Download this guide as a PDF (in Russian)

Help for women and women with children

Free resources for every U.S. state, step-by-step actions in a dangerous situation, and immigration rights.

If you are in danger right now

Call 911 - this is the emergency service (police, ambulance). The call is free from any phone, even without a SIM card and even if you do not speak English - ask for a "Russian interpreter."

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (24/7, free, more than 200 languages, including Russian; you can call regardless of your immigration status). Text: send START to 88788. Online chat: thehotline.org

Aly Hudson LLC provides immigration document preparation services (not a law firm) and provides reference information. This is not legal advice and not a substitute for help from a licensed attorney. This material is for informational purposes only. In an emergency, call 911. For immigration questions, contact a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative).

First - your safety

If you are afraid someone is watching you, remember: computers and phones can be tracked. A few simple rules will lower the risk.

  • Open this material and help websites from a safe device - for example, a friend's phone, a library computer or the computer of someone you trust.
  • Clear your browser history after viewing, or use "incognito" / private browsing mode. Keep in mind: it is impossible to hide your traces online completely.
  • Help websites usually have a quick exit button ("Exit" / "Escape"). It instantly takes you to a neutral page.
  • Set up a separate email account that the abuser does not know about (create it from a safe device).
  • Check your phone for tracking apps and shared "family" location; change your passwords from a safe device.

Abuse is not your fault. You have the right to protection and help regardless of your immigration status, whose name the apartment is in, and what the abuser tells you. Help and shelters for survivors are free and confidential.

What counts as domestic violence

Domestic violence is not only hitting. It is any behavior one person uses to establish power and control over another. It includes:

  • Physical: hitting, pushing, choking, slapping, throwing objects, depriving you of sleep or food, causing pain of any kind.
  • Sexual: forcing intimacy, any acts without consent.
  • Psychological and emotional: insults, humiliation, threats, intimidation, constant criticism, isolation from family and friends, control over your every step.
  • Economic: cutting off your access to money, forbidding you to work, controlling all spending, taking your documents or your earnings.
  • Immigration-related (threats about your status): threats to "deport" you, to withdraw a petition filed for you, to take your children, to hide your passport and documents. Under U.S. law this is also a form of abuse ("extreme cruelty").

If any of this is happening to you, you have the right to ask for help.

Step-by-step actions in a dangerous situation

If your husband or fiancé hit you (physical violence)

  1. Get safe. If there is a threat, call 911. Try to get to a safe place (a neighbor's home, outside, someone you trust). If you can, know ahead of time which door you would leave through, and do not go into a room with no way out (for example, the kitchen).
  2. Get medical care, even if your injuries seem minor. Tell the doctor exactly how you were injured - your medical record will become official evidence. An ambulance is called through 911; the emergency room (ER) will help you regardless of your status and whether you have insurance.
  3. Record the evidence. Photograph bruises and injuries with the date; keep torn clothing, threatening messages, voice messages and chats. Write down the dates and what happened.
  4. Report it to the police. Ask for a Russian interpreter. Get the report number and, if possible, a copy of the report. This does not depend on your immigration status. A police report will help both for your protection and in immigration cases.
  5. Call the hotline. The national hotline 1-800-799-7233 (with a Russian interpreter) will help you make a safety plan and find the nearest free shelter and local assistance program.
  6. Think about a protective order (also called a restraining order) - see the section below. You can get one for free and without an attorney; your status does not matter.
  7. Keep your documents safe and pack a "go bag" (see the section "Which documents to keep"). Abusers often hide passports and immigration papers - make copies ahead of time and keep them in a safe place.

If you were thrown out of your home

Even if the apartment or house is not in your name, the abuser as a rule does not have the right to simply put you out on the street or change the locks. You have rights.

  1. If you are in danger or are not being let in to get your things, call 911. The police can provide a "civil standby" so you can safely collect your personal belongings and documents.
  2. Call the hotline at 1-800-799-7233. They will find you a free, confidential shelter (for women and for women with children) and help with temporary housing. There are shelters in almost every area.
  3. Take the essentials, if it is safe: documents (yours and your children's), medications, your phone and charger, keys, a little money or a bank card, the basics your children need.
  4. Ask for a protective order. The court can give you the right to return to the home or, the other way around, order the abuser to leave it (exclusive use of the home), and can also decide temporary custody of the children.
  5. Dial 211. This is a free information line (you can use it in Russian through an interpreter) for housing, food, clothing and other basic needs in your area. Website: 211.org
  6. Do not sign under pressure any documents giving up your housing, property or custody. First talk to a family law attorney or a local assistance program (often free).

