Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers Explained - Sarah S. Rama, ESQ., LL.M.
West Palm Beach Immigration Law Firm. According to the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security, immediate relatives of some immigrant visa applicants
are allowed to apply for a new provisional unlawful presence waiver before
leaving the country if they can show that being separated from their loved
ones is a cause of extreme hardship. Immediate relatives include children,
spouses and parents of U.S. citizens.
According to the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, immediate relatives of some immigrant visa applicants are allowed to
apply for a new
provisional unlawful presence waiver before leaving the country if they can show that being separated from their
loved ones is a cause of extreme hardship. Immediate relatives include
children, spouses and parents of U.S. citizens.
The provisional unlawful presence waiver process enables people who need
a special “waiver of inadmissibility for unlawful presence”
to apply for a waiver stateside, prior to leaving for immigrant visa interviews
abroad. This time-saving technique speeds the return of family members
to the U.S., shortening the time they are separated from their loved ones
during the process of securing immigrant visas and ultimately becoming
lawful permanent U.S. residents.
The Details
Currently, immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are required to obtain
immigrant visas abroad. Those who have lived unlawfully in the U.S. for
more than 180 days are required to obtain a special waiver before returning
to the country. Relatives of U.S. citizens are unable to apply for that
waiver until they have undergone an immigrant visa interview outside of
the country and are determined inadmissible to the country. At that time,
immediate relatives eligible for the provisional unlawful presence waiver
can apply for a waiver with a special form, called a Form I-601A. The
application process is explained in detail on the
USCIS.gov website.
It is important to note that the waiver process doesn’t change the
visa process -- if your waiver is approved, you still have to leave the
country for your interview abroad. If approved, the provisional unlawful
presence waiver will go into effect after you have left the country to
appear at your immigrant visa interview and after you are proclaimed admissible
to the U.S. and eligible for an immigrant visa.
Are you eligible for a provisional unlawful presence waiver?
In addition to being an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen, those who
are eligible for the provisional unlawful presence waiver must:
- be at least 17 years old; have an approved “Petition for Alien Relative”
(Form I-130) or “Petition for Amerasian Widower” (Form I-360),
or “Special immigrant”;
- have a pending visa case and
- have paid the immigrant visa processing fee.
Again, if you would like to apply for a provisional unlawful presence waiver,
you must also be able to show how being denied admission to the U.S. would
cause extreme hardship to your family member who is a U.S. citizen and
be physically present in the country to file an application for the waiver.
Sarah S. Rama, ESQ., LL.M. can help!
At Sarah S. Rama, ESQ., LL.M. we have collectively a great deal of experience
helping clients navigate through the steps of obtaining a provisional
unlawful presence waiver from the U.S. government. We can explain everything
you need to know about the process, including eligibility requirements,
how to complete the Form I-601A, and how to troubleshoot when and if the
process doesn't go smoothly. We can also help you apply if you are
in removal proceedings.
To learn more about the ways we can help with you through the provisional
unlawful presence waiver process,
contact our West Palm Beach immigration lawyer. We are here for you and can help simplify complicated legal concepts
and terms, putting them into plain English in any language.