[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 146 (Friday, July 29, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 50244-50277]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17934]



[[Page 50243]]

Vol. 81

Friday,

No. 146

July 29, 2016

Part V





Department of Homeland Security





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8 CFR Parts 103 and 212





Expansion of Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility; 
Final Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 81 , No. 146 / Friday, July 29, 2016 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 50244]]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

8 CFR Parts 103 and 212

[CIS No. 2557-2014; DHS Docket No. USCIS-2012-0003]
RIN 1615-AC03


Expansion of Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of 
Inadmissibility

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule, consistent with the Immigration and 
Nationality Act (INA), expands the class of individuals who may be 
eligible for a provisional waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility 
based on the accrual of unlawful presence in the United States. The 
provisional unlawful presence waiver (``provisional waiver'') process 
allows certain individuals who are present in the United States to 
request from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) a 
provisional waiver of these grounds of inadmissibility before departing 
the United States for consular processing of their immigrant visas--
rather than applying for a waiver abroad after their immigrant visa 
interviews using the Form I-601, Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility 
(``Form I-601 waiver process''). The provisional waiver process is 
designed to encourage unlawfully present individuals to leave the 
United States, attend their immigrant visa interviews, and return to 
the United States legally to reunite with their U.S. citizen or lawful 
permanent resident (LPR) family members. Having an approved provisional 
waiver helps facilitate immigrant visa issuance at DOS, streamlines 
both the waiver and the immigrant visa processes, and reduces the time 
that applicants are separated from their U.S. citizen or LPR family 
members, thus promoting family unity. The rule is intended to encourage 
eligible individuals to complete the immigrant visa process abroad, 
promote family unity, and improve administrative efficiency.

DATES: This final rule is effective August 29, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roselyn Brown-Frei, Office of Policy 
and Strategy, Residence and Naturalization Division, U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, 20 
Massachusetts Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20529-2099, Telephone (202) 
272-8377 (this is not a toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This final rule adopts the proposed rule 
that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published on July 22, 
2015, with changes made in response to comments received. This final 
rule provides that eligibility for the provisional waiver will no 
longer be limited to the subset of statutorily qualified individuals 
who seek to immigrate as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens \1\ and 
who can show that denial of admission will result in extreme hardship 
to a U.S. citizen spouse or parent. Rather, this final rule makes 
eligibility for the provisional waiver available to all individuals who 
are statutorily eligible for a waiver of the unlawful presence grounds 
of inadmissibility. Under this final rule, such an individual must go 
abroad to obtain an immigrant visa, establish that denial of admission 
will result in extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or 
parent, establish that his or her case warrants a favorable exercise of 
discretion, and meet all other regulatory requirements. Eligibility for 
the provisional waiver will also extend to the spouses and children who 
accompany or follow to join principal immigrants. The rule is intended 
to encourage eligible individuals to complete the immigrant visa 
process abroad, promote family unity, and improve administrative 
efficiency. DHS believes that this rule will reduce overall immigrant 
visa processing times for eligible immigrant visa applicants; encourage 
individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States to seek 
lawful status after departing the country; save resources and time for 
the Department of State (DOS), DHS, and the individual; and reduce the 
hardship that U.S. citizen and LPR family members of individuals 
seeking the provisional waiver may experience as a result of the 
immigrant visa process.
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    \1\ Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are the spouses, 
children and parents of U.S. citizens, provided that, in the case of 
parents, the U.S. citizen son or daughter petitioner is over the age 
of 21. In certain situations, the former spouse of a deceased U.S. 
citizen is also considered an immediate relative.
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Table of Contents:

I. Executive Summary
    A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action
    B. Costs and Benefits
II. Background
    A. Legal Authority
    B. Proposed Rule
    C. Final Rule
III. Public Comments on the Proposed Rule
    A. Summary of Public Comments
    B. Legal Authority
    C. Eligibility for the Provisional Waiver
    D. Adjudication
    E. Filing Requirements and Fees
    F. Comments on the Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence 
Waiver, Form I-601A, and the Form Instructions
    G. Miscellaneous Comments
    H. Comments on the Executive Orders 12866/13563 Analysis
IV. Regulatory Amendments
    A. Amending 8 CFR 212.7(e)(1) To Clarify Which Agency Has 
Jurisdiction To Adjudicate Provisional Waivers
    B. Removing the Provisional Waiver Reason To Believe Standard as 
a Basis for Ineligibility for Provisional Waivers
    C. Removing the DOS Visa Interview Scheduling Cut-Off Dates in 8 
CFR 212.7(e)(4)(iv) and 212.7(e)(5)(ii)(G)
    D. Allowing Individuals With Final Orders of Removal, 
Deportation, or Exclusion To Apply for Provisional Waivers
    E. Clarifying When an Individual Is Subject to Reinstatement and 
Ineligible for Provisional Waivers
    F. Miscellaneous Technical Amendments
V. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements
    A. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995
    B. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996
    C. Executive Orders 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review) and 
13563 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review)
    D. Executive Order 13132
    E. Executive Order 12988 Civil Justice Reform
    F. Paperwork Reduction Act
    G. Regulatory Flexibility Act

I. Executive Summary

A. Purpose of the Regulatory Action

    This final rule, consistent with the INA, expands the provisional 
unlawful presence waiver process (hereinafter ``provisional waiver 
process''), which specifies how an individual may be eligible to 
receive a provisional waiver of his or her inadmissibility for accrual 
of unlawful presence prior to departing the United States for 
processing of an immigrant visa application at a U.S. embassy or 
consulate abroad. See 8 CFR 212.7(e).
    Generally, individuals who are in the United States and seeking 
lawful permanent resident (LPR) status must either obtain an immigrant 
visa abroad through what is known as ``consular processing'' with the 
Department of State (DOS) or apply to adjust their immigration status 
to that of an LPR in the United States, if eligible. Individuals 
present in the United States without having been inspected and admitted 
or paroled are typically ineligible to adjust their status in the 
United States. To obtain LPR status, such individuals must leave the 
United States for immigrant visa processing at a U.S. Embassy or 
consulate abroad. But because these individuals are present in the 
United States without having been inspected and admitted or paroled, 
their departures may trigger a ground of

[[Page 50245]]

inadmissibility based on the accrual of unlawful presence in the United 
States under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i).
    Under subclause (I) of this provision, an individual who has been 
unlawfully present in the United States for more than 180 days but less 
than one year, and who then departs voluntarily from the United States 
before the commencement of removal proceedings, is inadmissible for 3 
years from the date of departure. See INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I), 8 
U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i)(I). Under subclause (II), an individual who has 
been unlawfully present in the United States for one year or more and 
then departs the United States (before, during, or after removal 
proceedings), is inadmissible for 10 years from the date of the 
departure. See INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(B)(i)(II). These ``3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars'' 
do not take effect unless and until the individual departs from the 
United States. See, e.g., Matter of Rodarte-Roman, 23 I. & N. Dec. 905 
(BIA 2006).
    The Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) may waive this 
ground of inadmissibility for an individual who can demonstrate that 
the refusal of his or her admission to the United States would result 
in extreme hardship to his or her U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or parent. 
See INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v). Prior to 
the creation of the provisional waiver process in 2013, any individual 
who was seeking an immigrant visa and became inadmissible under the 3- 
or 10-year unlawful presence bar upon departure from the United States, 
could apply for a waiver of such inadmissibility from DHS by filing an 
Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, Form I-601, with 
USCIS, but only after having attended the consular immigrant visa 
interview abroad. Those who applied for waivers under this ``Form I-601 
waiver process'' \2\ were effectively required to remain abroad for at 
least several months while USCIS adjudicated their waiver 
applications.\3\
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    \2\ The ``Form I-601 waiver process,'' for purposes of this 
rule, refers to the process that an applicant uses when seeking an 
immigrant visa at a U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad and applying 
for a waiver of inadmissibility by filing an Application for Waiver 
of Grounds of Inadmissibility, Form I-601.
    \3\ The average adjudication time of Form I-601 applications is 
currently over five months. Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Services. USCIS Processing Time Information for the Nebraska Service 
Center-Form I-601, available at https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do (last updated Feb. 11, 2016).
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    For some individuals, the Form I-601 waiver process led to lengthy 
separations of immigrant visa applicants from their family members, 
causing some U.S. citizens and LPRs to experience the significant 
emotional and financial hardships that Congress aimed to avoid when it 
authorized the waiver. See INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(B)(v) (providing for an inadmissibility waiver, ``if it is 
established to the satisfaction of the Attorney General that the 
refusal of admission to such immigrant alien would result in extreme 
hardship to the citizen or lawfully resident spouse or parent of such 
alien''). For this reason, many relatives of U.S. citizens and LPRs who 
are eligible to obtain LPR status may be reluctant to travel abroad to 
seek immigrant visas and obtain such status. The Form I-601 waiver 
process also created processing inefficiencies for both USCIS and DOS 
through repeated interagency communication and through multiple 
consular appointments or interviews.
    On January 3, 2013, DHS promulgated a final rule, Provisional 
Unlawful Presence Waivers of Inadmissibility for Certain Immediate 
Relatives, in the Federal Register. See 78 FR 536 (Jan. 3, 2013) 
(``2013 Rule''). To improve administrative efficiency and reduce the 
amount of time that a U.S. citizen spouse or parent is separated from 
his or her relative while the relative completes the immigrant visa 
process, the 2013 Rule provided a process by which certain statutorily 
eligible individuals--specifically, certain parents, spouses and 
children of U.S. citizens--may apply for provisional waivers of the 3- 
and 10-year unlawful presence bars (``provisional waivers'') before 
leaving the United States for their immigrant visa interviews. The 
final rule also limited eligibility for provisional waivers to those 
immediate relatives of U.S. citizens who could show extreme hardship to 
a U.S. citizen spouse or parent. One reason DHS limited eligibility for 
the provisional waiver was to allow DHS and DOS time to assess the 
effectiveness of the process and the operational impact it may have on 
existing agency processes and resources. See 2013 Rule, 78 FR at 541.
    Administration of the provisional waiver process has shown that 
granting a provisional waiver prior to the departure of an immediate 
relative of a U.S. citizen can reduce the time that such family members 
are separated. The grant of a provisional waiver also reduces hardships 
to U.S. citizen families and lowers the processing costs for DHS and 
DOS. In light of these benefits, and because other individuals are 
statutorily eligible for waivers of the 3- and 10-year unlawful 
presence bars, DHS decided to remove restrictions that prevented 
certain individuals from seeking such waivers through the provisional 
waiver process. On July 22, 2015, DHS proposed to expand the class of 
individuals who may be eligible for provisional waivers beyond certain 
immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to all statutorily eligible 
individuals regardless of their immigrant visa classification. DHS also 
proposed to expand the class of individuals who could obtain 
provisional waivers, consistent with the statutory waiver authority, by 
permitting consideration of extreme hardship not only to U.S. citizen 
spouses or parents, but also to LPR spouses or parents.
    In this final rule, DHS adopts the changes discussed in the 
proposed rule with several modifications in response to comments 
submitted on the proposed rule. The new modifications include:
    (1) Clarifying that all individuals seeking provisional waivers, 
including those in removal proceedings before the Executive Office for 
Immigration Review (EOIR), must file applications for provisional 
waivers with USCIS.
    (2) Allowing individuals to apply for provisional waivers even if 
USCIS has a reason to believe that they may be subject to other grounds 
of inadmissibility.
    (3) Eliminating the proposed temporal limitations that would have 
restricted eligibility for provisional waivers based on DOS visa 
interview scheduling.
    (4) Allowing individuals with final orders of removal, exclusion, 
or deportation to be eligible for provisional waivers provided that 
they have already applied for, and USCIS has approved, an Application 
for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After 
Deportation or Removal, Form I-212.
    (5) Clarifying that DHS must have actually reinstated a removal, 
deportation, or exclusion order in order for an individual who has 
returned to the United States unlawfully after removal to be ineligible 
for a provisional waiver on that basis.
    In addition, DHS made several technical and non-substantive 
changes.

