The Department of Homeland Security has announced a new waiver process for certain relatives of U.S. citizens who are unlawfully present in the United States and plan to adjust their status to lawful permanent residents. The waiver is for immediate relatives of United States citizens who are able to show that their United States citizen spouse or parent would suffer extreme hardship if he or she were not allowed to return to the United States. The waiver application will be processed in the United States, and the relative will be able to remain in the United States until a decision is made. If the waiver is granted, the relative’s unlawful presence in the United States will be waived before the relative travels outside of the United States for his or her interview abroad. The new waiver process decreases the amount of time that family members are separated from each other during consular processing. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will begin accepting applications for the new waiver on March 4, 2013. For more information call us for a consultation at 1.800.966.6769.