If you are being psychologically abused

Psychological abuse - threats, humiliation, isolation, control, intimidation over your status - is real and dangerous; it often grows into physical violence. Under U.S. law this is "extreme cruelty," and it counts in immigration cases.

  1. Call it what it is: abuse. If you are systematically humiliated and controlled, threatened that your children will be taken or that you will be "deported," cut off from the people close to you - this is not a normal relationship.
  2. Keep a journal. Write down dates, words and actions; save threatening messages, chats and voice messages. This will help both for a protective order and for an immigration case.
  3. Talk to a support advocate or counselor - free through the 1-800-799-7233 line or a local program. They will help you make a safety plan and understand your rights.
  4. Keep independent access to money and documents, as far as it is safe: a separate email, copies of your papers, a little money set aside, important phone numbers written down separately or memorized.
  5. Threats about your status are abuse too. Only the government (USCIS, a court) decides questions of status - not your husband or fiancé. There are legal ways to protect yourself that do not depend on the abuser (see the immigration section).
  6. If there is a threat of physical harm, call 911 and follow the steps in the section on physical violence.

Protective order (restraining order)

A protective order is a court order that forbids the abuser to come near you, contact you or harm you. Violating the order is a crime, and then the police step in.

  • Free and without an attorney: you can file on your own at your local court; there is usually no filing fee in domestic violence cases.
  • Immigration status does not matter. Anyone can ask for protection.
  • Urgent (temporary) protection: the court often issues an emergency (temporary) order the same day, before the full hearing.
  • The order can include: no contact, removing the abuser from the shared home, temporary custody of the children and temporary financial support.
  • Where to get help filing: a local program for survivors (through 1-800-799-7233) or the court (court clerk / self-help center). Many courts provide an interpreter for free.

Carry a copy of the order with you and leave copies at work, at your children's school and with people you trust. Plain-language legal information by state is on WomensLaw.org (it has a free email hotline with legal information).

Which documents to keep

Abusers often hide or hold on to documents as a way of controlling you. Make copies (on paper, and photos on your phone / in the cloud) and keep the originals or copies in a safe place - with someone you trust, in a safe deposit box or at a shelter.

For you and your children

  • Passports (yours and your children's), any travel documents.
  • Birth certificates (yours and your children's), your marriage certificate.
  • Green card / EAD (work permit), I-94, visa, any letters and notices from USCIS (I-797 and others).
  • Your USCIS case/receipt number, your A-Number if you have one.
  • Driver's license or ID, Social Security card (if you have one).

Evidence and everyday life

  • Photos of injuries, threatening messages and chats, police reports, medical records, protective orders.
  • Financial documents: bank statements, tax returns, lease/mortgage agreement, accounts in your name.
  • Medications and prescriptions, keys, a little cash or a card, a list of important phone numbers.

Important for immigration cases: keep everything that proves your relationship was real (photos together, messages, joint accounts, a lease) and everything that proves the abuse (police reports, medical records, witness statements). These documents may be needed to protect your status lawfully.

Immigration questions: your rights

The main thing: U.S. law has special paths of protection for survivors of abuse. For many of them the petition is filed without the abuser's knowledge or consent, and the law (8 U.S.C. 1367) prohibits USCIS from notifying the abuser or making a decision based only on what the abuser says. Threats like "I'll have you deported" or "I'll withdraw the papers" are a form of pressure, not a verdict on your status.

Below is general information only. Immigration law and USCIS policy change often (the latest updates were at the end of 2025), and whether you qualify for a particular path depends on your specific circumstances. Only a licensed immigration attorney or an accredited representative (DOJ-accredited representative) can determine which option is right for you and what the current requirements are. Aly Hudson LLC does not provide legal advice.

If you do not have a green card

A. A fiancée came on a K-1 visa and did not marry

If the marriage to the person who invited you did not take place, the VAWA path (which requires marriage to a U.S. citizen or resident) is usually not available. But there are other paths:

  • U visa - for victims of certain crimes (including domestic violence) who help law enforcement. For a U visa you do not need to be married to the abuser, and his status does not matter (he can be anyone). You need a signed certification from the police/prosecutor/judge (Form I-918, Supplement B). There is no filing fee; it gives you a work permit and a path to a green card.
  • T visa - if there were signs of human trafficking or coercion.
  • See a specialist urgently. A K-1 visa without a marriage within 90 days loses its force - which makes it all the more important to get free immigration legal help as soon as possible (a U visa does not require lawful status).

