The Violence Against Women Act allows certain abused family members of U.S. citizens or permanent residents to petition on their own for a green card without the help of the the abuser. Normally this is a two step process, where the American citizen or resident proves a relationship to the immigrant and the immigrant then has to change his or her status through adjustment of process (in the U.S.) or consular processing (outside the U.S.). Through VAWA the immigrant can sel-petition withtout the assistance of the abuser.
