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Forensic psychologists · For applicants and attorneys · Jupiter, FL and secure video

Immigration Evaluation In West Palm Beach, FL

A forensic psychological report for your immigration case, signed by a Florida-licensed clinical psychologist. We tell you which of the 3 West Palm Beach immigration buildings your appointment is actually in, which clinician on staff can sign your particular form, and what a psychological report can prove.

Request an evaluation Call (561) 870-0411
  • Florida licence PY9058
  • Court-appointed in 5 Florida judicial circuits
  • ★★★★★ Google reviews
  • Interpreter support available

Quick answer: An immigration psychological evaluation is a forensic assessment by a licensed psychologist, written as a report your immigration attorney files with your case. FC PsychExperts evaluates for extreme and exceptional hardship, political asylum, spousal abuse and VAWA, U and T visa, competency to participate in immigration proceedings, and Form N-648. Clinical interviews run 2 to 3 hours. Reports typically run 15 to 25 pages and are delivered in 2 to 3 weeks. Sessions are in person at the Jupiter office, about 20 minutes north of downtown West Palm Beach, or by secure video anywhere in Florida. Call (561) 870-0411.

Immigration Evaluation In Palm Beach County
Before you book anything

Three Different Services Rank for This One Search

Type “immigration evaluation West Palm Beach” into Google and you get 3 things wearing the same words. Book the wrong one and you lose a week and a fee.

PSYCH EVAL

Forensic psychological evaluationWhat this page is about

A clinical interview, usually with standardized testing, written as a report your attorney files. It documents trauma, abuse, hardship to a qualifying relative, or competency.

I-693

USCIS medical examCivil surgeon, different licence

Vaccines, bloodwork and a sealed form for a green card file. A civil surgeon signs the I-693. A psychologist signs the hardship report. Neither one can do the other’s job, and calling ahead does not change that.

CONSULT

A law firm’s free case evaluationA legal consultation

A conversation about your legal options. Useful, free, and it produces no clinical report.

There is a fourth split that catches people, and it has a hard federal rule behind it. Form N-648, the medical waiver for the citizenship English and civics test, is its own product with its own signature requirement.

The credential question

Who Is Allowed to Sign What

For Form N-648, USCIS names 3 professions and stops: a medical doctor, a doctor of osteopathy, or a clinical psychologist. A licensed clinical social worker cannot certify it. A licensed mental health counselor cannot either.

The rule is in the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part E, Chapter 3, and the signer has to be licensed in a US state, DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands or the Northern Mariana Islands. The exam has to be in person, or real-time telehealth where state law allows it.

That matters because a Form N-648 signed by the wrong licence comes back. You pay twice and you lose the filing window.

For narrative reports, Florida practice is wider. Extreme hardship, asylum, VAWA, U visa and T visa letters are written by psychologists, and also by LCSWs and LMHCs. USCIS publishes no licence restriction for those. Weight is a separate question from eligibility. A short letter from the clinician who is also treating you creates a dual-relationship problem under ordinary ethics codes, and adjudicators read those letters differently than they read an independent forensic report.

One correction, because it is circulating
  1. The claimA Florida law effective 1 July 2025 narrowed who may evaluate your client.
    Marketing
  2. What the statute isIt amends Chapter 916 of the Florida Statutes, in Title XLVII, Criminal Procedure. It governs competency and sanity evaluations of criminal defendants in state court.
    Statute
  3. Why it does not applyAn immigration hardship letter is not a Chapter 916 appointment. A page citing that statute for immigration work is citing the wrong chapter.
    Correction

Which Clinician on Our Staff Can Sign Your Form

Most practices advertise immigration evaluations as one product and never say which licence is behind it. Here is the roster.

PSY.D.

Dr. Cathy ColetLicensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, FL PY9058

N-648

Signs Form N-648 and writes every narrative report type.

PSYCHOLOGIST

Dr. Lauren MillerClinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist

N-648

Signs Form N-648. Covers cognitive and neuropsychological findings.

PSYCHOLOGIST

Dr. Matthew J. JalazoForensic Psychologist

N-648

Signs Form N-648 and writes narrative reports.

PSYCHOLOGIST

Dr. Christopher J. BeltranForensic Psychologist

N-648

Signs Form N-648 and writes narrative reports.

PSYCHOLOGIST

Dr. Shifra GrossPsychologist

N-648

Signs Form N-648 and writes narrative reports.

If your case needs an N-648, ask the practice you are calling which of those 3 licences their signer holds, and check it on the Florida MQA lookup before you pay a deposit. It takes 2 minutes and it is the cheapest error you will ever avoid.