B. Costs and Benefits

    This rule's expansion of the provisional waiver process will create 
costs and benefits for newly eligible provisional waiver (Form I-601A) 
applicants, their U.S. citizen or LPR family members, and the Federal 
Government (namely, USCIS and DOS), as outlined in the Summary Table. 
This rule will impose fee, time, and travel

[[Page 50246]]

costs on an estimated 100,000 newly eligible individuals who choose to 
complete and submit provisional waiver applications and biometrics 
(fingerprints, photograph, and signature) to USCIS for consideration 
during the 10-year period of analysis (see Table 8). These costs will 
equal an estimated $52.4 million at a 7 percent discount rate and $64.2 
million at a 3 percent discount rate in present value across the period 
of analysis. On an annualized basis, the costs will measure 
approximately $7.5 million at both 7 percent and 3 percent discount 
rates (see Summary Table).
    Newly eligible provisional waiver applicants and their U.S. citizen 
or LPR family members will benefit from this rule. Those applying for 
provisional waivers will receive advance notice of USCIS' decision to 
provisionally waive their 3- or 10-year unlawful presence bar before 
they leave the United States for their immigrant visa interview abroad. 
This offers applicants and their family members the certainty of 
knowing that the applicants have been provisionally approved for 
waivers of the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars before departing 
from the United States. Individuals with approved provisional waivers 
may experience shortened periods of separation from their family 
members living in the United States while they pursue issuance of 
immigrant visas abroad, thus reducing any related financial and 
emotional strains on the families. USCIS and DOS will continue to 
benefit from the operational efficiencies gained from the provisional 
waiver's role in streamlining immigrant visa application processing, 
but on a larger scale.
    In the absence of this rule, DHS assumes that the majority of 
individuals who are newly eligible for provisional waivers under this 
rule will likely continue to pursue an immigrant visa through consular 
processing abroad and apply for waivers of grounds of inadmissibility 
resulting from the accrual of unlawful presence through the Form I-601 
waiver process. Those who apply for unlawful presence waivers through 
the Form I-601 waiver process will incur fee, time, and travel costs 
similar to individuals applying for waivers through the provisional 
waiver process. However, without this rule, individuals who must seek a 
waiver of inadmissibility abroad through the Form I-601 waiver process 
after the immigrant visa interview may face longer separation times 
from their families in the United States and will experience less 
certainty regarding the approval of a waiver of the 3- or 10-year 
unlawful presence bar before departing from the United States. Absent a 
waiver, individuals who are subject to these bars would be unable to 
obtain LPR status for either 3 or 10 years.

                         Summary Table--Total Costs and Benefits of Rule, Year 1-Year 10
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                                          10-Year present values                     Annualized values
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   3% Discount rate    7% Discount rate    3% Discount rate    7% Discount rate
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Total Costs:
    Quantitative................  $64,168,205.......  $52,429,216.......  $7,522,471........  $7,464,741
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Total Benefits:
 
    Qualitative.................    Decreased amount of time that U.S.
                                    citizens or LPRs are separated from
                                     their family members with approved
                                      provisional waivers, leading to
                                      reduced financial and emotional
                                        hardship for these families.
                                    Decreased amount of time that U.S.
                                    citizens or LPRs are separated from
                                     their family members with approved
                                      provisional waivers, leading to
                                      reduced financial and emotional
                                        hardship for these families.
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                                    Provisional waiver applicants will
                                      receive advance notice of USCIS'
                                   decision to provisionally waive their
                                    3- or 10-year unlawful presence bar
                                    before they leave the United States
                                     for their immigrant visa interview
                                     abroad. This offers applicants and
                                   their family members the certainty of
                                   knowing that the applicants have been
                                    provisionally approved for a waiver
                                      before departing from the United
                                                  States.
                                    Provisional waiver applicants will
                                      receive advance notice of USCIS'
                                   decision to provisionally waive their
                                    3- or 10-year unlawful presence bar
                                    before they leave the United States
                                     for their immigrant visa interview
                                     abroad. This offers applicants and
                                   their family members the certainty of
                                   knowing that the applicants have been
                                    provisionally approved for a waiver
                                      before departing from the United
                                                  States.
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                                      Federal Government will achieve
                                         increased efficiencies by
                                        streamlining immigrant visa
                                     processing for applicants seeking
                                    inadmissibility waivers of unlawful
                                                 presence.
                                      Federal Government will achieve
                                         increased efficiencies by
                                        streamlining immigrant visa
                                     processing for applicants seeking
                                    inadmissibility waivers of unlawful
                                                 presence.
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Note: The cost estimates in this table are contingent upon Form I-601A filing projections as well as the
  discount rates applied for monetized values.

II. Background

A. Legal Authority

    Under section 212(a)(9)(B) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B), an 
individual who has accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence in 
the United States and then leaves the United States generally is 
inadmissible for a specified period after the individual's departure. 
The inadmissibility period lasts for 3 years if the individual accrued 
more than 180 days but less than 1 year of unlawful presence, and for 
10 years if the individual accrued 1 year or more of unlawful presence. 
Under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v), the 
Secretary of Homeland Security (``Secretary'') has discretion to waive 
this ground of inadmissibility if the Secretary finds that denying the 
applicant's admission to the United States would result in extreme 
hardship to the applicant's U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or parent. INA 
section 103, 8 U.S.C. 1103, gives the Secretary the authority to 
prescribe regulations for the administration and enforcement of the 
immigration and naturalization laws of the United States.

B. Proposed Rule

    On July 22, 2015, DHS published a notice of proposed rulemaking to 
expand eligibility for provisional waivers of certain grounds of 
inadmissibility based on the accrual of unlawful presence to all 
individuals who are statutorily eligible for a waiver

[[Page 50247]]

of such grounds, are seeking a provisional waiver in connection with an 
immigrant visa application, and meet other conditions. See proposed 
rule, Expansion of Provisional Waivers of Inadmissibility, 80 FR 43338 
(July 22, 2015) (2015 Proposed Rule).
    In response to the proposed rule, DHS received 606 public comments 
from individuals, advocacy groups, attorneys, organizations, schools, 
and local governments. Some of the comments were submitted through mass 
mailing or email campaigns or petitions expressing support for or 
opposition to the provisional waiver process in general. Opinions on 
the proposed rule varied, but the majority of commenters (472) were 
supportive of the proposed expansion. Many of these commenters made 
additional suggestions to improve the provisional waiver process 
overall. These suggestions are discussed below.
    DHS received 82 comments opposed to the proposed rule. In many of 
these instances, these commenters argued that the Executive Branch 
lacks the legal authority to implement the proposed changes. Commenters 
indicated that expanding the program amounted to an abuse of authority. 
One commenter asserted that the rule exceeded the Secretary's authority 
under the INA and that provisionally approving a waiver before an 
individual departs from the United States based on a family unity 
rationale was arbitrary and capricious. Some commenters also believed 
that the provisional waiver process would grant legal status to 
individuals unlawfully present in the United States. Others asked that 
USCIS prioritize the lawful immigrant community over those unlawfully 
present in the United States.
    DHS received 52 comments that either did not clearly express an 
opinion in support of or in opposition to the proposed rule or that did 
not address any aspect of the proposed rule. For example, a few 
commenters provided input on immigrants in general, immigration policy, 
the Federal government, and other government programs that are not 
within the scope of this rulemaking. Because these comments address 
nothing in the proposed rule, DHS provides no specific response to 
them.
    Unless mentioned in this supplementary information, commenters did 
not make any specific suggestions for changes to the provisional waiver 
process based on what DHS outlined in the proposed rule. In preparing 
this final rule, DHS counted and considered each public comment and 
other relevant materials that appear in the Federal Docket Management 
System (FDMS). All comments received may be reviewed in FDMS at http://www.regulations.gov, under docket number USCIS-2012-0003.

C. Final Rule

    This final rule adopts most of the regulatory amendments set forth 
in the proposed rule except for a few provisions, as explained in this 
preamble. The rationale for the proposed rule and the reasoning 
provided in its preamble remain valid with respect to the regulatory 
amendments adopted. Additionally, DHS has made several changes to the 
regulatory provisions based on the comments received. This final rule 
also adopts the technical regulatory amendments suggested in the 
proposed rule without change. This final rule does not address comments 
seeking changes in U.S. laws, regulations, or agency policies that are 
unrelated to the provisional waiver process or the clarifying technical 
amendments to 8 CFR 212.7. This final rule does not change the 
procedures or policies of other DHS components or Federal agencies, or 
resolve issues outside the scope of this rulemaking.

