Category: Domestic Violence

Green Card Through VAWA: What is Financial Abuse?

9/19/2023

We often represent our clients in VAWA cases, helping them to apply for a Green Card based on their VAWA self-petition, USCIS Form I-360. This is a petition for a person who is married to a US citizen or permanent resident spouse, and who is in abusive marriage. Children under 21 can be included into a VAWA petition. Parents of the abusive US citizen or permanent resident child can also petition under the provisions of the VAWA law.

Financial abuse is a very common form of abuse. Both women and men can be victims of financial abuse.

We hope you will find this information helpful.

What is financial abuse? What are the signs to look out for?

Financial abuse is one form of domestic abuse. Withholding money, stealing money, and restricting the use of finances are some examples of financial abuse. To figure out if your partner is financially abusing you, think about how you are being treated by answering the following questions.

Does your partner:

Steal money from you or your family?
Force you to give him/her access to your bank accounts to make transactions without your input?
Make you feel as though you don’t have a right to know any details about money or household resources?
Put you on an “allowance” even if you object to this?
Force to you to account for all money you spend by, for example, asking for receipts?
Overuse your credit cards or refuse to pay the bills (thus ruining your credit)?
Prevent you from working or attending school or skill-training sessions?
Withhold physical resources from you including food, clothes, necessary medications, or shelter?
Force you to turn over your paychecks or public benefit payments?
Force you to cash in, sell or sign over any financial assets you own (e.g., bonds, stock or property)?
Force you to agree to power-of-attorney so s/he can sign legal documents?
Force you to work in a family business for little or no pay?
Prevent you from obtaining or using credit cards or bankcards?
Refuse to work to help support the family?
Interfere with your performance at work, by calling you non-stop, visiting your workplace unannounced, etc.?
Threaten to falsely report you for “cheating” on your public benefits so they will be cut off?
Force you to cash in, sell or sign over any financial assets or inheritance you own?
Force you to agree to a power of attorney that would enable your partner to legally sign documents without your knowledge or consent?1

If you have answered “yes” to more than one of these questions, your partner may be financially abusing you. Where there is financial abuse, there may also likely be other forms of abuse in your relationship. To see if you are being emotionally, physically, or sexually abused, you can go to the following pages on our website: Signs of Abuse and Forms of Abuse. Read more here.

To schedule a consultation with an attorney, please email us or use our scheduling app here.

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Грин карта для жертв домашнего насилия. USCIS Форма I-360. Один из широко распространенных типов абьюза - это финансовый абьюз. Он может принимать разные формы - от банального воровства денег из вашего бумажника или сумочки, снятия денег с вашего счета, так и до принуждения продать вашу квартиру на родине и вложить деньги в его бизнес или оплатить его долги, запрещает вам работать, или отбирает все заработанные вами деньги, или принуждает работать на его бизнес бесплатно или за копейки, и т.п.

Для консультации с адвокатом, пишите нам на email адрес или через приложение на нашем сайте.

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VAWA Updates: USCIS Policy Manual February 2022

2/15/2022

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USCIS published policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual on eligibility, filing, and adjudication requirements addressing Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions to update practices and align USCIS policies with recent court decisions.

USCIS updated interpretation of the requirement for "shared residence" to occur during the qualifying spousal or parent-child relationship. Instead, the self-petitioner must demonstrate that they are "residing or have resided with the abuser at any time in the past".

USCIS is also implementing nationwide the decisions in Da Silva v. Attorney General, 948 F.3d 629 (3rd Cir. 2020), and Arguijo v. United States, 991 F.3d 736 (7th Cir. 2021).

Da Silva v. Attorney General held that when evaluating the good moral character requirement, an act or conviction is “connected to” the battery or extreme cruelty when it has “a causal or logical relationship.”

Arguijo v. USCIS allows stepchildren and stepparents to continue to be eligible for VAWA self-petitions even if the parent and stepparent divorced.

Clarifies how USCIS considers the 2-year filing requirement when the self-petitioner’s marriage is terminated, the abusive U.S. citizen family member dies, and the abusive family member loses or renounces U.S. citizenship or LPR status.

Clarifies that INA 204(a)(2) does not apply when a self-petitioner files a Form I-360 based on a qualifying relationship to an abusive LPR spouse but does apply if the self-petitioner acquires LPR status and subsequently files a family-based spousal petition.

Provides guidance on special considerations for self-petitions filed subsequent to a Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) and an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485).