2008Court-appointed in Florida since
5Judicial circuits: 1st, 15th, 17th, 19th, 20th
75%Share of the practice that is forensic
8Counties in the USCIS West Palm Beach field office jurisdiction
Case types we evaluate

Case Types We Evaluate

Each case type asks a different legal question. The report has to answer that specific question, in the words the adjudicator uses.

I-601 / I-601A

Extreme and exceptional hardship waiverThe qualifying US citizen or resident relative is evaluated

Documents the psychological, medical, financial and family hardship the qualifying relative would face if the applicant were removed or kept abroad.

I-589

Political asylumThe applicant is evaluated

Assesses psychological symptoms consistent with the persecution described, and explains how trauma affects memory and testimony.

I-360

VAWA self-petition and spousal abuseSpouse, child or parent of an abusive US citizen or resident

Documents battery or extreme cruelty and its psychological course, in support of a petition filed without the abuser’s knowledge or participation.

I-918 / I-914

U visa and T visaVictims of qualifying crimes or trafficking

Assesses substantial physical or mental abuse from the crime, and the effects of trafficking, in the language the statute uses.

N-648

Disability waiver for the citizenship testMD, DO or clinical psychologist signature only

Certifies a medically determinable impairment and its effect on learning English or civics. Requires an in-person exam, or real-time telehealth where Florida law permits it.

COMPETENCY

Competency to participate in proceedingsThe respondent is evaluated

Assesses whether a respondent understands the proceedings and can assist in their own case, for the immigration judge.

Dr. Colet also evaluates same-sex couples hardship waivers, and is available to conduct evaluations inside ICE detention centers and correctional facilities. Most West Palm Beach practices do not go inside. If the person you are asking about is detained, say so on the first call, because the scheduling path is completely different.

Local detail nobody publishes

Three Buildings Say West Palm Beach. Your Appointment Is in One of Them.

Palm Beach County immigration business happens in 3 separate places, and 2 of them are not where the name suggests. This is the question the office fields most often.

FIELD OFFICE

USCIS West Palm Beach Field Office9300 Belvedere Road, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

Not the City of West Palm Beach. Adjustment interviews, naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies. Jurisdiction covers 8 counties: Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie. Appointment only, no walk-ins.

BIOMETRICS

USCIS Application Support CenterSouth Congress Avenue, West Palm Beach

Fingerprints and photos only. Your biometrics notice and your interview notice carry 2 different addresses, and putting the wrong one in the GPS is the most common wasted morning in this county.

COURT

Immigration court is in MiamiThere is no EOIR courtroom in Palm Beach County

Non-detained cases are heard at the Miami Immigration Court, One Riverview Square, 333 S. Miami Avenue, Suite 700. Detained cases are heard at Miami-Krome, 18201 SW 12th Street.

What this means for the evaluation: the clinical sessions can be done by secure video from your kitchen table. The hearing cannot. Plan the report and the Miami appearance as 2 separate commitments, and tell us the hearing date on the first call.

The number everyone quotes

The 81.6% Statistic, and the 3 Things It Leaves Out

Nearly every immigration evaluation page in Florida cites the same pair of numbers: 81.6% of applicants who got a forensic evaluation received some form of relief, against a 42.4% national asylum grant rate.

The study is real. Atkinson et al., Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, November 2021, run by Physicians for Human Rights with CUNY. It is the best large US dataset on the question.

So it is a serious paper about a represented, pre-screened, decade-old population. Treating 81.6% as your own odds misreads the paper’s own limits. No public dataset breaks Miami outcomes down by whether a psychological evaluation was filed, so anyone quoting you a current percentage lift is guessing.

What the study supports is narrower and still worth something. A forensic report written to the legal standard turns a claim an officer has to take on faith into a file an officer can read. Dr. Colet is a member of Physicians for Human Rights, the organization that ran the study.

What those pages leave out
  1. The dataset is 2,584 cases from 2008 to 2018A decade old, closed before the current docket existed.
    Age
  2. Every applicant in it had a lawyerThe study population is represented applicants only.
    Sample
  3. Every one was screened into the PHR Asylum NetworkScreening happened before the evaluation. That selection shapes the result.
    Selection
What applicants worry about

What Applicants Ask Before They Book

Almost everyone who calls the Jupiter office about an immigration evaluation has one of these on their mind. They deserve straight answers.

The fear

“Will you report me?”

The fact

FC PsychExperts is a private psychology practice. The report is prepared for you and your attorney, and the 2 of you decide whether to file it. Nothing goes to USCIS or the court without your attorney’s direction.

The fear

“If I cry or forget dates, it hurts my case.”

The fact

Trauma affects memory, and inconsistent dates are one of the most common reasons a claim gets discounted. A forensic psychologist documents that mechanism in the report. Attorneys often request the evaluation for exactly this reason. You are not being asked to perform.

The fear

“My English is not good enough.”