B. You married, but no application to adjust status (for a green card) was filed

If you are married to a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR) and have been abused, the key path is a VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) self-petition.

  • Self-petition on Form I-360. You can file it yourself, without the abuser and without his knowledge. There is no fee. The protection covers both men and women.
  • It can work even if you have not yet applied for a green card, even if your status has expired, and also if you are already divorced (under certain conditions and deadlines).
  • Abuse is not only beating. "Extreme cruelty" counts too: threats, isolation, control over finances, threats about your status. Any credible evidence is accepted.
  • Once the I-360 is approved, the path to a green card opens (Form I-485) - the timing depends on whether your spouse is a citizen or a resident.

If you came on a 2-year (conditional) green card

When the marriage is less than two years old, the green card is issued conditionally, for 2 years (conditional resident). Usually the conditions are removed through a joint petition with your spouse - but in cases of abuse this is not required.

  • Form I-751 with a request for a waiver of the joint filing requirement because of abuse (battery or extreme cruelty). It is filed by you alone, without your spouse's signature or participation.
  • The timing is flexible. A waiver petition based on abuse can be filed at any time - you do not have to wait for the last 90 days before your card expires.
  • You need to prove that the marriage was genuine (good-faith marriage) and that the abuse took place. Any credible evidence is accepted.
  • Divorce does not take away your right. The abuse waiver is available both after a divorce and while a divorce is in progress. For some people a separate VAWA path may also fit - an attorney will determine which to choose.

Where to get free immigration legal help

A directory of free and low-cost nonprofit immigration legal services in every state: immigrationlawhelp.org (and also immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory).

  • Only vetted organizations: the directory lists nonprofit services with attorneys or accredited (BIA-recognized) representatives.
  • The official list of accredited representatives and organizations (DOJ): check the USCIS page "Recognized Organizations and Accredited Representatives."
  • Information for survivors: ASISTA (asistahelp.org) and WomensLaw.org - materials and referrals for immigrant women who have survived abuse.
  • Beware of "notarios" and "consultants" who promise to "fix" your case. In the U.S. a "notario" is not an attorney. Full legal advice can come only from a licensed attorney or an accredited representative.

National hotlines (free, 24/7)

These lines work across the country, are free and confidential, and are available regardless of immigration status. Almost all of them provide an interpreter, including in Russian.

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline - Contact: 1-800-799-7233 (TTY 1-800-787-3224); text START to 88788; thehotline.org. What it is for: Domestic violence: support, a safety plan, shelters and local programs. 200+ languages.
  • 911 - Contact: 911. What it is for: Emergency help when there is an immediate threat (police, ambulance).
  • 211 - Contact: Dial 211; 211.org. What it is for: Housing, food, clothing, basic needs in your area.
  • RAINN (sexual violence) - Contact: 1-800-656-4673; online.rainn.org. What it is for: Support after sexual violence, 24/7.
  • StrongHearts Native Helpline - Contact: 1-844-762-8483; strongheartshelpline.org. What it is for: For Native Americans; culturally rooted help.
  • loveisrespect (for young people) - Contact: 1-866-331-9474; text LOVEIS to 22522. What it is for: Abuse in teen and young adult relationships.
  • WomensLaw.org - Contact: womenslaw.org (email hotline). What it is for: Plain-language legal information by state; referrals.

Resources by state

Every state has a coalition against domestic violence that brings together local shelters and programs. Its website has a section for finding help near you ("find help" / "get help").

If your state has no separate hotline listed ("-") or you do not know where to call: call the national hotline 1-800-799-7233 - you will be connected for free with a local program and shelter in your area, with a Russian interpreter.

