Humanitarian
Form I-601A
Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver
Allows certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to apply for a provisional waiver of the 3-year or 10-year unlawful presence bar before leaving the U.S. for consular processing.
- Filing fee
- $795
- Biometrics
- No fee
Who can file
- Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens with approved I-130 petitions
- Present in the U.S. at time of filing
- Must demonstrate extreme hardship to qualifying U.S. citizen relative
- Must be 17 years or older
Send with it
- Evidence of approved I-130 petition
- Evidence of qualifying relationship
- Extreme hardship evidence (medical, financial, psychological)
- Country condition evidence
Worth knowing
- This allows you to get the waiver BEFORE traveling abroad for the consular interview
- Significantly reduces the time spent outside the U.S. during consular processing
- The extreme hardship standard is the same as I-601
- If approved, you still must attend the consular interview abroad
Common mistakes
- Insufficient extreme hardship evidence
- Not having an approved I-130 before filing
- Leaving the U.S. before the waiver is approved
Questions
- How much does Form I-601A cost?
- The USCIS filing fee for Form I-601A is $795.
- How long does Form I-601A take?
- Typically 12 to 30 months, depending on the office and the category. Check the current USCIS times for your office before you plan around it.
Related forms
Fees are as published by USCIS. Confirm on USCIS's fee schedule (G-1055) before you pay - a wrong fee gets a filing rejected. General information, not legal advice.