How long USCIS is taking to decide I-601A provisional waivers, which let some relatives forgive unlawful presence before leaving the US for their immigrant visa interview. Updated every day.
We're still collecting enough decided I-601A cases to publish our own numbers (we wait for at least 20). Until then, USCIS's published national median is 24.4 months.
USCIS national median, FY2026 for I-601A: 24.4 months.
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The I-601A has one of the longest USCIS waits. Applicants usually can't file until the underlying petition is approved and the immigrant visa fee has been paid to the National Visa Center, so the waiver adds its own wait on top of that.
The waiver requires showing that a US citizen or green card holder spouse or parent would suffer extreme hardship if you're refused. Well-documented hardship (medical, financial, family, country conditions) reduces the chance of a Request for Evidence.
This page is general information, not legal advice. For decisions about your own case, check USCIS's current guidance or talk to an immigration attorney.
Other forms: I-129F · I-751 · I-730 · N-400 · N-600 · N-600K · I-765 · I-131 · I-539 · I-821 · I-129 · I-140 · I-526E · I-829 · I-360 · I-918 · I-914 · I-817 · I-600A · I-600 · I-800A · I-800 · I-90 · N-565 · I-102 · I-824
All USCIS processing timesUSCIS's published national median for I-601A is 24.4 months. We don't yet have enough decided I-601A cases of our own to publish a figure, so this page shows USCIS's number until we do.
Only the unlawful presence bars (the 3-year and 10-year bars). It doesn't cover other grounds of inadmissibility, and the consular officer still decides the visa at the interview. Confirm the details for your case with USCIS or an immigration attorney.
No. The point of the provisional waiver is to get a decision before you leave. Leaving early can trigger the very bar the waiver is meant to address. Talk to an attorney before any travel.
Ours come from real I-601A cases we tracked from the day USCIS received them to the day they were approved or denied, over the last 12 months. USCIS's median covers its whole fiscal year and, for some forms, only one category. Neither predicts a single case exactly: your service center or field office, your category and any Request for Evidence matter more.
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