Citation Volume 3: Humanitarian Protection and Parole, Part D, Violence Against Women Act [3 USCIS-PM D]

These updates are in accordance with Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration System and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans. (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/02/02/executive-order-restoring-faith-in-our-legal-immigration-systems-and-strengthening-integration-and-inclusion-efforts-for-new-americans/)

Briefly in Russian:
Недавно были внесены поправки и изменения в закон ВАВА / VAWA, о помощи жертвам домашнего насилия, и как они могут получить грин карту без помощи абьюзера. Изменения были внесены в официальное Руководство для сотрудников USCIS, которое опублоковано на их сайте.

The new guidance can be found in the USCIS Policy Manual and in USCIS Memo https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-manual-updates/20220210-VAWA.pdf

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VAWA Violence Against Women Act and Self-Petition I-360

9/12/2019

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This Friday, September 13, 2019, marks the 25th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), when Congress created the first real protections for immigrant survivors of domestic violence in this country. Since then, hundreds of thousands of immigrant victims have come out of the shadows. Now the Administration is systematically dismantling these protections.

The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) was a United States federal law by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994 (codified in part at 42 U.S.C. sections 13701 through 14040). The Act provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave un-prosecuted. The Act also established the Office on Violence Against Women within the Department of Justice.

VAWA was drafted by the office of Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) and co-written by Democrat Louise Slaughter, the Representative from New York.

VAWA was reauthorized by bipartisan majorities in Congress in 2000 and again in December 2005. The Act's 2012 renewal was opposed by conservative Republicans, but it was reauthorized in 2013, after a long legislative battle.

As a result of the United States federal government shutdown of 2018–2019, the Violence Against Women Act expired on December 21, 2018. It was temporarily reinstated via a short-term spending bill on January 25, 2019, but expired again on February 15, 2019. The House of Representatives passed a bill reauthorizing VAWA in April 2019; the bill, which includes new provisions protecting transgender victims and banning individuals convicted of domestic abuse from purchasing firearms, has been ignored by the Senate.

We specialize in VAWA self-petitions since 2004. To contact an attorney to schedule a consultation, please email us.

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Rights and Protections for Foreign-Citizen Fiancés and Spouses of U.S. Citizens and Spouses of Lawful Permanent Residents

1/17/2019

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This information and the pamphlet below inform applicants applying for K-1 visas as fiancé(e)s of U.S. citizens, K-3 visas as spouses of U.S. citizens, IR-1/CR-1 immigrant visas as spouses of U.S. citizens, and F2A immigrant visas as spouses of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) of their legal rights relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

In addition, K-1 and K-3 visa applicants are provided with any existing criminal background information on their U.S. citizen fiancé(e)s or spouses that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), received from other government agencies during processing of I-129F petitions filed for them.

The U.S. Government created the pamphlet below based on a U.S. law, the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act of 2005 (Title D of Public Law 109-162), which reaffirms and strengthens the U.S. Government’s commitment to fight domestic violence and abuse in all forms.
Learn and Know - Your Rights, Protections, and Resources
For Visa Applicants in the marriage-based categories: K-1, K-3, IR-1/CR-1, and F2A categories: Before your visa interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, it is important that you carefully read the pamphlet below. In doing so, you will learn about your rights and protections, as well as resources available to you, if help is needed when you come to the United States. During your visa interview, the consular officer will summarize the information in the pamphlet. After reading the pamphlet, keep it handy for quick reference later, as needed.
Note: In preparing for your visa interview, you will also need to make sure you have all required documentation ready including your completed visa application. For more information about these visa categories, check the K-1 Fiancé(e), K-3 Spouse of a U.S. Citizen, IR-1/CR-1 Spouse of a U.S. Citizen, or F category Family-Based Immigrants webpages on this website. For detailed application instructions, check the website of the U.S. embassy or consulate where you will apply for your visa.
Pamphlet in English: Information on the Legal Rights Available to Immigrant Victims of Domestic Violence in the United States and Facts about Immigrating on a Marriage-Based Visa (All versions are in .pdf format)

English (PDF - 52.3 KB)

Additional Languages: Pamphlet Translations

Arabic (PDF - 137 KB)
Chinese (PDF - 212 KB)
Español (PDF - 105 KB)
Farsi/Dari (PDF - 257 KB)
French (PDF - 159 KB)
German (PDF - 205 KB)
Hindi (PDF - 548 KB)
Japanese (PDF - 239 KB)
Korean (PDF - 260 KB)
Polish (PDF - 165 KB)
Portuguese (PDF - 105 KB)
Romanian (PDF - 183 KB)
Russian (PDF - 176 KB)
Tagalog (PDF - 120 KB)
Thai (PDF - 151 KB)
Ukrainian (PDF - 169 KB)
Uzbek (PDF - 227 KB)
Vietnamese (PDF - 182 KB)

Trafficking Information – Department of State

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NEW EAD I-765V Application for a Work Permit for Abused Spouse of NIV A, G, E-3, H visas

2/14/2017

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Certain abused nonimmigrant spouses may use new USCIS Form I-765V (edition date 01-19-2017) to request an employment authorization document (EAD).

