I-601 Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility

Asks USCIS to forgive a ground of inadmissibility so a green card or visa can be issued. It covers unlawful presence, most crime-related grounds, fraud or misrepresentation, and some health grounds. Most versions require proof of extreme hardship to a qualifying U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative - hardship to the applicant is not enough.

USCISEdition 01/20/25Paper only

Fee: $1,050. $0 for Special Immigrant Juveniles, T and U nonimmigrants, Cuban Adjustment Act and HRIFA abused spouses and children, NACARA beneficiaries, VAWA self-petitioners, Afghan and Iraqi special immigrants, Section 13 Afghan diplomats, and Indochinese refugees under Public Law 95-145. The State Department collects $930 for it at a consulate.
Fee waiver: Available (Form I-912)
Who files: Immigrant visa and adjustment applicants who have been found inadmissible, and certain nonimmigrants.
Where to file: By mail to the USCIS lockbox named in the instructions, or through the consulate where the visa case sits.
Processing time: 35.7 months for waivers other than the I-601A (FY 2026 national median through June 30, 2026)

Usually filed with

Part of these processes

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Waiver processing has slowed badly: the median for non-I-601A waivers rose from 7.6 months in FY 2021 to 35.7 months in FY 2026. Extreme hardship is a legal standard, not a sympathy test, and needs documented evidence.

Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/i-601. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.