III. Public Comments on the Proposed Rule

A. Summary of Public Comments

    The 60-day public comment period for the proposed rule ended on 
September 21, 2015. The majority of comments came from supporters who 
agreed that the proposed rule would promote family unity and reduce the 
length of time family members would be separated. Many considered 
family unity as one of the core principles of U.S. immigration law and 
stated that this rulemaking benefitted the United States overall, not 
just families. Several commenters made suggestions for simplifying the 
provisional waiver process overall.
    Some commenters identified themselves as U.S. citizens or LPR 
family members (including children) who were worried about their 
relatives' immigration situations and about being separated from their 
family members for prolonged time periods. Numerous commenters who 
urged DHS to implement the proposed expansion shared personal stories 
and described hardships they have experienced or may experience upon 
being separated from family members. Many reasoned that keeping 
families together assists the U.S. economy and otherwise strengthens 
the country, because many individuals who are undocumented work hard, 
pay taxes, and are concerned about the well-being of their children. 
Many asserted that the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars and other 
bars to admissibility are inhumane and cruel and that these laws need 
to change. Backlogs in the immigration system, such as visa backlogs, 
were raised generally by commenters as additional reasons for 
supporting this rule. Some commenters also believed that expanding 
eligibility for the provisional waiver process would streamline the 
waiver adjudication process for applicants inadmissible based on the 
accrual of unlawful presence in the United States, thereby making the 
immigrant visa process faster and more predictable. Finally, a 
commenter expressed the belief that expanding the process would reduce 
burdens on DOS.
    Several commenters who disagreed with the proposed expansion argued 
that the Executive Branch lacks the legal authority to implement the 
proposed changes without congressional approval. Others stated that the 
proposed expansion is the Administration's way of circumventing 
existing laws, creating amnesty, and favoring those who are unlawfully 
present over lawful immigrants. Some considered the measure to be 
unconstitutional, arbitrary, and capricious. A number of commenters 
asserted that the expansion would reward law breakers, further illegal 
immigration, and lead to system abuse and fraud, as well as additional 
social problems.
    For several commenters, unifying families was not an acceptable 
justification for the proposed rule. Some asserted that it is not the 
U.S. Government's place to accommodate people who are in the country 
illegally. Those commenters expressed that family separation is a 
natural consequence of an individual's choice to break the law. Others 
asserted that expanding the process would undermine the Nation's 
sovereignty, economy, security, and proper law enforcement efforts. 
Overall, these commenters believed that the expansion would erode the 
integrity of the immigration system.
    Many of the commenters identified themselves as lawful immigrants 
or relatives of lawful immigrants. Some of these individuals voiced 
disappointment over the proposed expansion and indicated that the 
Federal Government's money and resources would be better invested in 
assisting U.S. citizens and lawful immigrants. These commenters 
emphasized that they have complied with the law, paid taxes, and worked 
hard toward maintaining lawful status,

[[Page 50248]]

and they asked DHS to first assist individuals who are lawfully present 
in the United States to obtain immigrant status by fixing the 
backlogged immigration system before fixing processes that benefit 
those who are unlawfully present in the United States.
    One commenter suggested that local governments, rather than the 
Federal Government, should control the immigration process. This 
commenter indicated that local governments are in a better position to 
consider the costs of immigration measures to local communities. Other 
commenters considered the rule unnecessary and current regulations 
sufficient to address the immigrant community's needs. One commenter 
asked that DHS restrict and not expand the provisional waiver process 
in order to better control the U.S. border.
    DHS has reviewed all of the public comments received in response to 
the proposed rule and addresses those comments focused on aspects in 
this final rule. DHS's responses to these comments are grouped by 
subject area, with a focus on the most common issues and suggestions 
raised by the commenters. The response to each comment also explains 
whether DHS made any changes to address the comment. DHS received no 
comments on the following topics addressed in the proposed rule: 
Inclusion of Diversity Visa selectees; inclusion of derivative spouses 
and children; the rejection criteria; the validity of an approved 
provisional waiver; and automatic revocation.

B. Legal Authority

    A number of commenters questioned the Department's legal authority 
to expand the provisional waiver process. Some commenters expressed the 
view that the rule constituted an attempt to circumvent Congress, and 
that it was as an effort in disregard of current immigration laws, 
including case law. Some commenters also stated that the proposed rule 
exceeded DHS authorities in implementing the Secretary's directive to 
expand eligibility for provisional waivers. Others asserted that the 
rule was arbitrary and capricious.
    DHS disagrees that this rule's expansion of the provisional waiver 
process exceeds the Secretary's legal authority. As a preliminary 
matter, the Federal Government has plenary authority over immigration 
and naturalization, and Congress may enact legislation establishing 
immigration law and policy. See, e.g., Arizona v. United States, 132 S. 
Ct. 2492, 2498 (2012) (``The Government of the United States has broad, 
undoubted power over the subject of immigration and the status of 
aliens. This authority rests, in part, on the National Government's 
constitutional power to `establish [a] uniform Rule of Naturalization,' 
and its inherent power as sovereign to control and conduct relations 
with foreign nations.'' (citations omitted)); see also Fiallo v. Bell, 
430 U.S. 787, 792 (1977). The Executive Branch, which includes DHS, 
implements the laws passed by Congress, and Congress has specifically 
charged the Secretary with the administration and enforcement of the 
immigration and naturalization laws. See 6 U.S.C. 112, 202(3)-(5); INA 
section 103, 8 U.S.C. 1103(a). The Secretary is also authorized to 
promulgate rules and ``perform such other acts as he deems necessary 
for carrying out his authority.'' INA section 103(a)(3), 8 U.S.C. 
1103(a)(3). The Secretary thus has broad discretion to determine the 
most effective way to administer the immigration laws. See, e.g., Jean 
v. Nelson, 727 F.2d 957, 965 (11th Cir. 1984) (``The principal 
responsibility for immigration matters in the Executive branch resides 
with the [Secretary], who is the beneficiary of broad grants of 
discretion under the statute.''), aff'd, 472 U.S. 846 (1985); Narenji 
v. Civiletti, 617 F.2d 745, 747 (D.C. Cir. 1979) (observing that the 
INA ``need not specifically authorize each and every action taken by 
the Attorney General [(now Secretary of Homeland Security)], so long as 
his action is reasonably related to the duties imposed upon him'').
    More specifically, Congress provided for a waiver of the 3- and 10-
year unlawful presence bars in INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(B)(v), for individuals who can demonstrate extreme hardship 
to certain qualifying relatives. That section does not restrict the 
manner in which eligible individuals can seek such waivers. In 2013, 
DHS created the provisional waiver process to allow certain immigrant 
visa applicants who are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to 
provisionally apply for waivers before they leave the United States for 
their consular interviews. The creation of this process was merely a 
procedural change that addressed the manner in which eligible 
individuals can apply for the statutorily provided waiver of 
inadmissibility. See Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers of 
Inadmissibility for Certain Immediate Relatives, 78 FR 536, 541 (Jan. 
3, 2013) (``2013 Rule''). This rule expands on that process by simply 
expanding the pool of individuals eligible to apply for provisional 
waivers to statutorily eligible individuals in all immigrant visa 
classifications, subject to certain conditions. See new 8 CFR 212.7(e). 
Like the 2013 Rule, this Final Rule, therefore, does not create new 
waiver authority; it implements an existing authority conferred by 
Congress.\4\
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    \4\ Neither conditioning a waiver on an individual's departure 
from the United States nor allowing advance application for a waiver 
is novel. For example, DHS regulations at 8 CFR 212.2(j) have long 
allowed an individual who is subject to a removal order to seek 
consent to reapply for admission under INA section 
212(a)(9)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(iii), while the individual 
is in the United States and before the individual departs the United 
States. A grant of consent to reapply for admission, like the 
provisional waiver, is conditioned on the individual's eventual 
departure from the United States. See 8 CFR 212.2(j). DHS and former 
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations have 
permitted advance applications for consent to reapply for admission 
under INA section 212(a)(9)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(iii) 
since at least 1969. See, e.g., 34 FR 9061 (1969); 36 FR 11635 
(1971). The INS also permitted advance waiver applications under 
former INA section 212(c), 8 U.S.C. 1182(c) (repealed 1996). See 8 
CFR 212.3(b); 52 FR 11620 (1987).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, DHS disagrees with commenters who stated that the proposed 
rule is arbitrary and capricious. The commenters appear to assert that 
DHS exceeds its statutory authority by violating the substantive 
requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). See 5 U.S.C. 
706(2)(A). A rulemaking may be considered arbitrary and capricious 
under the APA when an agency's action is unreasonable, unsound, or not 
explained, or when it fails to demonstrate that the agency has 
considered the circumstances surrounding its action. An agency must 
examine the relevant data and articulate a satisfactory explanation for 
its action, including a rational connection between the facts found and 
the choice made. See Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Ass'n of the United States, 
Inc. v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 463 U.S. 29, 42-43 (1983). DHS 
has made clear throughout the proposed rule and this preamble all of 
the factors that were considered in putting forth the proposal and has 
articulated how the expansion of the provisional waiver process is tied 
to the purposes of the immigration laws and efficient operation of the 
immigration system. See generally 2015 Proposed Rule, 80 FR 43339. DHS 
believes that the assertions of these commenters are unfounded.