The fact

Tell the office your preferred language when you call. Evaluations are conducted with interpreter support so the report carries what you actually said.

How it works

From First Call to Signed Report

Your attorney’s filing date sets the pace. This is the standard sequence.

Day 1The call

Scope, deadline, fee

You or your attorney give us the case type and the filing or hearing date. We confirm the evaluation type, quote the fee and book the first session.

You, or your attorney

Wk 1Session 1

Clinical interview, 2 to 3 hours

History, the events at issue, current functioning. In person in Jupiter or by secure video. Interpreter if you want one.

You and the psychologist

Wk 1-2Testing

Testing and collateral

Standardized psychological measures, collateral interviews where the case calls for them (hardship cases almost always do), and review of the records your attorney sends.

You, family, records

Wk 2-3Report

Signed report, 15 to 25 pages

A signed forensic report addressing the legal standard for your case type. Your attorney reviews it with you and decides how to use it.

Psychologist to attorney

If your deadline is inside 3 weeks, say so on the first call rather than after the first session.

What your attorney receives

What Your Attorney Receives

Immigration judges and USCIS officers read hundreds of these. The ones that carry weight answer the legal question directly, show their methods, and stay inside what the data supports. The same clinicians write forensic evaluations for Florida criminal and family courts, so reports are written to a court standard.

  • Written to the standard. Extreme hardship, substantial abuse, persecution or competency, in the language the adjudicator applies.
  • Methods listed. Every interview, standardized measure, collateral source and record reviewed appears in the report, so an officer can see how the conclusion was reached.
  • Findings tied to evidence. No advocacy language and no conclusion the data will not carry. That restraint is what makes the report usable.
  • Signed by a licensed psychologist who is available for testimony.
Report outline · illustration
  1. Referral questionThe legal issue the report addresses and who referred
    Attorney
  2. Sources of informationInterviews, testing, collateral contacts, records
    Method
  3. Relevant historyBackground, family, medical, events at issue
    Interview
  4. Clinical findingsCurrent functioning, symptoms, test results
    Testing
  5. Analysis against the standardHow the findings relate to the legal question
    Opinion
  6. Conclusions and signatureLicensed psychologist, credentials, date
    Signed
Said up front

What We Will Not Do

Worth stating plainly, because it is the part of the engagement people find out about late.

The limits of the engagement

  • We will not write a report on someone we have not evaluated. No paper reviews sold as evaluations.
  • We will not state a conclusion the record does not support, including when an attorney asks for stronger language.
  • We will not serve as your treating clinician and your forensic evaluator in the same case.
  • We cannot complete your I-693. That is a USCIS civil surgeon.
  • We cannot tell you whether you will win. A report is evidence. The outcome belongs to the adjudicator.

If you want therapy instead

Serving as both your treating clinician and your forensic evaluator is a dual relationship, and an adjudicator who spots it discounts the report. If what you want is therapy rather than an evaluation, that is a separate service with a separate clinician, and the office can route you there on the same call.

An evaluation is also evidence attached to an application for relief. It is not a status. The application is what carries status. The report supports it.

Who evaluates

Who Evaluates

Dr. Cathy Colet, Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologist, Florida licence PY9058

Dr. Cathy Colet, Psy.D.

Licensed Clinical & Forensic Psychologist · Florida licence PY9058 · Founder

Dr. Colet founded the practice in 2008 and has been court-appointed across Florida’s 1st, 15th, 17th, 19th and 20th judicial circuits. About 75% of her practice is forensic. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and Physicians for Human Rights. Her CV is published on her bio page.

Works with: asylum · hardship · VAWA · U and T visa · N-648 · competency · detention facility evaluations · testimony

Dr. Lauren Miller, Clinical and Forensic Neuropsychologist

Dr. Lauren Miller

Clinical & Forensic Neuropsychologist · nearly 20 years

Dr. Miller has nearly 20 years of experience as a clinician, consultant, lecturer and writer. Her neuropsychological testing covers the immigration cases where cognitive functioning, brain injury or competency is part of the question, including N-648 cases involving cognitive impairment.

Works with: neuropsychological evaluation · competency · cognitive findings in hardship cases

The full service line sits under immigration psychological evaluations.

For immigration attorneys

For Immigration Attorneys

Send what you have. We confirm scope, fee and timeline with you before the client is scheduled.

What to send

  • Case type and the specific relief sought
  • Filing or hearing date
  • Who is to be evaluated: the applicant, the qualifying relative, or both
  • Client’s preferred language, and in person or video
  • Whether the client is detained, and at which facility
  • Any prior evaluations, medical or mental health records, or declarations
  • Whether testimony may be needed

Where to send it

drcolet@fcpsychexperts.com
or call (561) 870-0411

Curriculum vitae, fee schedule and a sample report structure are available on request. FC PsychExperts evaluates for the 1st, 15th, 17th, 19th and 20th judicial circuits and holds memberships in the APA, AFCC, ATSA, APSAC and Physicians for Human Rights.