You may file for employment authorization if you are, or were, the abused spouse of a nonimmigrant who was admitted under INA section 101(a)(15)(A), (E)(iii), (G), or (H) [admitted in A, E-3, G, or H nonimmigrant status], and you either accompanied or followed to join your abusive nonimmigrant spouse.

Please note that this doesn't apply to all nonimmigrants, but only to those whose spouse is A, G, E-3 and H visa holder, and an abused spouse was admitted to the United States on an appropriate dependent visa.

The INA section 106 employment authorization categories are subdivided as listed below:
1. Abused spouse of an A nonimmigrant – (c)(27).
2. Abused spouse of an E-3 nonimmigrant – (c)(28).
3. Abused spouse of a G nonimmigrant – (c)(29).
4. Abused spouse of an H nonimmigrant – (c)(30).

Also, this doesn't entitle an applicant to a future claim to a lawful permanent resident status (aka green card). This is intended to be a temporary work permit only, to allow a foreign national to work, live, get a SSN in USA.

In Russian:

USCIS опубликовал новую форму I-765V заявление на разрешение на работу для некоторых жен и мужей НЕиммигрантов, которые подвергались домашнему насилию в семье, и находящихся в США временно в соответствии с неиммиграционной визой, полученной как супруг A, G, H, E-3.

Форма заявления была опубликована 19 января 2017 и может быть найдена тут.

Помните, что это временное разрешение на работу, и получение этого разрешения не гарантирует и не является основанием для последующего получения грин карты в США. Это временная мера помощи неиммигранту, попавшему в тяжелую ситуацию из-за насилия в семье.

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Under a new bill, a crime of domestic violence will no longer be a crime in Russia

1/12/2017

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Россия собирается изменить закон в отношении наказания за домашнее насилие в семье - domestic violence law. Законопроект был одобрен в первом чтении: 368 за, 1 против, 1 воздержался.

Закон предлагает изменить классификацию домашнего насилия из преступления (которое влечет за собой уголовную ответственность и судимость) на рядовое административное правонарушение (за которое полагается только штраф).

То есть если муж избивает жену в России, ему можно будет не бояться уголовной ответственности и судимости, т.к. максимальное наказание административный штраф.

По английски:
A bill decriminalizing crime of domestic violence has passed its first reading in Russia's State Duma.

368 lawmakers voted in favor of the law, with one voting against, and one abstained from the vote.

If passed, the bill will remove the charge of "battery within families" from Russia's Criminal Code, downgrading it to a simple administrative offense. Criminal charges would be brought only against offenders if beatings took place (and were reported to police) more than once a year. Other offenders will have to pay fine, as a crime of domestic violence will no longer be classified as a crime in Russia.

Read more here.

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Green Card Through VAWA: What is Financial Abuse?

VAWA Updates: USCIS Policy Manual February 2022

VAWA Violence Against Women Act and Self-Petition I-360

Rights and Protections for Foreign-Citizen Fiancés and Spouses of U.S. Citizens and Spouses of Lawful Permanent Residents

NEW EAD I-765V Application for a Work Permit for Abused Spouse of NIV A, G, E-3, H visas

Under a new bill, a crime of domestic violence will no longer be a crime in Russia

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Green Card Through VAWA: What is Financial Abuse?

VAWA Updates: USCIS Policy Manual February 2022

VAWA Violence Against Women Act and Self-Petition I-360

Rights and Protections for Foreign-Citizen Fiancés and Spouses of U.S. Citizens and Spouses of Lawful Permanent Residents

﻿NEW EAD I-765V Application for a Work Permit for Abused Spouse of NIV A, G, E-3, H visas

Under a new bill, a crime of domestic violence will no longer be a crime in Russia

Author

Archives

Categories

NEW EAD I-765V Application for a Work Permit for Abused Spouse of NIV A, G, E-3, H visas