C. Eligibility for the Provisional Waiver

1. Categories of Eligible Individuals
    Many commenters believed that expanding eligibility for the 
provisional waiver as proposed to all statutorily

[[Page 50249]]

eligible individuals--including beneficiaries in family-sponsored and 
employment-based preference categories, as well as Diversity Visa 
selectees--would offer benefits to the U.S. Government and facilitate 
legal immigration and family unity. These commenters indicated that the 
expansion would reduce the fear of many immigrants, who otherwise may 
worry that they would be unable to reunite with their families after 
leaving the United States to have their immigrant visas processed 
abroad.
    Accordingly, some commenters suggested that all individuals with 
approved immigrant visa petitions should be able to participate in the 
provisional waiver process, regardless of whether they are located 
inside or outside the United States. Other commenters asked that USCIS 
allow individuals with approved immigrant visa petitions to apply for 
provisional waivers regardless of their priority dates, especially if 
they had been present in the United States for many years.
    Many commenters asked that DHS allow the following categories of 
individuals to apply for provisional waivers: (1) Married or unmarried 
individuals over the age of 21 with U.S. citizen parents; (2) 
individuals over the age of 21, whether single or married; (3) spouses 
of U.S. citizens without a criminal record and with good standing in 
their communities; (4) parents of U.S. citizens with approved 
petitions; (5) sons-in-law and daughters-in-law; and 6) self-
petitioning widows and widowers of U.S. citizens. Some commenters urged 
DHS to prioritize relatives of U.S. citizens over relatives of LPRs. 
Some commenters asked that DHS focus not only on families, but also on 
sponsored employees, corporations, and self-sponsored business owners. 
Others requested that DHS include the following categories of 
individuals in the provisional waiver process: (1) Those with 
nonimmigrant investor-type visas; (2) well-educated professionals; (3) 
those with approved immigrant visa petitions but without any family in 
the United States; (4) spouses of nonimmigrant visa holders who are 
beneficiaries of approved employment-based immigrant visa petitions 
(Forms I-140); and (5) those with pending immigrant visa petitions. 
Many commenters requested that USCIS adjust an individual's status to 
that of an LPR upon approval of the waiver; others mistakenly believed 
that USCIS already does so.
    The Secretary is authorized to waive the 3- and 10-year unlawful 
presence bars for individuals seeking admission to the United States as 
immigrants if they can show that the refusal of admission would result 
in extreme hardship to a qualifying U.S. citizen or LPR spouse or 
parent, and provided that the applicant warrants a favorable exercise 
of discretion. See INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(B)(v). With this final rule, DHS is allowing all individuals 
who are statutorily eligible for an immigrant visa and who meet the 
legal requirements for a waiver under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 
U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v), to seek a provisional waiver in accordance 
with new 8 CFR 212.7(e). Consistent with the current provisional waiver 
process, provisional waivers are available only to those who are 
present in the United States, who must apply for immigrant visas at 
U.S. embassies or consulates abroad, and who at the time of the 
immigrant visa interview may be inadmissible based on the accrual of 
unlawful presence under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(B)(i).
    DHS can only expand the pool of individuals eligible for this 
process to those who fall within one of the current statutory immigrant 
visa classifications and who meet the requirements for the unlawful 
presence waiver described in INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(B)(v). DHS cannot expand eligibility to those who are not 
statutorily eligible for such waivers under current law. Similarly, DHS 
cannot change who is statutorily eligible to adjust status in the 
United States. Intending immigrants who are present in the United 
States but ineligible to adjust status must depart the United States 
and obtain their immigrant visas through consular processing abroad; 
approval of a provisional waiver does not change this requirement. See 
INA sections 104, 202(a)(1)(B), 211, 221, 222 and 245; 8 U.S.C. 1104, 
1152(a)(1)(B), 1181, 1201, 1202, and 1255. See generally 8 CFR part 
245; 22 CFR part 42.
    As indicated above, many commenters asked that DHS expand the 
provisional waiver process to include additional categories of 
individuals, including sons or daughters who have approved immigrant 
visa petitions and are over the age of 21 or married. To clarify, in 
the proposed rule, DHS sought to include all beneficiaries of approved 
immigrant visa petitions who are statutorily eligible for a waiver of 
the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars, regardless of age, marital 
status, or immigration status. Individuals with approved immigrant visa 
petitions, including sons and daughters (married or unmarried) of U.S. 
citizens, as well as those who have been selected to participate in the 
Diversity Visa program, may participate in the provisional waiver 
process provided they meet the requirements stated in 8 CFR 212.7(e). 
Consistent with its statutory authority under INA section 
212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v), DHS will no longer limit 
the provisional waiver process to certain immediate relatives of U.S. 
citizens.\5\
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    \5\ Additionally, as explained throughout this preamble, DHS is 
changing other eligibility and ineligibility criteria in response to 
comments received.
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2. Backlogged Immigrant Visa Categories and Eligibility for Interim 
Benefits
    A large number of commenters suggested that individuals with 
approved family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant visa petitions 
should be permitted to obtain provisional waivers if immigrant visas 
are unavailable to them as a result of visa backlogs.\6\ Many 
commenters expressed frustration with the current legal immigration 
system and lengthy wait times for visas, which separate families and 
hinder the professional development of many individuals and their 
family members. Some commenters said it was unfair that DHS and USCIS 
seek to implement rules that assist persons who came to the United 
States unlawfully. These commenters indicated that those who came 
legally to the United States but who cannot obtain immigrant status as 
a result of visa backlogs should also receive assistance. These 
commenters opined that those who immigrate lawfully, such as 
employment-based immigrants, bring economic advantages to the United 
States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \6\ In particular, some commenters requested that DHS include 
married and unmarried sons and daughters of U.S. citizens for whom 
an immigrant visa is unavailable due to immigrant visa backlogs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A few commenters suggested that individuals with or without 
approved provisional waivers should be given interim benefits while 
awaiting visa availability. For example, one commenter requested that 
USCIS grant deferred action and work authorization to undocumented 
individuals who are U.S.-educated professionals in nursing, medical, or 
engineering fields, are the beneficiaries of family-sponsored 
petitions, and have displayed good conduct. Another commenter requested 
that an individual with an approved provisional waiver be issued a 
temporary Social Security number and renewable work authorization for a 
minimum of 3 years. A commenter asked USCIS to provide work 
authorization and advance parole documents to enable travel outside of,

[[Page 50250]]

and facilitate return to, the United States to lawfully present 
individuals affected by visa backlogs if they otherwise complied with 
the immigration laws. Another commenter believed that USCIS should 
grant parole in place to an individual with an approved immigrant visa 
petition and provisional waiver, if the petitioner's or beneficiary's 
disability makes travel abroad hazardous due to a condition covered by 
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).\7\ After receiving parole in 
place, the commenter reasoned, the beneficiary could adjust his or her 
status in the United States and would not have to risk the petitioner's 
or the beneficiary's life by traveling. Finally, many commenters 
expressed the desire that individuals be able to adjust status in the 
United States if they have an approved petition or provisional waiver.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \7\ See Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-
336), as amended.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DHS acknowledges the concerns many intending immigrants face due to 
backlogs in available immigrant visa numbers. As noted, DHS is 
broadening the availability of the provisional waiver process to 
include all statutorily eligible individuals--including all 
beneficiaries of family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant visa 
petitions, as well as Diversity Visa selectees--who have a qualifying 
relative under the statute for purposes of the extreme hardship 
determination. Beneficiaries in family-sponsored and employment-based 
preference categories, as well as Diversity Visa immigrants, are 
subject to annual numerical limits that have been set by Congress. See 
INA sections 201, 202 and 203; 8 U.S.C. 1151, 1152 and 1153. Neither 
DOS nor DHS can change the number of visas that Congress allocates for 
particular immigrant visa categories, nor can they alter the statutory 
requirements for adjustment of status in the United States. Addressing 
those recommendations would require legislative changes.
    DHS does not consider it appropriate to make an application for a 
provisional waiver, or the approval of such an application, a basis for 
granting interim benefits, including an advance parole document or 
employment authorization. In particular, because an approved immigrant 
visa petition and a waiver of inadmissibility do not independently 
confer any immigration status or otherwise afford lawful presence in 
the United States, neither may typically serve as the basis for interim 
benefits. Furthermore, issuance of interim benefits to individuals who 
are granted provisional waivers may encourage them to postpone their 
timely departures from the United States to pursue their immigrant visa 
applications. The purpose of the provisional waiver process is not to 
prolong an applicant's unlawful presence in the United States. Rather, 
the purpose is to facilitate the applicant's departure to attend an 
immigrant visa interview abroad so that they may complete their 
application process for an immigrant visa. Moreover, providing an 
advance parole document is unnecessary because the premise of the 
provisional waiver process is that the applicant, if eligible, will 
depart the United States and return with an immigrant visa.
    The provisional waiver process is designed to encourage unlawfully 
present individuals to leave the United States, attend their immigrant 
visa interviews, and return to the United States legally to reunite 
with their U.S. citizen or LPR family members. Having an approved 
provisional waiver helps facilitate immigrant visa issuance at DOS, 
streamlines both the waiver and the immigrant visa processes, and 
reduces the time that applicants are separated from their U.S. citizen 
or LPR family members, thus promoting family unity.
3. Individuals Outside the United States
    A few commenters asked DHS to extend eligibility for provisional 
waivers to individuals outside the United States. Commenters argued 
that such individuals should be eligible for provisional waivers 
because they are often relatives of U.S. citizens with approved 
immigrant visa petitions and have immigrant visa applications pending 
with DOS. These commenters also suggested that those who need waivers 
of the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars but are now outside the 
United States should not be disadvantaged by their decision to 
ultimately comply with the immigration laws by departing the United 
States. The commenters believed that DHS should apply the same rules 
and processes to all visa applicants.
    DHS understands the difficulties that U.S. citizens and LPRs face 
when their family members are outside the United States and are 
attempting to navigate the immigrant visa process. DHS notes, however, 
that individuals who are outside the United States and are eligible for 
waivers of the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars may apply for such 
waivers through the preexisting Form I-601 waiver process. Considering 
the existence of the Form I-601 waiver process, DHS continues to 
believe that expanding the provisional waiver process to those 
individuals abroad would duplicate steps already incorporated in the 
DOS immigrant visa process and would not be an efficient use of agency 
resources. DHS thus will not adopt the suggestion.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \8\ For additional discussion relating to this suggestion, 
please refer to the 2013 Rule, 78 FR at 543.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    However, to alleviate some of the delays in waiver processing for 
those filing from abroad, USCIS has implemented the centralization of 
Form I-601 application filings, which no longer requires that 
applicants schedule ``waiver filing'' appointments with a U.S. embassy 
or consulate. Instead, Form I-601 applicants now file the waiver 
application directly with USCIS at a centralized location in the United 
States, thereby significantly reducing the time they are required to be 
outside the United States. By centralizing the processing of these 
waiver applications at locations in the United States, USCIS is able to 
better ensure that applications are processed in the most efficient 
manner possible.
4. Extreme Hardship
    Several commenters requested that USCIS clarify the term ``extreme 
hardship'' in guidance or regulations. Others suggested that the 
proposed rule was legally flawed because DHS had not promulgated the 
requirements for establishing extreme hardship. Commenters requested 
that DHS clearly define the term and apply it fairly, including by 
considering the financial, emotional, and other harmful effects that 
result from separating families. Commenters believed that clarifying 
the term would lead to greater consistency in adjudication. One 
commenter asked that extreme hardship examples be included in guidance 
and in the provisional waiver application form.
    Many commenters also requested that USCIS ease the extreme hardship 
standard and its documentary requirements, including, for example, by 
presuming extreme hardship in certain cases involving vulnerable 
families. Commenters often referenced the interim rule at 8 CFR 
240.64(d) \9\ as a precedent that DHS could consider for purposes of 
adopting one or more presumptions of extreme hardship. Commenters also 
urged USCIS to extend the special accommodation for beneficiaries of 
immigrant visa petitions described in INA section 204(l), 8 U.S.C. 
1154(l), to self-petitioning widows and widowers of U.S. citizens when 
such

