VAWA Self-Petition for Abused Spouse of a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permenant Resident

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) provides a somewhat more generous set of rules for foreign nationals who have been subject to abuse or extreme cruelty by certain U.S. citizen or permanent resident family members. At its heart, this law seeks to remove the immigration process from the control of the abusive U.S. citizen and allow the foreign national to apply for permanent residence even without the cooperation of the abuser.