Expansion to the provisional waiver program will now include relatives of lawful permanent residents.

The Department of Homeland Security announced an expansion to the provisional waiver program that will go into effect on Monday, August 29^th, 2016. This new rule expands the program to include relatives of lawful permanent residents. In practice, you could benefit from the new rule if you:

1) Have an approved family immigration petition, I-130, and are currently in the United States;

2) Have a visa number available;

3) Entered the United States without admission; and,

4) Have a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident parent or spouse that will suffer extreme hardship if your waiver is not approved.

The new rule also expands the provisional waiver to include, in certain circumstances, immigrants who have a prior order of deportation. These are significant and positive changes in the area of immigration waivers. Attorney Zulma Lopez has ample experience in the preparation and approval of immigration waivers. If you think you may qualify under the new rule, call us today for a consultation. These changes bring hope to thousands of immigrants that could not have otherwise benefited from a provisional waiver under the original rule.

Please also be mindful that if you have a criminal record or if you have ever been stopped by the police, you shouldn’t file a provisional waiver without first consulting with an attorney experienced in immigration waivers. There are additional pitfalls that could jeopardize your application, such as multiple illegal entries into the country. Your case is unique, do not put your immigration case in the hands of a Notario or an inexperienced attorney.

As soon as this new rule comes into effect on August 29^th, 2016, we will update our webpage to reflect the changes and give you more details on how you or your family member could benefit from it and acquire lawful permanent residency.