[[Page 50251]]

citizens died before filing immigrant visa petitions on behalf of their 
spouses. INA section 204(l), 8 U.S.C. 1154(l), allows for immigrant 
visa petitions and related applications to be approved or reinstated 
for certain beneficiaries despite the death of the petitioner or 
principal beneficiary. Under the special accommodation, the death of 
the petitioner or principal beneficiary is treated as the ``functional 
equivalent'' of a finding of extreme hardship in cases where he or she 
could have served as a ``qualifying relative'' for purposes of waiving 
the 3- and 10-year unlawful presence bars.\10\
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    \9\ This regulation was promulgated under section 203 of the 
Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), 
Public Law 105-100 (Nov. 19, 1997).
    \10\ See USCIS AFM Chapter 10.21(c)(5), https://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1/Chapter10-21.html. This guidance 
does not refer to the accommodation as a ``presumption,'' even 
though it has similar effect to a presumption. As with any finding 
of extreme hardship, the accommodation permits, but does not 
require, approval of the waiver, which remains a matter of USCIS 
discretion.
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    Other commenters believed that if an applicant demonstrates some or 
all of the factors listed in the Secretary's November 20, 2014 
memorandum directing expansion of the provisional waiver program \11\--
such as those relating to the age of the affected U.S. citizen or LPR 
spouse or parent, length of U.S. residence, and family ties in the 
United States--USCIS should apply a rebuttable presumption and find 
that the applicant has established extreme hardship. Having a 
presumption, some believed, would ease the burden of proof for many 
families. Some commenters also indicated that it was often very 
difficult for families to produce documentation to demonstrate extreme 
hardship, which the commenters viewed as an unnecessary barrier.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \11\ See Memorandum from Jeh Charles Johnson, Secretary of 
Homeland Security to L[eacute]on Rodr[iacute]guez, Director, USCIS, 
Expansion of the Provisional Waiver Program (Nov. 20, 2014), 
available at https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_i601a_waiver.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    A considerable number of commenters suggested alternative standards 
of extreme hardship or asked that DHS include additional individuals as 
qualifying relatives for purposes of the extreme hardship 
determination. For example, commenters believed that USCIS should find 
extreme hardship if: (1) The applicant has a U.S. citizen spouse or 
parent; (2) a family is separated, or a child is separated from his or 
her parents; (3) family members lose their jobs because they have to 
travel to other countries; (4) the applicant's child would experience 
extreme hardship; (5) the applicant's sibling would experience extreme 
hardship; (6) the applicant would trigger the 3- or 10-year unlawful 
presence bar when departing the United States; (7) the applicant has 
waited for a prolonged period for an immigrant visa to become 
available; (8) the applicant is the beneficiary of an employment-based 
immigrant visa petition (because beneficiaries of such petitions may 
not have U.S. citizen or LPR qualifying relatives); \12\ or (9) the 
applicant has family in the United States but not a qualifying 
relative. Many commenters also requested that DHS give consideration to 
extreme hardship that would be suffered by U.S. citizen or LPR sons and 
daughters who are over the age of 21 or who are married.\13\ One 
commenter requested that special consideration be given to those in 
``special situation[s]'' with respect to extreme hardship 
determinations, even if they do not have qualifying relatives. That 
commenter appeared to suggest that USCIS should create two 
classifications for assessing waiver eligibility, one for individuals 
with LPR family members and one for individuals without LPR family 
members. A few commenters asked DHS to eliminate the extreme hardship 
standard altogether. Many such commenters felt that taxpaying citizens 
who are ``good people'' should be able to keep their families together 
and that it is unfair to separate families simply because certain 
individuals cannot establish extreme hardship.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \12\ Some commenters asked USCIS to accept a showing of extreme 
hardship to an employer, but such consideration is not authorized by 
the statutory waiver authority at INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 
U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v).
    \13\ In many instances, it was unclear whether commenters were 
requesting additional eligibility criteria for provisional waivers 
in general, or whether they were requesting that DHS consider 
additional classes of individuals to be qualifying relatives for 
purposes of the extreme hardship determination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    One commenter suggested that USCIS should contact experts and 
declarants claiming personal knowledge of a qualifying relative's 
hardship claim by mail in order to verify that such claims are 
legitimate. This commenter also suggested that DHS should only consider 
hardship flowing from a qualifying relative's decision to remain in the 
United States and not the hardship such a relative may confront if he 
or she chooses to depart with the inadmissible applicant. That 
commenter viewed as ``hypothetical'' the hardship that may result if 
the qualifying relative chooses to depart, but as ``verifi[able]'' the 
hardship resulting from the choice of a qualifying relative to stay 
behind in the United States. According to the commenter, considering 
hypothetical hardship in another country is unnecessary and too 
difficult to document.
    Other commenters proposed that DHS provide in its regulations a 
list of consequences or other factors typically associated with removal 
that adjudicators would consider when making extreme hardship 
recommendations. These commenters suggested that such a list of factors 
be drawn from historical data and precedent decisions. The commenters 
further suggested that such a list would be analogous to what is 
provided in the regulation for NACARA \14\ applicants at 8 CFR 
1240.58(b). The commenters considered such an approach invaluable to 
achieving consistent adjudication of all waiver applications under the 
INA, not just provisional waiver applications. The commenters also 
believed that such an approach would reduce the incentive for 
individuals to make conclusory and unsupported allegations when 
applying for provisional waivers. According to these commenters, the 
lack of such a regulation was a ``capricious political benefit'' to 
those unlawfully present in the United States.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \14\ See note 8, supra.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, another commenter requested that USCIS establish specific 
questions related to hardship so that USCIS officers can quickly 
determine whether a threshold level of extreme hardship has been 
demonstrated.\15\ As an alternative to an extreme hardship showing, 
another commenter suggested that USCIS permit applicants to explain why 
they violated U.S. immigration laws. Another commenter indicated that 
it was important to train officers in this area.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \15\ The commenter cited the Application for Suspension of 
Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal, Form I-881, 
which contains a list of questions relating to factors considered 
when evaluating extreme hardship as drawn from the NACARA special 
rule regulations at 8 CFR 1240.58(b).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DHS cannot adopt suggestions to revise the statutory requirements 
for waivers of the unlawful presence grounds of inadmissibility under 
INA section 212(a)(9)(B), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B). The authorizing 
statute requires the applicant to show extreme hardship to a U.S. 
citizen or LPR spouse or parent, and DHS does not have the authority to 
change the statutory requirement. DHS also cannot approve a provisional 
waiver application if the applicant has not demonstrated extreme 
hardship to a qualifying relative as required by the INA.
    DHS also declines in this rulemaking to define extreme hardship for 
purposes of the provisional waiver (or more generally), or to create a 
rebuttable

[[Page 50252]]

presumption related to such determinations. The INA does not define 
extreme hardship. The Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) has stated 
that extreme hardship is not a definable term of fixed and inflexible 
meaning, and that establishing extreme hardship is dependent upon the 
facts and circumstances of each case.\16\ See Matter of Cervantes-
Gonzalez, 22 I&N Dec. 560, 565 (BIA 1999) (describing factors to be 
considered in extreme hardship analysis), aff'd, Cervantes-Gonzales v. 
INS, 244 F.3d 1001 (9th Cir. 2001). Accordingly, DHS will continue to 
make extreme hardship determinations for purposes of provisional 
waivers on a case-by-case basis, consistent with agency guidance. On 
October 7, 2015, USCIS posted proposed guidance on extreme hardship 
determinations for public comment on its Web site at www.uscis.gov.\17\ 
USCIS also continually trains its officers on all aspects of the 
provisional waiver adjudication, including the extreme hardship 
determination.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \16\ The BIA and immigration judges, both under the jurisdiction 
of the Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration 
Review (EOIR), also make extreme hardship determinations for 
purposes of adjudicating applications for extreme hardship waivers 
under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v), and 
for other immigration benefits and relief from exclusion, 
deportation, or removal.
    \17\ The proposed guidance on extreme hardship determinations 
can be viewed at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Outreach/Policy%20Review/DRAFT_Extreme_Hardship_Policy_Manual_Guidance_for_public_comment.pdf.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, DHS cannot extend the special accommodation for 
beneficiaries of immigrant visa petitions described in INA section 
204(l), 8 U.S.C. 1154(l), to self-petitioning widows and widowers of 
U.S. citizens when such citizens died prior to filing immigrant visa 
petitions on behalf of their spouses. Under this section, USCIS may 
approve, or reinstate the approval of, an immigrant visa petition 
despite the death of the petitioner or principal beneficiary, if at 
least one beneficiary was residing in the United States when the 
relative died and continues to reside in the United States. If USCIS 
approves or reinstates the approval of the immigrant visa petition, 
USCIS also has discretion to act favorably on ``any related 
applications.'' INA section 204(l), 8 U.S.C. 1154(l). When Congress 
enacted INA section 204(l), 8 U.S.C. 1154(l), USCIS interpreted ``any 
related applications'' to include waiver applications that a 
beneficiary would have been able to file had the qualifying relative 
not died. But that section applies, by its express terms, only to an 
individual who ``immediately prior to the death of his or her 
qualifying relative was . . . the beneficiary of a pending or approved 
petition.'' If the deceased qualifying relative had not filed an 
immigrant visa petition at the time of death, there is no ``pending or 
approved'' petition to which INA section 204(l), 8 U.S.C. 1154(l), can 
apply. Nor can there be said to be any ``related applications.''
5. Applicants With Other Grounds of Inadmissibility
    A large number of commenters supporting this rule stated that U.S. 
immigration laws are overly harsh, and that these laws harm families of 
U.S. citizens and LPRs. In general, many commenters asked DHS to waive 
certain grounds of inadmissibility for which the INA does not currently 
provide relief for immigrants.\18\ Other commenters asked DHS to 
consider expanding the provisional waiver process to cover additional 
grounds of inadmissibility for which waivers are statutorily available. 
These commenters specifically referenced the waiver for fraud and 
willful misrepresentation under INA section 212(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(i), 
or alien smuggling under INA section 212(d)(11), 8 U.S.C. 1182(d)(11). 
Some commenters recommended that when an applicant is granted a 
provisional waiver based on a finding of extreme hardship, the 
Department should conclude that the applicant has established extreme 
hardship for other types of waiver applications that apply the same 
standard. One commenter suggested that the standard for the waiver to 
overcome inadmissibility for alien smuggling is lower than the extreme 
hardship standard \19\ and that USCIS should thus consider the lower 
standard as encompassed by the extreme hardship standard. The commenter 
thus believed that the waiver to overcome the alien smuggling 
inadmissibility ground could easily be incorporated into the 
provisional waiver process. Overall, commenters suggested that DHS 
allow individuals to apply for all available waivers of inadmissibility 
through the provisional waiver process, which the commenters believed 
would further streamline the waiver and immigrant visa processes.\20\
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    \18\ For example, some commenters asked for a waiver for falsely 
claiming U.S. citizenship under INA section 212(a)(6)(C)(ii), 8 
U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(C)(ii). Another commenter asked that all parents 
who illegally reentered after having been previously deported should 
be pardoned, because, according to the commenter, most parents enter 
to reunite with their children and family. Many commenters felt that 
children are being punished for the actions of their parents. Other 
commenters asked that the inadmissibility ground under INA section 
212(a)(9)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(C), be changed and the penalty 
reduced to a lesser inadmissibility period for which a waiver is 
available. All of these requests are outside of the scope of this 
rulemaking, which solely concerns the provisional waiver of the 
grounds of inadmissibility described in INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i), 
8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i), as authorized by INA section 
212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v).
    \19\ DHS may waive the ground of inadmissibility described in 
INA section 212(a)(6)(E)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(E)(i), for 
humanitarian purposes, to assure family unity, or when it is 
otherwise in the public interest, provided the individual meets all 
other requirements. See INA section 212(d)(11), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(d)(11).
    \20\ Of the commenters who asked DHS to expand the provisional 
waiver process to include waivers of other grounds of 
inadmissibility, many requested that DHS specifically include the 
Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United 
States After Deportation or Removal, Form I-212.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Several commenters requested that the provisional waiver process be 
available to individuals who are barred for unlawful reentry after 
previous immigration violations under INA section 212(a)(9)(C), 8 
U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(C). Others suggested making the process available to 
individuals who are inadmissible under that section if they are spouses 
of U.S. citizens or LPRs. A few commenters asked that certain 
categories of individuals receive special treatment.\21\ For example, a 
commenter requested that DHS create a special waiver for Deferred 
Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. Others asked that DHS 
add special provisions to benefit the relatives of active members or 
veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \21\ It was often unclear if the commenters sought 
implementation of new waivers or an expansion of the provisional 
waiver to include these grounds of inadmissibility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DHS considered these comments but did not adopt the suggested 
changes. DHS cannot waive grounds of inadmissibility for those who are 
not authorized to receive waivers under the immigration laws. 
Implementation of these suggestions thus would have exceeded DHS's 
statutory authority. Other suggestions did not support a principal goal 
of the provisional waiver process, which is to streamline immigrant 
visa issuance for individuals who are eligible for an immigrant visa 
and otherwise admissible to the United States \22\ but whose family 
members would experience extreme hardship due to application of certain 
unlawful presence grounds of inadmissibility. As explained in the 2013 
Rule, DOS consular officers are charged with

