Parents Who Self-Petition for VAWA

You can self-petition for VAWA if your abusive child is a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years of age. You must show Immigration that:

1. You are the parent of a U.S. citizen. To prove this, you will need to show your son or daughter’s birth certificate or certificate of naturalization. Remember, if your abusive child is a lawful permanent resident, you will not be able to self-petition for VAWA.

2. Your child is at least 21 years old. Their birth certificate can also be used to prove your son or daughter’s age.

3. You are a person of good moral character. U.S. law does not define what, specifically, is good moral character. Rather, they list things that would mean you do not have good moral character. Learn more in our Good Moral Character article.

4. You resided with your abusive child who is a U.S. citizen. This can seem difficult because you probably won’t appear on a lease agreement or the bills for the home. However, you can talk about it in your affidavit.

5. Your child who is a U.S. citizen battered you or subjected you to extreme cruelty. Evidence such as medical records or police reports should be included in your application if you have them, but they are not absolutely necessary. You can also describe what happened in your affidavit.

6. At least one instance of the abuse or extreme cruelty occurred inside of the United States. Again, you may or may not have police reports and medical records, but you can talk about this in your affidavit.