Starting today, March 4, 2013, USCIS will begin accepting applications for “provisional waiver” of unlawful presence from spouses, children and parents of U.S. citizens on Form I-601A.

As we explained in more detail in a previous post, these “immediate relatives” who qualify for the provisional waiver may now apply while they are still in the United States, and before they depart for their immigrant visa interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates in their home countries.  Before the provisional waiver process was established, they were required to travel abroad and be found inadmissible at their interviews before they could apply for the waiver, dramatically lengthening the time periods they were separated from their U.S. families.

For details on eligibility and additional information, please visit: http://www.uscis.gov/provisionalwaiver.