[[Page 50253]]

determining whether individuals are eligible for issuance of immigrant 
visas, including whether they are affected by one or more grounds of 
inadmissibility. Expanding the provisional waiver process to other 
grounds of inadmissibility would introduce additional complexity and 
inefficiencies into the immigrant visa process, create potential 
backlogs, and likely delay and adversely affect the processing of 
immigrant visas by DOS. Furthermore, USCIS generally assesses waiver 
applications for inadmissibility due to fraud, misrepresentation, or 
criminal history through an in-person interview at a USCIS field 
office. Because DOS already conducts a thorough in-person interview as 
part of the immigrant visa process, DHS believes that this type of 
review would be unnecessarily duplicative of DOS's efforts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \22\ Upon departure from the United States to attend a consular 
interview, an individual no longer would be inadmissible as a result 
of being present in the United States without admission or parole 
under INA section 212(a)(6)(A)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(6)(A)(i), or for 
lacking proper immigrant entry documents under INA section 
212(a)(7)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(7)(A).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Because the text of the statute forecloses the issue, DHS also 
rejects the suggestion to expand the provisional waiver process to 
include individuals who are inadmissible based on a return (or 
attempted return) without admission after previous immigration 
violations under INA section 212(a)(9)(C)(i), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(C)(i). The relevant forms of relief for individuals who are 
inadmissible under that section are found at INA section 
212(a)(9)(C)(ii) and (iii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(C)(ii) and (iii). See 
Matter of Torres-Garcia, 23 I&N Dec. 866 (BIA 2006). Under the statute, 
waivers under INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v), 
cannot be used to relieve an applicant from inadmissibility under INA 
section 212(a)(9)(C)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(C)(i).
6. Reason-to-Believe Standard
    Under current regulations, USCIS must deny a provisional waiver 
application if USCIS has ``reason to believe'' that the applicant may 
be subject to a ground of inadmissibility other than unlawful presence 
at the time of the immigrant visa interview abroad (``reason-to-believe 
standard''). 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(i).\23\ Commenters asked DHS to clarify 
the reason-to-believe standard and to train officers \24\ so that they 
properly apply the standard. Many argued that USCIS often applies the 
standard too rigidly by denying applications on mere suspicion, rather 
than actually adjudicating the relevant inadmissibility concerns 
consistent with applicable law relating to these grounds.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \23\ That regulation reads: ``Ineligible aliens. Notwithstanding 
paragraph (e)(3) of this section, an alien is ineligible for a 
provisional unlawful presence waiver under paragraph (e) of this 
section if: (i) USCIS has reason to believe that the alien may be 
subject to grounds of inadmissibility other than unlawful presence 
under section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) or (II) of the Act at the time of 
the immigrant visa interview with the Department of State.'' 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(4)(i).
    \24\ USCIS has continually trained its officers on all aspects 
of the provisional waiver adjudication, including how to determine 
whether individuals may be subject to additional inadmissibility 
grounds at the time of the immigrant visa interview. However, since 
USCIS is removing the reason-to-believe standard as a basis for 
eligibility, we will no longer be training officers on application 
of this specific standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Commenters also urged DHS to expand the scope of the January 24, 
2014 field guidance memorandum on the reason-to-believe standard.\25\ 
Commenters specifically asked DHS to direct USCIS officers to consider 
the totality of the evidence when assessing whether other grounds of 
inadmissibility apply to an applicant, and to issue Requests for 
Evidence (RFEs) related to such grounds prior to denying a provisional 
waiver application for mere suspicion that such grounds apply. 
Commenters criticized the lack of issuance of RFEs or Notices of Intent 
to Deny (NOIDs), as well as USCIS' use of standard denial template 
language when denying a provisional waiver application under the 
reason-to-believe standard. Commenters stated that the use of these 
denial templates implies that USCIS does not consider the evidence that 
applicants submit to show that they are in fact not inadmissible on 
other grounds. In addition, the commenters stated that the templates 
did not provide sufficient information to indicate why USCIS determined 
it had reason to believe that the applicant would be inadmissible at 
the time of the immigrant visa interview, thus preventing applicants 
from addressing the agency's concerns upon reapplication. Commenters 
requested that USCIS instruct its officers to clearly articulate the 
fact specific circumstances that led them to deny an application for 
``reason to believe'' that the applicant is inadmissible on other 
grounds.\26\ A couple of commenters suggested that DHS make exceptions 
to the reason-to-believe standard for certain circumstances or classes 
of individuals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \25\ See USCIS Memorandum, Guidance Pertaining to Applicants for 
Provisional Unlawful Presence Waivers (Jan. 24, 2014), available at 
http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/nativedocuments/2014-0124_Reason_To_Believe_Field_Guidance_Pertaining_to_Applicants_for_Provisional_Unlawful_Presence_Waivers-final.pdf.
    \26\ These commenters suggested adding specific regulatory text 
in 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4) and 8 CFR 212.7(e)(9) that would require 
officers to consider the totality of the circumstances and to 
recount particular facts of the case when denying waiver 
applications under the reason-to-believe standard.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Considering the confusion that has resulted from application of the 
reason-to-believe standard, DHS is eliminating the standard from the 
provisional waiver process in this final rule. Under the 2013 Rule, an 
approved provisional waiver would take effect if DOS subsequently 
determined that the applicant was ineligible for an immigrant visa only 
on account of the 3- or 10-year unlawful presence bar under INA section 
212(a)(9)(B)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i). Accordingly, DHS had 
originally incorporated the reason-to-believe standard in the 2013 Rule 
to preclude individuals from obtaining provisional waivers if they may 
have triggered other grounds of inadmissibility. DHS reasoned, in part, 
that because the goal of the provisional waiver process was to 
streamline immigrant visa processing, it would be of little benefit to 
applicants or to DHS to grant provisional waivers to applicants who 
would eventually be denied immigrant visas based on other grounds of 
inadmissibility.
    Since the implementation of the provisional waiver program, 
however, stakeholders have raised concerns over the application of the 
reason-to-believe standard. Among other things, DHS understands that 
the standard causes confusion for applicants, as evidenced by the 
comments submitted to this rule. Despite the Department's repeated 
attempts to explain the reason-to-believe standard, for example, 
commenters continue to erroneously believe that when USCIS denies a 
provisional waiver application under the reason-to-believe standard, 
the agency has actually made an inadmissibility determination with 
respect to the relevant other ground(s) of inadmissibility.
    Alternatively, as explained in the 2013 Rule, it would be 
counterproductive for USCIS to make other inadmissibility 
determinations during the adjudication of provisional waiver 
applications, given DOS's role in the immigrant visa process. It is 
DOS, and not USCIS, that generally determines admissibility under INA 
section 212(a), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a), as part of the immigrant visa 
process, which includes an in-depth, in-person interview conducted by 
DOS consular officers. Moreover, it is U.S. Customs and Border 
Protection (CBP) that ultimately determines admissibility at the time 
that individuals seek admission at a port of entry. See INA sections 
204(e), 221(h); 8 U.S.C. 1154(e), 1201(h). It is thus generally not 
USCIS's role to determine whether an individual applying for an 
immigrant visa, or for admission as an immigrant at a U.S. port of 
entry, is admissible to the United States. Any assessment by USCIS with 
respect to other grounds of inadmissibility would be, at best,

