T-Visa Psychological Evaluation Guide: Complete Resource for Human Trafficking Survivors

Last Updated: January 2026

Human trafficking is one of the most severe violations of human rights, leaving survivors with profound physical, emotional, and psychological wounds. For those seeking protection in the United States through a T-Visa, a psychological evaluation serves as a critical piece of evidence that documents the trauma you have endured and supports your path to safety and healing.

This comprehensive guide explains everything you need to know about T-Visa psychological evaluations, from understanding the purpose of these assessments to knowing what to expect during the evaluation process. Whether you are a survivor beginning your T-Visa journey or an attorney preparing a case, this resource will help you navigate this important step with clarity and confidence.

What Is a T-Visa Psychological Evaluation?

A T-Visa psychological evaluation is a specialized mental health assessment conducted by a licensed clinical professional to document the psychological impact of human trafficking on survivors. Unlike a standard therapy session, this evaluation is specifically designed to provide expert clinical evidence for your T-Visa application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

The evaluation results in a comprehensive written report that details your trafficking experience from a clinical perspective, identifies mental health conditions resulting from trafficking (such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, or complex trauma), and explains how these conditions support your T-Visa application. This expert documentation helps immigration officials understand the severity of your experience and the necessity of your remaining in the United States for your safety and recovery.

Who Qualifies for a T-Visa Psychological Evaluation?

T-Visa psychological evaluations are designed for survivors of severe forms of human trafficking. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), trafficking takes two primary forms, and survivors of both types may benefit from psychological evaluations:

Sex Trafficking Survivors

Sex trafficking involves commercial sex acts induced through force, fraud, or coercion, or when the victim is under 18 years of age. This includes:

• Forced prostitution or escort services
• Coerced participation in pornography
• Sexual exploitation in massage parlors, strip clubs, or other venues
• Domestic minor sex trafficking
• Online sexual exploitation
• Sex trafficking disguised as modeling, entertainment, or hospitality work

Labor Trafficking Survivors

Labor trafficking involves the recruitment, harboring, transportation, or obtaining of a person for labor through force, fraud, or coercion for involuntary servitude, debt bondage, or slavery. This includes:

• Forced domestic servitude (housekeeping, childcare, elder care)
• Agricultural labor exploitation
• Factory or manufacturing forced labor
• Construction work under coercion
• Restaurant and hospitality industry exploitation
• Debt bondage arrangements where victims are forced to work to pay off manufactured debts

Both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals who were trafficked in the United States, or who entered the country as a result of trafficking, may qualify for a T-Visa and benefit from a psychological evaluation.

What Does a T-Visa Psychological Evaluation Assess?

T-Visa psychological evaluations are comprehensive assessments that examine multiple dimensions of your experience and current mental health. The evaluator will assess:

Trauma and PTSD Symptoms

Trafficking survivors frequently experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex PTSD. The evaluation examines symptoms such as intrusive memories or flashbacks, nightmares related to trafficking experiences, hypervigilance and heightened startle responses, avoidance of reminders of the trafficking, emotional numbing or dissociation, and difficulty trusting others.

The Psychological Impact of Coercion and Control

Traffickers use specific tactics to control victims. The evaluation documents how these tactics have affected your psychology, including the impact of isolation from family and support systems, effects of document confiscation and threats of deportation, trauma bonds that may have formed with traffickers, learned helplessness from prolonged captivity or control, and fear responses resulting from threats of violence or harm to loved ones.

Co-Occurring Mental Health Conditions

Beyond PTSD, trafficking survivors often develop other mental health conditions that the evaluation will assess, including major depression and persistent depressive disorders, anxiety disorders including panic attacks, dissociative symptoms or disorders, substance use that developed as a coping mechanism, somatic symptoms and chronic pain, and sleep disturbances and insomnia.

Cognitive and Functional Impact

Severe trauma can affect how you think and function in daily life. The evaluation assesses memory and concentration difficulties, decision-making capacity, ability to work or attend school, interpersonal relationships and social functioning, and self-care and daily living skills.

Safety Concerns and Risk Factors

The evaluation also documents current safety concerns, risk of re-trafficking, presence of ongoing threats from traffickers, and the potential psychological harm if you were removed from the United States or returned to your home country.

The Evaluation Process: Step by Step

Understanding what to expect can help reduce anxiety about the evaluation process. Here is a detailed walkthrough of each stage:

Step 1: Initial Contact and Scheduling

The process begins when you or your attorney contacts a qualified evaluator. During this initial contact, the evaluator will explain the process and answer preliminary questions, discuss scheduling options and session format (in-person or telehealth), explain confidentiality and how information will be used, request any relevant documentation you may have, and discuss fees and payment arrangements.

Step 2: Document Review

Before the interview, the evaluator reviews available documentation to understand your case. This may include police reports or law enforcement certifications, medical records documenting physical injuries or conditions, prior mental health treatment records, legal filings related to your T-Visa application, and any written statements you have provided.

