers found that 89% of those that received a psychological or medical evaluation were granted asylum in comparison with the national average of 48% for the same period.

  • Yes, we can send a copy of the evaluation for the attorney to review and provide feedback.

  • Typically, clients can be scheduled within 2–3 weeks.

  • In the case where an evaluation is needed sooner, we can expedite the evaluation for an additional fee. The report will be completed within a few days.

  • Typically, we schedule an videp conference interview with the client. In most cases, the report will be completed within 3-4 weeks after the meeting.

    The report will be completed after payment have been received. Therefore, the entire process, from initial appointment booking to receiving the finalized copy of evaluation, takes an average of one months if the report does not need to be expedited.

  • We charge a $1200 flat rate per report, which covers all the services needed for the report, including a conference interview, file reviews, correspondence with attorney, report writing, and editing. Expedited service is available for $1600.

  • Email lola@figtreechi.com and let us know what kind of case your client needs help with, and we can send you a sample report of a similar case. If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact the Lola Wang at lola@figtreechi.com

Evaluation Procedure

  • 1. Contact Us

    Click the BOOK NOW button to submit a form, and we will send you more information about the process and our availability for interview. If you prefer to speak with someone by phone, you may call or text 773-598-6668.

  • 2. Complete Paperwork

    Once the interview time is confirmed, we will send you a secure link via email to complete the required intake paperwork and access the video appointment. We require a 50% payment to reserve your spot.

  • 3. Video Conference Interview

    Our licensed and experienced therapist evaluator will conduct the video conference interview with the applicant (VAWA, asylum, U-Visa, or other qualifying cases) and, when applicable, the qualifying U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident relative for hardship evaluations. The interview typically lasts about 60 minutes, though the exact length may vary depending on the specifics of the case. The remaining 50% balance will be collected at the end of the interview.

  • 4. Receive the Report

    Your evaluator will prepare a detailed report and send it to you and your attorney for review. Both you and your attorney will have the opportunity to request reasonable revisions if needed. We will incorporate the feedback and finalize the report.

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