[[Page 50254]]

advisory in nature and would likely cause even greater confusion for 
applicants.
    These considerations have prompted DHS to revisit the current 
approach. In this final rule, DHS has decided to eliminate the reason-
to-believe standard as a basis for denying provisional waiver 
applications. Accordingly, when adjudicating such applications, USCIS 
will only consider whether extreme hardship has been established and 
whether the applicant warrants a favorable exercise of discretion. 
However, although this final rule eliminates the reason-to-believe 
standard, the final rule retains the provision that provides for the 
automatic revocation of an approved provisional waiver application if 
the DOS consular officer ultimately determines that the applicant is 
ineligible for the immigrant visa based on other grounds of 
inadmissibility. See 8 CFR 212.7(e)(14)(i). DHS thus cautions and 
reminds individuals that even if USCIS approves a provisional waiver 
application, DOS may still find the applicant inadmissible on other 
grounds at the time of the immigrant visa interview. If DOS finds the 
applicant ineligible for the immigrant visa or inadmissible on grounds 
other than unlawful presence, the approval of the provisional waiver 
application is automatically revoked. In such cases, the individual may 
again apply for a waiver of the unlawful presence ground of 
inadmissibility, in combination with any other waivable grounds of 
inadmissibility, by using the Form I-601 waiver process. As in all 
discretionary matters, DHS also has the authority to deny provisional 
waiver applications as a matter of discretion even if the applicant 
satisfies the eligibility criteria. See 8 CFR 212.7(e)(2)(i). 
Additionally, USCIS may reopen and reconsider its decision to approve 
or deny a provisional waiver before or after the waiver becomes 
effective if it is determined that the decision was made in error. See 
8 CFR 212.7(e)(13) and 8 CFR 212.7(a)(4)(v).
    As has always been the case, DHS will continue to uphold the 
integrity and security of the provisional waiver process by conducting 
full background and security checks to assess whether an individual may 
be a threat to national security or public safety. If the background 
check or the individual's immigration file reveals derogatory 
information, including a criminal record, USCIS will analyze the 
significance of the information and may deny the provisional waiver 
application as a matter of discretion.\27\
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    \27\ Under current USCIS policy, officers adjudicating 
provisional waiver applications may issue a Request for Evidence 
(RFE) to address deficiencies in the extreme hardship showing or to 
resolve issues that may impact their exercise of discretion. USCIS 
will retain this practice. To maintain the streamlined nature of the 
program, USCIS retains the 30-day response time to any RFE issued in 
connection with provisional waiver applications. See USCIS 
Memorandum, Standard Timeframe for Applicants to Respond to Requests 
for Evidence Issued in Relation to a Request for a Provisional 
Unlawful Presence Waiver, Form I-601A (Mar. 1, 2013), available at 
http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/Static_Files_Memoranda/2013/I-601A_30-Day_RFE_PM.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, the extreme hardship and discretionary eligibility 
assessments made during a provisional waiver adjudication could be 
impacted by additional grounds of inadmissibility and other information 
that was not known and therefore not considered during the 
adjudication. Accordingly, USCIS is not bound by these determinations 
when adjudicating subsequent applications filed by the same applicant, 
such as an application filed to waive grounds of inadmissibility, 
including a waiver of the unlawful presence grounds of inadmissibility. 
In other words, because separate inadmissibility grounds and material 
information not before USCIS at the time of adjudication may alter the 
totality of the circumstances present in an individual's case, a prior 
determination that an applicant's U.S. citizen or LPR spouse would 
suffer extreme hardship if the applicant were refused admission (and 
that the applicant merits a provisional waiver as a matter of 
discretion) does not dictate that USCIS must make the same 
determination in the future, although the factors and circumstances 
underlying the prior decision may be taken into account when reviewing 
the cases under the totality of the circumstances.
7. Individuals With Scheduled Immigrant Visa Interviews
    The proposed rule would have made certain immediate relatives of 
U.S. citizens ineligible for provisional waivers if DOS had initially 
acted before January 3, 2013 to schedule their immigrant visa 
interviews. DHS had also proposed to make other applicants ineligible 
if DOS initially acted before the effective date of this final rule to 
schedule their immigrant visa interviews. See 80 FR 43338, 43343 (July 
22, 2015). These date restrictions were intended to make the 
provisional waiver process more operationally manageable and to avoid 
processing delays in the immigrant visa process. Commenters suggested 
that DHS either eliminate these restrictions or apply the January 3, 
2013 restriction to all potential applicants.\28\ Some commenters 
argued that DHS should eliminate these restrictions altogether for 
humanitarian reasons. Other commenters pointed out that the cutoff 
dates will cause preference-based immigrants difficulties with their 
priority dates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \28\ One commenter also asked that DHS allow individuals to 
reopen their ``visa cases'' and to file applications for provisional 
waivers. The commenter explained that many individuals let their DOS 
National Visa Center (NVC) cases lapse because they cannot leave to 
seek their visas and because ameliorative immigration legislation 
had failed to pass. The commenter asked that the DOS NVC reopen 
cases for those who have approved petitions so that they may apply 
for provisional waivers. DHS will not adopt this suggestion. DOS--
and not DHS--will continue to determine whether to reopen immigrant 
visa application cases. Any visa applicant seeking to reopen such a 
case should consult with DOS. An individual may file a provisional 
waiver if he or she meets the provisional waiver requirements, as 
outlined in 8 CFR 212.7(e).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In response to comments, and after consulting with DOS, DHS is 
eliminating the restrictions based on the date that DOS acted to 
schedule the immigrant visa interview. USCIS will adjust its processing 
of petitions and applications so that neither DOS nor USCIS will be 
adversely affected by the elimination of this restriction. Please note, 
however, that elimination of these date restrictions does not alter 
other laws and regulations relating to the availability of immigrant 
visas. Applicants will still be unable to obtain immigrant visas until 
an immigrant visa number is available based on the applicant's priority 
date. Applicants will need to act promptly, once DOS notifies them that 
they can file their immigrant visa application. If applicants do not 
apply within one year of this notice, DOS has authority to terminate 
their registration for an immigrant visa. See INA section 203(g), 8 
U.S.C. 1153(g); see also 22 CFR 42.8(a). That action will also result 
in automatic revocation of the approval of the related immigrant visa 
petition. 8 CFR 205.1(a)(1).
    In such a situation, applicants will have two options for 
continuing to pursue a provisional waiver. One option is for an 
applicant to ask DOS to reinstate the registration pursuant to 22 CFR 
42.83(d). If DOS reinstates the registration, approval of the immigrant 
visa petition is also reinstated. Once such an applicant has paid the 
immigrant visa processing fee for the related immigrant visa 
application, the applicant can apply for a provisional waiver. A second 
option is for the

[[Page 50255]]

relevant immigrant visa petitioner to file a new immigrant visa 
petition with USCIS. If USCIS approves the new immigrant visa petition, 
the beneficiary could then apply for the provisional waiver after 
paying the immigrant visa processing fee based on the new petition if 
otherwise eligible.
8. Individuals in Removal Proceedings
    Commenters requested that DHS eliminate restrictions that prevent 
individuals in removal proceedings from seeking provisional waivers. 
Under the current regulations, those in removal proceedings may apply 
for and be granted provisional waivers only if their removal 
proceedings have been and remain administratively closed. See 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(4)(v). Rather than excluding individuals whose removal 
proceedings are not administratively closed from obtaining provisional 
waivers, commenters asserted that DHS should find a way to allow them 
to apply for such waivers. Commenters suggested that once an individual 
in removal proceedings has a provisional waiver, he or she should be 
able to move to either dismiss or terminate proceedings or seek 
cancellation of the Notice to Appear (NTA) \29\ so that he or she may 
depart to seek consular processing of an immigrant visa application. 
According to commenters, such a process would also ensure that an 
individual who is issued an NTA while his or her provisional waiver 
application is pending does not automatically become ineligible for the 
waiver.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \29\ Notices to Appear (NTAs) are the charging documents that 
DHS issues to individuals to initiate removal proceedings.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Another commenter noted that immigration courts are severely 
backlogged and that individuals in removal proceedings often have to 
wait months or years before their cases can be scheduled or heard. This 
commenter asserted that requiring the case to be administratively 
closed before an individual may apply for the provisional waiver places 
an undue burden on the courts and also creates significant delays. 
Commenters generally believed that it would be more efficient if 
individuals were able to pursue provisional waivers and request 
termination or dismissal of proceedings upon approval of the waivers. 
They requested that the regulations and the provisional waiver 
application (Form I-601A) clarify that removal proceedings may be 
resolved by termination, dismissal, or a grant of voluntary departure 
if the provisional waiver is approved. Commenters believed that such a 
solution would simplify the provisional waiver process, improve 
efficiency in the immigration court system, and further the spirit of 
expanding the process to all individuals who are statutorily eligible 
for waivers of the unlawful presence ground of inadmissibility at INA 
section 212(a)(9)(B)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i).
    Due to agency efficiency and resource concerns, DHS declines to 
adopt the above recommendations. On November 20, 2014, the Secretary 
directed the Department's immigration components--USCIS, ICE, and CBP--
to exercise prosecutorial discretion, when appropriate, as early as 
possible in proceedings to ensure that DHS's limited resources are 
devoted to the greatest degree possible to the pursuit of enforcement 
priorities.\30\ Prosecutorial discretion applies not only to the 
decision to issue, serve, file, or cancel an NTA, but also to other 
broad ranges of discretionary measures.\31\ To promote docket 
efficiency and to ensure that finite enforcement resources are used 
effectively, ICE carefully reviews cases pending before the Department 
of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to ensure 
that all cases align with the agency's enforcement and removal 
policies. As such, once an NTA is issued, ICE attorneys are directed to 
review the case, at the earliest opportunity, for the potential 
exercise of prosecutorial discretion.\32\ The Department of Justice 
(DOJ) likewise instructs its immigration judges to use available 
docketing tools to ensure fair and timely resolution of cases, and to 
ask ICE attorneys at master calendar hearings whether ICE is seeking 
dismissal or administrative closure of a case.\33\ In general, those 
who are low priorities for removal and are otherwise eligible for LPR 
status may be able to apply for provisional waivers. Among other 
things, ICE may agree to administratively close immigration proceedings 
for individuals who are eligible to pursue a provisional waiver and are 
not currently considered a DHS enforcement priority. ICE also works to 
facilitate, as appropriate, the timely termination or dismissal of 
administratively closed removal proceedings once USCIS approves a 
provisional waiver.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \30\ See Memorandum from Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson, DHS, 
Policies for Apprehension, Detention, and Removal of Undocumented 
Immigrants (Nov. 20, 2014), available at https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_prosecutorial_discretion.pdf.
    \31\ See id.
    \32\ See Memorandum from Riah Ramlogan, Acting Principal Legal 
Advisor, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Guidance 
Regarding Cases Pending Before EOIR Impacted by Secretary Johnson's 
Memorandum Entitled Policies for the Apprehension, Detention and 
Removal Of Undocumented Immigrants (Apr. 6, 2015), available at 
https://www.ice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/FOIA/2015/guidance_eoir_johnson_memo.pdf.
    \33\ See Memorandum from Brian M O'Leary, Chief Immigration 
Judge, EOIR, Operating Policies and Procedures Memorandum 15-01: 
Hearing Procedures for Cases Covered by New DHS Priorities and 
Initiatives (Apr. 6, 2015), available at https://www.justice.gov/eoir/pages/attachments/2015/04/07/15-01.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DHS believes the aforementioned steps being undertaken by ICE and 
EOIR to determine whether cases should be administratively closed 
effectively balances the commenters' provisional waiver eligibility 
concerns and agency resources in considering the exercise of 
prosecutorial discretion. Consequently, this rule has not changed the 
provisional waiver process and will not permit individuals in active 
removal proceedings to apply for or receive provisional waivers, unless 
their cases are administratively closed. The Department believes that 
current processes provide ample opportunity for eligible applicants to 
seek a provisional waiver, while improving the allocation of government 
resources and ensuring national security, public safety, and border 
security.
9. Individuals Subject to Final Orders of Removal, Deportation, or 
Exclusion
    Commenters asked DHS to provide eligibility for provisional waivers 
to individuals who are subject to final orders of removal, deportation, 
or exclusion. Commenters asserted that many of these individuals may 
already request consent to reapply for admission, under 8 CFR 212.2(j), 
by filing an Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into 
the United States After Deportation or Removal, Form I-212, before 
departing the United States for immigrant visa processing. Upon 
receiving such consent, the individual's order of removal, deportation, 
or exclusion would no longer bar him or her from obtaining an immigrant 
visa abroad. One commenter reasoned that providing eligibility to 
spouses and children with removal orders would permit more families to 
stay together.
    Many commenters suggested that USCIS allow individuals to file 
provisional waiver applications ``concurrently'' \34\ with Form I-212 
applications for consent to reapply for admission. These commenters 
believed that requiring separate or consecutive processing of the two 
applications when a domestic process already exists for

