Form I-601A: Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver PDF

What is Form I-601A?

Form I-601A lets certain immigrant visa applicants who are relatives of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPRs) ask U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for a provisional waiver of the unlawful presence grounds of inadmissibility, INA section 212(a)(9)(B), before they depart the United States for their immigrant visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. It is often called the stateside or provisional waiver.

The instructions say you may file if you are physically present in the United States, at least 17 years old, have an immigrant visa case pending with the Department of State (an approved Form I-130, I-140 or I-360 with the immigrant visa processing fee paid, or a Diversity Visa selection), and believe the only reason you are inadmissible is unlawful presence. You must show that your U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or parent would experience extreme hardship if you were refused admission, and that USCIS should approve the waiver as a matter of discretion.

FileIt guides you through the nine-page form and prints your answers on the official USCIS PDF, with names in accented letters printed correctly and your long hardship statement wrapped to fit. Questions only appear when they apply, such as the removal-proceedings statements or the Diversity Visa case number. The finished PDF is saved to your vault. You print it, sign it by hand in ink and mail it yourself; FileIt never files anything with USCIS.

Who fills it: The applicant, with an interpreter (Part 7) and a preparer (Part 8) completing their own parts if they helped.
Given to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS Form I-601A page says to mail it to the Chicago lockbox.
When: While your immigrant visa case is pending with the Department of State, before you leave the U.S. for your interview.
Signatures: Handwritten in ink. USCIS doesn't accept a stamped or typewritten name.
Edition: 01/20/25 (OMB No. 1615-0123, expires 03/31/2027)
Agency: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security

Who needs to fill out Form I-601A?

Immigrant visa applicants in the United States who would be barred for 3 or 10 years because of unlawful presence once they leave for their consular interview.
Principal beneficiaries of an approved Form I-130, I-140 or I-360 who have paid the immigrant visa processing fee, and their spouses and children.
Diversity Visa Program selectees and derivatives with a Kentucky Consular Center case number who are awaiting their interview.
Not for people with a pending Form I-485, people with an unexpired grant of voluntary departure, or people in removal proceedings that aren't administratively closed; the instructions list these and other cases USCIS will deny.

When to use Form I-601A

After your immigrant visa petition is approved (or you are selected for the Diversity Visa), and before you depart the United States for the immigrant visa interview.
On its own: the instructions say Form I-601A is a standalone application, and it will be rejected if sent with Forms I-485, I-130, I-212, I-131 or I-765. You may add Form G-1145 to be notified by email when USCIS accepts it.
If you are subject to a final order of removal, only after USCIS has approved your Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission.

What you need before you start

Your A-Number, Social Security number and USCIS Online Account Number, if you have them.
Your U.S. mailing and physical addresses, date and place of birth, and your parents' names.
The date, place and status of your last entry into the United States and of earlier entries.
Your immigrant visa case details: the USCIS receipt number of the approved petition and the National Visa Center case number, or your DV case number.
Your qualifying relative's name and relationship (U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or parent), and evidence of their status.
A detailed statement of why USCIS should approve the waiver, including the extreme hardship to your qualifying relative, and the evidence that supports it.
Court dispositions or police statements for any arrests, citations or charges, as the instructions require.
The filing fee. USCIS publishes it in Form G-1055 and on the Form I-601A page.

What’s on Form I-601A

The 2025 edition has 9 pages. FileIt asks for it in 14 parts:

Attorney or BIA-accredited representative (top of page 1)Preparer
Part 1. Information about youApplicant
Part 1. Your U.S. mailing and physical addressApplicant
Part 1. Other informationApplicant
Part 1. Your entries into the United StatesApplicant
Part 1. Your immigration or criminal historyApplicant
Part 2. Biographic informationApplicant
Part 3. Information about your immigrant visa caseApplicant
Part 4. Information about your qualifying relativeApplicant
Part 5. Statement from applicantApplicant
Part 6. Applicant's statement, contact information, declaration and signatureApplicant
Part 7. Interpreter's contact information, certification and signatureInterpreter
Part 8. Person preparing this application, if other than the applicantPreparer
Part 9. Additional informationApplicant

How to fill out Form I-601A, step by step

1 Part 1. Information about you

Your identification numbers, names and other names used, U.S. mailing and physical address, sex, date and place of birth, citizenship and your parents' names. Then your last entry into the United States and any earlier entries; more entries go in Part 9.

