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The applicant��s affidavit plays a very important role.

Her affidavit should address
        a) specifically
        b) the waiver
                i) that she hopes to pursue.

She should discuss her intention
        a) of marrying
                i) in good faith and
                ii) not solely for immigration purposes.

She should also include the following in her affidavit:

        a. How
                i) she and
                ii) her batterer
                        
                    first met,

                1) the nature of their relationship and
                2) dating history,
                3) living arrangements and
                4) children (if applicable);

        b.         i) When they began living together, or
                ii) when they got married.

                A timeline
                        A) of the relationship

                1) will make it easier
                        A) for CIS officials to understand the entire picture and nature
                                I) of the relationship;

        c.         i) The first act of domestic violence and
                ii) a history of the violence to date,
                        A) including as
                                A) many specific incidents
                                        (a) as she can accurately recall and
                                II) a summary
                                        (a) of the frequency of incidents of abuse.

                She should also address
                        A) what factors
                                I) make or
                                II) made it difficult
                                        (a) for her to leave the abuser;

        d. A detailed description
                i) of each incident of
                        A) violence or
                        B) extreme cruelty,
                ii) including
                        A) her protests and
                        B) attempts to seek help,
                        C) her feelings
                                I) of how the abuse affected her and any children;
                        D) a description of
                                I) physical injuries,
                                II) verbal abuse, and
                                III) threats, and
                        E) the help
                                I) she sought and
                        F) problems
                                I) she encountered in finding help;

        e. A list of all address
                i) where
                        A) she and
                        B) her batterer

                    resided,
                ii) including
                        A) names and
                        B) places
                                I) of employment or
                        C) both;

        f. The batterer��s relationship
                i) with the survivor��s
                        A) children,
                        B) parents and
                        C) siblings;

        g. The survivor��s relationship
                i) with her abuser��s family members;

        h. The role of
                i) the batterer��s parents,

                        1) if they pressured her
                                I) not to report the incident
                                        (a) to the authorities, or
                ii) any other person
                        A) who pressured her
                                I) not to report.

                Include her relationship
                        A) to this person
                        B) (e.g., neighbor, priest, other relatives, etc.);

        i.. Her own feelings
                i) of fear for
                        A) her safety and
                        B) the safety of her children.

                These feelings may include the fear
                        A) that her abuser will use her immigration status
                                I) to exert power over her. 29

                If an applicant is dependent
                        A) upon her batterer
                        B) to obtain immigration status,

                1) the batterer may use that control
                        A) to make immigration-related threats
                                I) to manipulate and
                                II) abuse her.

                Some common manifestations
                        A) of this abuse

                1) could be
                        A) threatening deportation,
                        B) threatening removal
                                I) of her LPR status,
                        C) not filing papers, or
                        D) threatening not to sign the joint petition.30

                The impact
                        A) of immigration threats
                        B) in an abusive relationship

                1) is quite pervasive,
                2) because they can make it hard
                        A) for an applicant
                                I) to separate herself from an abusive relationship.




28 CIS is prohibited from requiring the recommendation of a mental heath professional or any other specific form of evidence to support a Form I-751 waiver based upon abuse or extreme mental cruelty. Aleinikoff, Executive Associate Commissioner, Office of Programs, INS Memorandum HQ 204-P, at ii (April 16, 1996).
29 Leslye E. Orloff & Rachel Little, Somewhere to Turn: Making Domestic Violence Services Accessible to Battered
Immigrant Women, at 6 (AYUDA, Inc., May 1999).
30 Id. at 6-7.



The applicant��s affidavit should
        a) detail
                i) as much as possible,
        b) but focus upon the specific hardships
                i) encountered as a result of the abuse.

If a client is
        a) unable or
        b) not comfortable with writing,

1) advocates and
2) attorneys

    should gather
        a) stories and
        b) details for her affidavit.

An advocate should know that
        a) an applicant may not feel comfortable
                i) discussing her abuse, or
        b) the discussion may be painful for her.

Advocates should
        a) be sensitive to these feelings and        
        b) help the survivor
                i) through the application process
                ii) so that she can
                        A) obtain the waiver and
                        B) retain legal permanent residence.

In addition to the Battered Immigrant Waiver
        a) discussed above,

1) there are two other waivers
        a) that an immigrant can apply for
        b) if she is unable to file the joint petition
                i) with her spouse:

        a. the extreme hardship waiver, and
        b. the good faith/good cause waiver.

An applicant should be encouraged
        a) to apply for all three waivers
                i) at the same time

1) if she qualifies for all three waivers. 31

Below is a brief discussion
        a) of the two other waivers.


Extreme Hardship Waiver

In order to qualify for an extreme hardship waiver,

1) an applicant must convince the CIS adjudicator
        a) that
                i) she would be subject to ��extreme hardship��
                ii) if she were forced to return to her home country.32

��Extreme hardship��
        a) does not have a fixed and inflexible meaning,
        b) but, rather, is dependent
                i) upon the facts and circumstances of each case.

The traditional extreme hardship factors
        a) that have been used

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