Evaluaciones psicologicas para inmigración
Immigration Psychological Evaluations
Evaluaciones psicologicas para inmigración
Immigration Psychological Evaluations
Immigration Evaluations for Citizenship Exam Waiver (N-648)
There are cases in which individuals may qualify for an exemption (N-648) from the English language and US Civics requirements for US naturalization if there is the presence of “physical or developmental disability or mental impairment”. Such disability or impairments can be a result of conditions such as dementia, head injury, or intellectual disability.
Immigration psychological evaluations by a licensed clinical psychologist can assess a person’s attention, concentration, ability to learn new information, and memory. These are important skills needed to satisfy the English language and US Civics requirements. Such an evaluation provides empirical data and substantiates whether (and to what extent) someone experiences a disability or impairment in these functional domains.
Based in Miami, FL, our licensed psychologists can conduct these immigration evaluations for the N-648 waiver in both English and Spanish.
This evaluation includes:
- 60 minute initial interview with a licensed psychologist
- 2-3 hours of test administration
- 30-minute final feedback session to review report
Total Time for completion = 15 working days*
*After completion of test administration. Rushed reports are available, subject to an additional fee.
You probably have more questions about our immigration evaluations for the N-648 waiver.
Here are some of the most common questions that people ask us about our immigration evaluations.
How do I know if I need a psychological evaluation for my immigration case?
One way to figure out if you need psychological testing for your immigration case is to ask your immigration attorney. He or she can help you determine if you will be applying for a Citizenship Examination waiver. If you are, then you will need to undergo a psychological evaluation to determine if you have a mental or developmental disability that would qualify for the waiver. If you already know that there’s a disability (e.g. dementia, intellectual disability, traumatic head injury, etc.), then the results of a psychological evaluation can provide the evidence necessary for the N-648 form to qualify for the Citizenship Examination Waiver.
What should I bring to my evaluation?
Please bring the following information with you to the appointment:
- Immigration attorney’s name and contact information
- Primary doctor’s name and contact information
- Psychiatrist’s name and contact information
- Neurologist’s name and contact information
- Results/Reports of any recent medical checkups or studies (e.g. MRI, Brain CT scans, etc.)
- Names of all medications and dosages you are currently taking
- List of all medical conditions
- Your US Permanent Resident Card
- Your Florida Identification Card/Driver’s License
Are you qualified to complete Form N-648 Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions to get the Citizen Examination Waiver?
Yes. The doctors on staff at Envision Wellness are qualified to complete and sign Form N-648 Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions. They are licensed psychologists on the State of Florida and specifically trained in neuropsychology. This specialized training allows them to administer and interpret neuropsychological tests in order to determine the presence of neurocognitive or neurodevelopmental disorders that interfere with attention, concentration, learning, and/or memory – cognitive functions all of which are needed to complete the US citizenship examination.
Can this evaluation be done in a language other than English or Spanish?
Yes. We can perform these evaluations in other languages with the assistance of a Certified Medical Interpreter or Certifed Court Interpreter fluent in the client’s native language. The client is responsible for the cost of the the interpreter’s time.
We recommend Verbatim Languages Translators & Interpreters. They provide certified medical translators and interpreters in a variety of languages in the greater Miami area. Costs range from $95 – $160 per hour (2-hour minimum) depending on the language.
Due to the legal nature of these evaluations, family members, friends, or other persons casually known to the client cannot serve as interpreters. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Will I get the N-648 form completed if I do this psychological evaluation for my immigration case?
Not necessarily. Having a psychological evaluation done does not automatically mean that the psychologist will complete the N-648 form for you. The psychologist will complete the N-648 form only if the results of the psychological testing indicate the presence of a chronic disability or impairment.
What is considered a chronic medical or psychological disability that would qualify for Form N-648?
There are many disabilities that may qualify for a medical disability waiver for the US citizenship tests. Some of the cases that we most often see are intellectual disability, learning disorders (e.g. dyslexia), dementia, traumatic brain/head injury, stroke, and vascular disease (e.g. heart attack, chronic high blood pressure, etc).
Would depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder be considered chronic medical or psychological disability that would qualify for Form N-648?
Maybe. For mood and anxiety conditions to qualify for Form N-648, they must be chronic (i.e. lasting longer than 12 months) despite the person receiving treatment (e.g. psychiatric medication and outpatient therapy) and impair the person’s learning and memory. While mood and anxiety conditions can impair someone’s cognitive abilities, the impact is usually mild and inconsistent (i.e. some days are better than others) and goes away once the person receives treatment (i.e. not chronic), meaning they would not qualify for the N-648 form.