Offices in Jupiter (Palm Beach County) and Fort Lauderdale (Broward County). Secure video statewide. Evaluations inside ICE detention centers and correctional facilities, arranged through counsel.

In their words

What Clients and Attorneys Say

“I have worked with Dr. Colet for several years. I have found her to always be highly professional and an excellent forensic psychologist. I do not hesitate to refer clients to her.”

Maria CammarataAttorney at Law

“The forensic evaluation provided by this team was incredibly thorough and meticulously detailed. Their expertise and careful approach made a significant impact on our legal case, providing us with the clarity and support we needed.”

Jennifer E.Client

“The staff took the time to explain each step, and the detailed report offered valuable insights. The entire experience was both professional and supportive.”

Christopher S.Client
FC PsychExperts office in Jupiter, about 20 minutes north of downtown West Palm Beach
Where we are

Where We Are

The Jupiter office at 210 Jupiter Lakes Blvd, Unit 4-201 is about 20 minutes up I-95 from downtown West Palm Beach. Most West Palm Beach applicants do the interview sessions by secure video and come in only when testing requires it.

  • West Palm Beach and nearby: downtown West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Greenacres, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens
  • Broward: Fort Lauderdale office, 1451 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 300
  • Statewide by secure video: Miami-Dade, the Treasure Coast, Orlando, Tampa. See immigration evaluations across Florida.
  • Detention: evaluations inside ICE detention centers and correctional facilities, arranged through your attorney

Cases elsewhere in the county are covered on our Palm Beach County immigration evaluation page.

Questions applicants and attorneys ask

Immigration Evaluation FAQ

What is an immigration psychological evaluation?

A forensic assessment by a licensed psychologist that documents psychological history, current functioning and, depending on the case, the effects of trauma or the hardship a qualifying relative would face. It is an assessment written for a legal filing. No therapy is provided.

How long does it take?

Clinical interviews run 2 to 3 hours. Reports typically run 15 to 25 pages and are delivered in 2 to 3 weeks, depending on testing and how quickly records arrive.

How much does it cost?

Fees depend on case type and scope and are quoted on the first call. Immigration evaluations are private pay. Health insurance does not cover a legal work product.

Who can sign my Form N-648?

USCIS accepts Form N-648 only from a medical doctor, a doctor of osteopathy, or a clinical psychologist licensed in a US state or territory. An LCSW or LMHC signature is not accepted. Dr. Colet is a Florida-licensed clinical psychologist, PY9058.

Is my hearing in West Palm Beach?

No. There is no immigration court in Palm Beach County. Non-detained cases go to the Miami Immigration Court at 333 S. Miami Avenue, Suite 700. Detained cases go to Miami-Krome at 18201 SW 12th Street.

Is the USCIS office in West Palm Beach?

The USCIS West Palm Beach Field Office is at 9300 Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach, not the City of West Palm Beach. Biometrics are at a separate Application Support Center on South Congress Avenue. The field office covers 8 counties: Palm Beach, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie.

Can the evaluation be done by video?

Yes for most case types. Some testing is more accurate in person, and your clinician tells you at intake if any part of yours needs to be. Form N-648 requires an in-person exam or real-time telehealth where Florida law permits it.

What if I do not speak English?

Evaluations are conducted with interpreter support. Tell the office your preferred language on the first call.

Can you evaluate someone in ICE detention?

Yes. Dr. Colet conducts evaluations inside ICE detention centers and correctional facilities. Access is arranged through the attorney of record and the facility, so start that call early.

Will the evaluation be used against me?

The report is prepared for you and your attorney. You decide together whether to file it. Nothing is submitted without your attorney’s direction.

Can my attorney refer me directly?

Yes. Attorneys call (561) 870-0411 or email drcolet@fcpsychexperts.com with the case type, the deadline and any records. Scope, fee and timeline are confirmed with the attorney before scheduling.

Does the psychologist testify?

Yes, where the case requires it. Availability is confirmed with the attorney when the evaluation is scheduled.

Does an evaluation give me status?

No. It is evidence attached to an application for relief such as asylum, withholding, cancellation or VAWA. The application carries the status. The report supports it.

Take the first step

Request an Evaluation

Applicants and attorneys start the same way. Tell us the case type and the deadline. We confirm the evaluation type, quote the fee and book the first session.

Call (561) 870-0411

Mon to Fri, 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM · 210 Jupiter Lakes Blvd, Unit 4-201, Jupiter, FL 33458

Request an evaluation