2 Part 1. Your immigration or criminal history

Items 27 to 31 ask about removal proceedings, final orders, reinstated orders and voluntary departure; some answers make you ineligible, and the form explains which. Items 32 to 45 ask about false statements, smuggling, arrests, crimes, controlled substances, prostitution, persecution and armed groups. For each Yes, give the location, date and a brief description in Part 9.

3 Part 2. Biographic information

Ethnicity, race, height, weight, and eye and hair color.

4 Part 3. Your immigrant visa case

Choose the basis of your immigrant visa: Diversity Visa, immediate relative or family preference petition, employment-based petition, or special immigrant petition. Give the DV case number, or the approved petition's receipt number, the NVC case number and the petitioner's name.

5 Part 4. Your qualifying relative

The U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or parent who would experience extreme hardship, and a second one if you have more than one.

6 Part 5. Statement from applicant

Explain in detail why USCIS should approve the waiver as a matter of discretion, including the extreme hardship to your qualifying relatives. Continue in Part 9 if you need more room.

7 Parts 6 to 8. Statement, contact details and signatures

Say whether you read the form in English or an interpreter read it to you, and whether a preparer helped. Give your phone and email. After printing, sign Part 6 by hand in ink; the interpreter and preparer sign their parts too.

8 Part 9. Additional information

Extra answers, each with the page, part and item number it continues. FileIt prints your name and A-Number at the top. Sign and date the page.

Common mistakes to avoid

Filing Form I-601A together with another benefit form such as Form I-485, I-130, I-131 or I-765. The instructions say it will be rejected.
Filing from outside the United States, or before your immigrant visa case is pending with the Department of State.
A hardship statement that describes your own hardship instead of your U.S. citizen or LPR spouse's or parent's.
Answering Yes to items 32 to 45 without the details in Part 9 and the court or police documents the instructions ask for.
Typing your name in the signature box. USCIS doesn't accept a stamped or typewritten name.
Mixing pages from different editions. The USCIS page warns that all pages must come from the same edition.

After you fill it out

Print the PDF, check every page and sign Part 6 by hand in ink. Mail it with the fee and your evidence to the USCIS Chicago lockbox address on the Form I-601A page. FileIt does not submit it for you.

USCIS may ask you to attend a biometrics appointment, and the instructions say to make sure the National Visa Center has all your immigrant visa paperwork, since it can't schedule your interview without it.

Keep the receipt notice and FileIt's copy in your vault. A provisional waiver takes effect only when you leave the United States, attend your immigrant visa interview and the consular officer finds you otherwise eligible.

Fill out Form I-601A online with FileIt

Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 171 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start Form I-601A now — it’s free

Form I-601A: frequently asked questions

Can I fill out Form I-601A online with FileIt?

Yes. FileIt walks you through the paper Form I-601A and prints your answers into the official USCIS PDF. You then print it, sign it in ink and mail it yourself.

Where do I mail Form I-601A?

The USCIS Form I-601A page says to mail it to the Chicago lockbox: USCIS, Attn: I-601A, P.O. Box 4599, Chicago, IL 60680-4599 by U.S. Postal Service, or 131 S. Dearborn, 3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60603-5517 for FedEx, UPS and DHL. Check the page before you mail it.

How much does Form I-601A cost?

USCIS publishes the fee in Form G-1055 and on the Form I-601A page. Check it on the day you file, because fees change.

Can I e-sign Form I-601A?

No. USCIS requires a handwritten signature and doesn't accept a stamped or typewritten name, so FileIt doesn't place e-signature boxes on this form.

What is the difference between Form I-601A and Form I-601?

Form I-601A is a provisional waiver of the unlawful presence bars only, filed in the United States before your immigrant visa interview. Form I-601 covers other grounds of inadmissibility; the I-601A instructions mention it, for example, as an option to file from abroad if your provisional waiver is denied.

Who is a qualifying relative?

Your U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse or parent. You must show that they would experience extreme hardship if you were refused admission.

Official sources

Blank form (PDF), published by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-601a.pdf
Official instructions and guidance: https://www.uscis.gov/i-601a
Edition shown on this page: Edition 01/20/25 (OMB 1615-0123, expires 03/31/2027) (checked 2026-10-25).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-25.