Updated Explanation of the Provisional Waiver (I-601a) for the Unlawful Presence Bar

November 7, 2011.

By Ari Sauer, immigration lawyer with the Memphis, Tennessee office of the Siskind Susser immigration law firm.

(This is an update of my January 2, 2013 post on this subject: https://immigrationanswerman.com/2013/01/02/explanation-of-the-i-601a-provisional-waiver-rule/)

In 2013 USCIS created the I-601A Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver of Inadmissibility for Certain Immediate…

On July 14, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a rule that will allow the spouses and children of Permanent Residents to apply for a provisional waiver (I-601A) in the U.S. prior to attending an immigrant visa interview at a U.S. Embassy. 

En Julio 14, 2015 el Departamento de Homeland Security (DHS) propuso una nueva ley para que las personas que esten casados con un residente permanente o sean hijos de residentes permanentes puedan pedir un perdon provisional (I-601A) por estar acumulando presencia ilegal en los Estados Unidos antes de que salgan a su cita de residencia en el Consulado de su pais. 

Esto es de mucha importancia ya que las personas que califican para este perdon provisional (I-601A) estaran fuera de los estados unidos de una a dos semanas en lugar de 6-12 meses para obtener su residencia y regresar a los Estados Unidos. 

Obama’s new immigration policy: I-601A Waivers

As part of President Obama’s new immigration policy, the I-601A provisional waiver process will be expanded to include spouses and children of LPRs.  Additionally, the definition of extreme hardship will be expanded and clarified.

FOIA Reveals USCIS Training Materials on Adjudication I-601A Unlawful Presence Waivers

A Freedom of Information Act request filed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association revealed the standard operating procedures used by USCIS adjudicators when deciding I-601A unlawful presence waivers. Although I cannot recreate the entire 67-page manual here, some interesting points regarding the interpretation of the term “extreme hardship” included:

USCIS considers extreme hardship…

Who is a Qualifying Relative for the I-601 Unlawful Presence Waiver

Beginning in March 2013, the I-601A provisional waiverhas helped many families avoid long separations from loved ones and obtain much-needed green cards for alien relatives. Under the old system of the I-601 extreme hardship waiver, and alien relative who entered the United States without inspection (illegally), would need to travel to his/her foreign country and apply for the waiver of unlawful…