  • Alabama - State hotline: 800-650-6522; Coalition / website: acadv.org
  • Alaska - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: andvsa.org
  • Arizona - State hotline: 800-782-6400; Coalition / website: acesdv.org
  • Arkansas - State hotline: 800-269-4668; Coalition / website: domesticpeace.com
  • California - State hotline: 800-524-4765; Coalition / website: cpedv.org
  • Colorado - State hotline: 888-778-7091; Coalition / website: ccadv.org
  • Connecticut - State hotline: 888-774-2900; Coalition / website: ctcadv.org
  • Delaware - State hotline: 800-701-0456; Coalition / website: dcadv.org
  • District of Columbia - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: dccadv.org
  • Florida - State hotline: 800-500-1119; Coalition / website: myflfamilies.com (FL DV Hotline)
  • Georgia - State hotline: 800-334-2836; Coalition / website: gcadv.org
  • Hawaii - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: hscadv.org
  • Idaho - State hotline: 888-293-6118; Coalition / website: idvsa.org
  • Illinois - State hotline: 877-863-6338; Coalition / website: ilcadv.org
  • Indiana - State hotline: 800-332-7385; Coalition / website: icadvinc.org
  • Iowa - State hotline: 800-942-0333; Coalition / website: icadv.org
  • Kansas - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: kcsdv.org
  • Kentucky - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: kdva.org
  • Louisiana - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: lcadv.org
  • Maine - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: mcedv.org
  • Maryland - State hotline: 800-634-3577; Coalition / website: mnadv.org
  • Massachusetts - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: janedoe.org
  • Michigan - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: mcedsv.org
  • Minnesota - State hotline: 800-289-6177; Coalition / website: mcbw.org
  • Mississippi - State hotline: 800-898-3234; Coalition / website: mcadv.org
  • Missouri - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: mocadsv.org
  • Montana - State hotline: 888-404-7794; Coalition / website: mcadsv.com
  • Nebraska - State hotline: 800-876-6238; Coalition / website: nebraskacoalition.org
  • Nevada - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: nnadv.org
  • New Hampshire - State hotline: 866-644-3574; Coalition / website: nhcadsv.org
  • New Jersey - State hotline: 800-572-7233; Coalition / website: njcedv.org
  • New Mexico - State hotline: 800-773-3645; Coalition / website: nmcadv.org
  • New York - State hotline: 800-942-6906; Coalition / website: nyscadv.org
  • North Carolina - State hotline: 888-997-9124; Coalition / website: nccadv.org
  • North Dakota - State hotline: 888-255-6240; Coalition / website: ndcaws.org
  • Ohio - State hotline: 800-934-9840; Coalition / website: odvn.org
  • Oklahoma - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: ocadvsa.org
  • Oregon - State hotline: 877-230-1951; Coalition / website: ocadsv.com
  • Pennsylvania - State hotline: 800-932-4632; Coalition / website: pcadv.org
  • Rhode Island - State hotline: 800-494-8100; Coalition / website: ricadv.org
  • South Carolina - State hotline: 800-260-9293; Coalition / website: sccadvasa.org
  • South Dakota - State hotline: 800-572-9196; Coalition / website: sdcedsv.org
  • Tennessee - State hotline: 800-289-9018; Coalition / website: tncoalition.org
  • Texas - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: tcfv.org
  • Utah - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: udvc.org
  • Vermont - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: vtnetwork.org
  • Virginia - State hotline: 800-838-8238; Coalition / website: vsdvalliance.org
  • Washington - State hotline: 800-886-2880; Coalition / website: wscadv.org
  • West Virginia - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: wvcadv.org
  • Wisconsin - State hotline: -; Coalition / website: endabusewi.org
  • Wyoming - State hotline: 800-990-3877; Coalition / website: wyomingdvsa.org

Residents of U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and others): call the national hotline 1-800-799-7233 - you will be referred to your local coalition and programs.

The websites and numbers listed belong to the state coalitions; the list was compiled from NCADV and NNEDV data. Numbers and addresses may change - if in doubt, use the national hotline.

How to use this material

  • Print the page with the emergency contacts and keep it in a safe but easy-to-reach place; memorize the key phone numbers or leave them with someone you trust.
  • Share this material with anyone it might help - but keep in mind the safety of the other person's device.
  • In an emergency, always call 911 first.

You are not alone. Help exists, it is free, and it is available regardless of your immigration status and of what the abuser says.

Aly Hudson LLC · alyic.com · Instagram @alyhconsult · Telegram @Drameow

This material is for informational purposes and is not legal advice. Aly Hudson LLC is a document preparation service (not a law firm). For immigration questions, contact a licensed attorney or an accredited representative; in an emergency, call 911.