The Impact of Recent USCIS Policy Manual Changes on Immigrant Survivors
- OVW Approved?
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Yes
- Description
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Mid-Atlantic Region (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia)
Speakers: Cristina Velez, Legal and Policy Director, ASISTA
Kelly Byrne, Staff Attorney, ASISTA
Who can attend?
This webinar is open to OVW LAV and ELSI grantees, sub-grantees, STOP subgrantees, and potential grantees in the following jurisdictions: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Eligible attendees include staff of domestic violence coalitions, sexual assault coalitions, dual coalitions, and potential grantee organizations (including nonprofits and law school clinics serving survivors).
Description:
This interactive webinar for intermediate-level attorneys and DOJ accredited representatives will explore the impact of recent changes to the USCIS Policy Manual on immigrant survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Through lecture, hypotheticals, and group discussion, panelists will discuss changes to VAWA Self-Petitions, including USCIS interpretation of the joint residence requirement and the “any credible evidence” standard, as well as changes to the confidentiality and prohibited source protections in 8 U.S.C. 1367. Panelists will share practical tips throughout the webinar and will lead a discussion on how to educate decisionmakers about domestic violence dynamics and how to enhance decisionmakers’ perspective of survivors’ credibility. Panelists will also invite grantees to share their experiences.
This project was supported by Grant No. 15JOVW-23-GK-05161-MUMU awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Justice.