Step 3: The Clinical Interview

The heart of the evaluation is a comprehensive clinical interview lasting approximately 2-4 hours. This interview is conducted using trauma-informed principles, meaning the evaluator will proceed at your pace and comfort level, offer breaks whenever needed, avoid re-traumatizing questions while gathering necessary information, respect your autonomy and right not to answer questions, and create a safe, non-judgmental environment.

During the interview, the evaluator will ask about your background and life before trafficking, how you came to be trafficked, your experiences during trafficking, how you escaped or were rescued, your current symptoms and functioning, your support systems and coping strategies, and your fears about the future.

Step 4: Psychological Testing (When Appropriate)

Depending on your case, the evaluator may administer standardized psychological tests to provide objective measurements of trauma symptoms, depression, and anxiety, document cognitive functioning, strengthen the clinical findings with validated instruments, and provide additional evidence for your case.

Step 5: Report Preparation

After the interview and testing, the evaluator prepares a comprehensive written report. This report typically includes a summary of your trafficking experience from a clinical perspective, clinical diagnoses with supporting evidence, explanation of how trafficking caused your mental health conditions, assessment of the psychological harm removal would cause, treatment recommendations, and the evaluator's professional credentials and qualifications.

Step 6: Report Delivery and Follow-Up

The completed report is provided to you and/or your attorney. The evaluator is available to clarify any aspects of the report, provide addendums if new information emerges, and testify as an expert witness if required.

What to Expect During the Interview: A Trauma-Informed Approach

The interview portion of the evaluation is conducted with deep sensitivity to the trauma you have experienced. Here is what you can expect:

Your Comfort Comes First

A trauma-informed evaluator understands that discussing trafficking experiences can be extremely difficult. You will be given control over the pace of the interview, encouraged to take breaks whenever needed, offered water, tissues, or whatever makes you comfortable, and never pressured to share more than you are ready to share.

A Safe and Private Environment

Evaluations are conducted in a private, confidential setting. Whether in-person or via secure telehealth, the environment is designed to feel safe and respectful. If you need an interpreter, arrangements can be made to ensure accurate communication while maintaining confidentiality.

Honest, Open Communication

The evaluator will explain every part of the process before beginning. You will know what topics will be discussed, how the information will be used, who will receive the report, and your rights throughout the process.

Validation and Respect

Many survivors have experienced disbelief or blame from others. A skilled evaluator approaches your experience with complete respect and without judgment. Your experiences are valid, and your reactions to trauma are normal responses to abnormal circumstances.

How the Psychological Report Supports Your T-Visa Application

The psychological evaluation report serves multiple important functions in your T-Visa case:

Corroborating Evidence

The clinical findings in the evaluation report provide independent corroboration of your trafficking experience. Mental health symptoms consistent with severe trauma support your account of what happened.

Establishing Psychological Harm

USCIS requires evidence that you have experienced severe psychological harm. The evaluation documents specific symptoms, diagnoses, and functional impairments that demonstrate this harm in clinical terms.

Explaining Trauma Responses

Trauma can affect memory, behavior, and testimony in ways that may seem inconsistent to those unfamiliar with trauma psychology. The evaluation explains normal trauma responses such as fragmented memories, delayed disclosure, or maintaining contact with traffickers.

Supporting Continued Presence

The evaluation addresses why remaining in the United States is essential for your recovery and documents the potential psychological harm if you were deported.

Professional Credibility

An evaluation from a qualified, licensed mental health professional carries significant weight with immigration officials. The evaluator's expertise and credentials lend authority to the clinical findings.

Information for Attorneys: Working with Psychological Evaluators

For immigration attorneys preparing T-Visa cases, psychological evaluations are a critical component of building a strong case. Here is guidance for effective collaboration with evaluators:

Case Preparation

Provide the evaluator with all relevant documentation including legal filings, police reports, and medical records. Share specific legal requirements or issues the evaluation should address. Discuss any deadlines for report completion and coordinate with the client to ensure they are prepared for the evaluation.

Communication

Maintain open communication with the evaluator while respecting client confidentiality. Discuss any concerns about the client's ability to participate in the evaluation and clarify any questions about clinical findings before filing.

Expert Testimony

If expert testimony may be required, discuss this possibility early. Provide the evaluator with hearing dates and preparation needs and coordinate pre-hearing preparation with the evaluator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Take the Next Step

If you are a survivor of human trafficking seeking a T-Visa, or an attorney representing trafficking survivors, a comprehensive psychological evaluation can significantly strengthen your case. Fernando Vazquez, LCSW provides trauma-informed, survivor-centered evaluations designed to document your experience with sensitivity and clinical expertise.

Related Resources

• T Visa Psychological Evaluations: Helping Survivors of Human Trafficking
• Understanding U Visa Psychological Evaluations
• VAWA Psychological Evaluations: Empowering Survivors
• What Is an Immigration Psychological Evaluation? A Complete Guide
• Frequently Asked Questions About Immigration Psychological Evaluations
• Information for Attorneys