There are some severe cases of anxiety and mood disorders that are not responsive to treatments and over the course of many years can alter the brain’s functioning. Proof of treatments tried and length of treatment would need to be established alongside the results of psychological testing in those cases to determine if the anxiety or mood condition is chronic and substantially impairs the person’s learning and memory.
We recommend setting up an initial appointment so our psychologist can assess your case and help you figure out if a psychological evaluation is right for you.
I just got a notice that my immigration hearing is in less than 2 weeks. How fast can you complete this immigration evaluation?
We usually complete these evaluations in 15 business days. This is enough time in most cases. However, we can expedite results, subject to a rush fee. Please call our office to get an estimate for rush fees.
My N-648 form was rejected and needs to be completed again. Can you do a revision?
First, don’t panic. Rejections happen occasionally. All it means is that the psychologist needs to provide additional evidence to substantiate the disability. Please note that revisions to the N-648 form will incur additional charges.
We can provide revisions of the N-648 form only for individuals which we have evaluated within 1 year of the evaluation date. We cannot provide a revision if you were evaluated by another psychologist or it has been over a year since we performed your evaluation. We would need to repeat the entire evaluation.
My N-648 form has been rejected several times. What’s going wrong?
Chances are that whoever did the previous evaluations and completed the N-648 form failed to provide sufficient supporting data to substantiate an impairment. Unfortunately, we’ve seen a lot of poorly conducted evaluations that cost families a lot of money. We believe that this is a huge disservice to the general public and damaging to the mental health field’s credibility.
At Envision Wellness, our psychologists will interview you and/or caregiver for about 60 minutes to assess your case. If we decide to accept the case, you or your loved one will be tested for 2-3 hours. Then you’ll meet one final time with the psychologist to review the comprehensive final report, receive recommendations, address any questions, and receive the completed N-648 (if applicable). If previous evaluations consisted of less than the above described, no quantitative data, or a 1-page letter instead of a final report, then it’s likely your previous evaluations were poorly conducted.
Don’t get scammed.
Our evaluations may seem costly, but remember, you get what you pay for. Our evaluations are comprehensive assessments conducted by experienced psychologists, specializing in neuropsychology, with good rates of acceptance by US immigration.
Does my healthcare insurance cover this evaluation?
Maybe. However, our psychologists do not accept any form of health insurance. As out-of-network providers, they can give you a superbill (a receipt with medical procedure codes) that you submit to your healthcare insurance company. Your insurance carrier will determine if you are eligible for reimbursement of this evaluation’s cost based on your healthcare plan’s coverage.
My attorney told me to get a psychological evaluation for my case. Can my current therapist complete this evaluation?
No, your current therapist cannot conduct your immigration psychological evaluation. If your therapist becomes your evaluator/examiner, then the therapist would have multiple relationships with you (as therapist and examiner), which constitutes a conflict of interest and violates the ethical codes of most mental health professions. Therefore, you need to have another professional perform an immigration evaluation, and this professional would be considered your evaluator or examiner. With your written permission, the evaluator can contact your therapist to gather information for the immigration evaluation.
Your therapist can also provide a supporting letter or treatment summary to the evaluator for the psychological evaluation once you have attended a minimum of 5 or 6 sessions.
I took the US citizenship exam but failed it. Can I qualify for an N-648 waiver?
We recommend you consult with an immigration attorney to determine how to best proceed in your specific case.
How does payment work?
The total cost of the evaluation is $1300 USD. There’s a $400 USD non-refundable scheduling fee to reserve your appointment. We require that the remaining $900 USD of the evaluation be paid on the day of the testing appointment if your case is accepted by the psychologist. If your case is not accepted, then the $400 scheduling fee covers the time the psycholgist spent assessing your case and no additional cost is owed.
We will provide you with a receipt for your records. No additional payment is required at the final session when you receive the evaluation’s results.
Please note that the scheduling fee is forfeited and is applied towards the late cancelation/no-show fee if you late cancel (i.e. less than 24 hours notice) or fail to attend your appointment within 15 minutes of the start time (i.e. no show). A new scheduling fee will be charged to make another appointment.
At this time we only accept cash (USD) and US-issued credit cards. We do not accept personal checks, money orders, or international credit cards for this type of evaluation. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Call us or schedule a Consult to learn more and get pricing for this evaluation.
