I-601A Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver
Forgives unlawful presence before the applicant leaves the country for a consular interview, so the family is not separated for years while a waiver is decided abroad. It waives only unlawful presence - nothing else - and it is filed and decided while the applicant is still in the United States.
- Fee
- $795. $0 for VAWA self-petitioners and Special Immigrant Juveniles.
- Fee waiver
- Not available
- Who files
- People in the United States with an approved immigrant petition who will consular process and whose only inadmissibility is unlawful presence.
- Where to file
- By mail to the USCIS Chicago lockbox.
- Processing time
- 24.2 months (FY 2026 national median through June 30, 2026)
Usually filed with
Part of these processes
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- It does not help if there is any other ground of inadmissibility, including a prior removal order, which needs an I-212 as well. Approval is provisional and only takes effect on departure; a consular officer who finds another ground can still refuse the visa.
Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/i-601a. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.