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The VAWA blog
Short posts on what changed, what it means, and what to do about it. Every legal statement cites its source, and every post carries the date it was checked.
Looking for the long guides instead? See the articles. Changes in the law are also tracked on the news page. RSS feed.
What a prima facie notice means for public benefitsA prima facie notice is not an approval. It can open some federal benefits to a spouse or child, under three conditions in 8 U.S.C. 1641(c).Read →
The VAWA filing addresses changed on October 7, 2026USCIS moved VAWA I-360 filings to Attn: 1367 lockboxes on October 7, 2026. What changed, the grace date, and why we link the address instead of printing it.Read →
VAWA fee exemptions in 2026: the no-fee I-360 and the forms that followThe VAWA I-360 is $0, and 8 C.F.R. 106.3(b)(6) lists the related USCIS forms filed at no government fee. Here is the list, as of October 2026.Read →
Threats to call ICE can be abuseA threat to call immigration can be part of the extreme cruelty the law recognizes. How courts have described it, and what the threat cannot do.Read →
The two-year divorce windowA former spouse can self-petition within 2 years after a divorce connected to the abuse. When the clock starts, and what remarriage does.Read →
RFE and NOID deadlines on a VAWA case: 12 weeks, 30 days, no extensionsAn RFE gives at most 12 weeks and a NOID at most 30 days, with no extensions. What to send, and what happens if the date passes.Read →
PA-2025-34 and the limits of VAWA confidentialityUSCIS now applies the abuser-information rule only to admissibility and deportability decisions, and ends 1367 protection at naturalization.Read →
My abuser took my passportA held passport does not stop a VAWA self-petition. What the law says about missing papers, and why the taking itself can be evidence.Read →
Living together "during the marriage": what PA-2025-33 changedSince December 22, 2025, the shared residence must fall during the marriage. There is still no minimum time, and it need not have been in the U.S.Read →
The I-751 abuse waiver: no government fee, and no evaluation requiredThe I-751 battery or extreme cruelty waiver has a $0 government filing fee, and USCIS does not require a mental health evaluation.Read →
The extreme hardship mythCongress removed the hardship element from the self-petition in 2000. The regulation still prints it. Here is where the myth comes from.Read →
Dual arrest and VAWA: talk to the criminal lawyer firstIf you were arrested with the abuser, or on their complaint, talk to your criminal lawyer before writing anything. What INA 237(a)(7) covers.Read →
Deferred action after VAWA approval is case by caseApproved self-petitioners may be considered for deferred action case by case. It is a decision, not an automatic step, and we do not publish its terms.Read →
Citizenship after VAWA: three years or five?Which naturalization clock applies after a VAWA green card, 3 years under INA 319(a) or 5 under INA 316(a), and the N-400 government filing fees.Read →
Children turning 21 on a VAWA caseA derivative child who turns 21 before approval keeps the parent's priority date if unmarried. An abused child may file until 25 in some cases.Read →
Case note: Hernandez v. AshcroftThe Ninth Circuit held in 2003 that an abuser's apologies and promises can be extreme cruelty. A published case, not our client.Read →
Ask for your work permit on the I-360 itselfA principal self-petitioner can request the first work permit on the I-360 itself under INA 204(a)(1)(K). Do not leave that box blank.Read →
Advance parole after Delcarmen-Lara: talk to us before you travelSince Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, leaving on advance parole can trigger the unlawful-presence bars. Why a VAWA applicant should not travel without advice.Read →Your attorneys
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