USA Green Card Immigration Blog

Revisions to the Form I-601, application for Waiver of Ground of Inadmissibility, have been announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). As per the revisions made to the application for Waiver of Ground of Inadmissibility, from January 4, 2010, individuals infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are admissible to the United States and they also don’t have to file the Form I-601 due to HIV infection.

In the new version, USCIS has also declared the revised filing instructions and addresses that are to be followed by the individuals filing Form I-601. The basic idea behind all the efforts taken to change the filling location is to shift the intake of benefit forms from USCIS local offices and Service Centres to USCIS Lockbox facilities. USCIS aims at providing customers with more proficient and effectual initial processing of applications and fees by centralizing form and fee intake to a Lockbox environment.

The filing location changes for applicants located in the United States have been put into effect from 1/27/2010. For instance, the USCIS Vermont Service Center takes in applications from people who have an approved Form I-360 in several categories, such as a self-petitioning spouse, a legal permanent resident, or T nonimmigrant’s trying to adjust their status.

On the other hand, applicants from outside United States as usual can file their forms for Waiver of Ground of Inadmissibility with the with the U.S. Embassy or consulate where they are applying for a visa.

Applicants filing for Form I-601 at a Lockbox facility can also opt to receive an email or a text regarding USCIS acceptance of their application. For this the applicant only needs to attach an E-Notification of Application to the first page of the application.

USCIS offices plan to forward the incorrectly filed Form I-601 applications to the Lockbox facilities, where they will be retained till 2/27/2010, before being sent back to the applicant.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced the revision of Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Excludability. The purpose of this USCIS immigration form is to enable a person who is termed ineligible to be admitted to the United States seek a waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility.

The revised version of the Form I-601 aims at making it easier for the applicants to complete the form. The new version of the USCIS immigration form includes a list of grounds of inadmissibility. To request a waiver, applicants can mark those that apply to them.

In the previous version, the information about the grounds of inadmissibility was found only in the form’s instructions. But now the revised version of the Form I-601 contains a section for applicants to describe reasons for their inadmissibility.

USCIS also plans to waive the filing fee in certain cases taking into consideration the individual’s inability to pay. The fee waiver is only available to individuals who meet a few conditions listed. For instance, an alien who has valid T or U nonimmigrant status or an approved Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitioner unable to pay the filing fee is eligible for the waiver.

USCIS plans to accept the earlier edition of this USA immigration form dated 10/30/08 till November 20, 2009. But from November 21, the previous versions of the form will be rejected and only the revised Form I-601 dated 04/06/09 will be accepted.

Individuals residing in the United States and applying for a status as permanent resident can file the Form I-601 with the local office, which has jurisdiction over their place of residence. Individuals not in the United States however, can file the Form I-601 with the American embassy or the consulate where they are applying for the visa.