[[Page 50256]]

both is unnecessary, inefficient, and a waste of USCIS' resources. In 
support of their argument, commenters also referenced 2009 USCIS 
procedures for the adjudication of Form I-601 applications for 
adjudication officers stationed abroad. Under these procedures, an 
individual whose Form I-601 application is granted would also normally 
obtain approval of a Form I-212 application, as both forms require that 
the applicant show that he or she warrants a favorable exercise of 
discretion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \34\ Filing two or more immigration benefit requests together is 
often referred to as ``concurrent'' filing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As a preliminary matter, DHS notes that requiring the filing of 
separate Forms I-601A and I-212 simply reflects the fact that they are 
intended to address two separate grounds of inadmissibility, each with 
different waiver eligibility requirements. In response to the comments, 
however, DHS has amended the rule to allow individuals with final 
orders of removal, deportation, or exclusion to apply for provisional 
waivers if they have filed a Form I-212 application seeking consent to 
reapply for admission and such an application has been conditionally 
approved.
    Anyone who departs the United States while a final order is 
outstanding is considered to have executed that order. See INA section 
101(g), 8 U.S.C. 1101(g); 8 CFR 241.7. The execution of such an order 
renders the individual inadmissible to the United States for a period 
of 5-20 years under INA section 212(a)(9)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A). 
Certain individuals, however, may seek consent to reapply for admission 
to the United States before the period of inadmissibility has expired. 
See INA section 212(a)(9)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(iii). DHS 
regulations provide a process for those in the United States to apply 
for such consent by filing a Form I-212 application before departing 
the United States. See 8 CFR 212.2(j). As with the provisional waiver 
process, the pre-departure approval of a Form I-212 application is 
conditioned on the applicant subsequently departing the United States. 
Thus, if an individual who is inadmissible under INA section 
212(a)(9)(A), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A), obtains a conditional approval of 
his or her Form I-212 application while in the United States and 
thereafter departs to attend the immigrant visa interview abroad, he or 
she generally is no longer inadmissible under that section at the time 
of the immigrant visa interview and can be issued an immigrant visa.
    Given that an applicant still has to demonstrate visa eligibility, 
including admissibility, at the time of the immigrant visa interview 
and that DHS has decided to eliminate the reason-to-believe standard, 
the Department believes the goals of the provisional waiver process are 
supported by making it available to those with final orders only if 
they already have conditionally approved a Form I-212 application. The 
final rule thus extends eligibility for provisional waivers to such 
individuals. See 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(iv). Such an individual, however, 
must have the conditionally approved Form I-212 application at the time 
of filing the provisional waiver application. See 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(4)(iv). USCIS will deny a provisional waiver application if 
the applicant's Form I-212 application has not yet been conditionally 
approved at the time the individual files his or her provisional waiver 
application. Additionally, if during the immigrant visa interview the 
consular officer finds that the applicant is inadmissible on other 
grounds that have not been waived, the approved provisional waiver will 
be automatically revoked.\35\ See 8 CFR 212.7(e)(14)(i).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \35\ In such cases, however, the approved Form I-212 application 
will generally remain valid and the individual may apply for any 
available waivers, including waiver of the 3- and 10-year bars, by 
filing a Form I-601 application after the immigrant visa interview.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Finally, DHS notes that approval of Forms I-601A and I-212 does not 
waive inadmissibility under INA section 212(a)(9)(C), 8 U.S.C 
1182(a)(9)(C), for having returned to the United States without 
inspection and admission or parole after a prior removal or prior 
unlawful presence. See INA section 212(a)(9)(C)(ii), 8 U.S.C 
1182(a)(9)(C)(ii); Matter of Briones, 24 I&N Dec. 355 (BIA 2007); 
Matter of Torres-Garcia, 23 I&N Dec. 866 (BIA 2006).\36\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \36\ Although DHS received no comments on the issue, DHS has 
also amended the regulatory text to provide additional clarity with 
respect to provisional waiver eligibility for certain individuals 
who have previously been removed. Prior to the changes made by this 
rule, 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(vii) provided that an alien who is ``subject 
to reinstatement of a prior removal order under section 241(a)(5) of 
the Act'' is not eligible for a provisional waiver. DHS recognizes 
that this regulatory text was unclear with respect to whether it 
applies to (1) an individual who is a ``candidate'' for 
reinstatement of removal or (2) an individual whose prior removal 
order has already been reinstated. To avoid confusion, DHS has 
amended the regulatory text in 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(v) to clarify that 
the prior removal order must actually be reinstated for an 
individual to be ineligible to apply for a provisional waiver under 
this provision. DHS notes, however, that USCIS is likely to deny as 
a matter of discretion a provisional waiver application when records 
indicate that the applicant is inadmissible under INA 212(a)(9)(C), 
8 U.S.C 1182(a)(9)(C), for having unlawfully returned to the United 
States after a prior removal or prior unlawful presence. Moreover, 
even if such an individual obtains approval for a provisional 
waiver, such approval will be automatically revoked if he or she is 
ultimately determined to be inadmissible under that section.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. Individuals Granted Voluntary Departure
    Commenters requested that DHS address how voluntary departure under 
INA section 240B, 8 U.S.C. 1229c, affects provisional waiver 
eligibility. One commenter asked that USCIS provide eligibility for 
provisional waivers to individuals who have been granted voluntary 
departure but who failed to depart as required. Another commenter 
requested that regulations and instructions should clarify that an 
individual in compliance with an order of voluntary departure is 
considered by USCIS: (a) Not to be currently in removal proceedings; 
and (b) not subject to a final order of removal.
    DHS has determined that individuals granted voluntary departure 
will not be eligible for provisional waivers. First, if an individual 
obtains voluntary departure while in removal proceedings, the 
immigration judge is required by law to enter an alternate order of 
removal. See 8 CFR 1240.26(d). DHS cannot execute the alternate order 
of removal during the voluntary departure period because such an order 
is not yet in effect. But if the individual does not depart as required 
under the order of voluntary departure, the alternate order of removal 
automatically becomes fully effective without any additional 
proceeding. See 8 CFR 1240.26(d). Thus, an individual who fails to 
leave as required under a grant of voluntary departure will have an 
administratively final order of removal, and will thus be ineligible 
for a provisional waiver. See INA section 240B(d)(1), 8 U.S.C. 
1229c(d)(1); 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(iv). Under current law, removal 
proceedings for such individuals are considered to have ended when the 
grant of voluntary departure, with an alternate removal order, becomes 
administratively final. See INA sections 101(a)(47), 240(c)(1)(A), 8 
U.S.C. 1101(a)(47), 1229(a)(c)(1)(A); 8 CFR 241.1, 1003.39, 1241.1; 
Matter of Shih, 20 I&N Dec. 697 (BIA 1993).
    Second, a fundamental premise for a grant of voluntary departure is 
that the individual who is granted voluntary departure intends to leave 
the United States as required. See INA section 240B(b)(1)(D), 8 U.S.C. 
1229c(b)(1)(D); Dada v. Mukasey, 554 U.S. 1, 18 (2008). Allowing an 
individual whose voluntary departure period has not expired to apply 
for a provisional waiver would suggest that the individual is excused 
from complying with the order of voluntary departure. This result would 
contradict the purpose of voluntary departure--allowing the subject to 
leave promptly

[[Page 50257]]

without incurring the future inadmissibility that results from removal. 
For these reasons, DHS did not modify the rule to allow those with 
grants of voluntary departure to apply for provisional waivers.
11. Applications for Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Status
    Under current regulations, an individual is ineligible for a 
provisional waiver if he or she has an Application to Register 
Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, Form I-485 (``application for 
adjustment of status''), pending with USCIS, regardless of whether the 
individual is in removal proceedings. See 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(viii). One 
commenter suggested that USCIS should allow those seeking LPR status to 
file applications for adjustment of status concurrently with 
provisional waiver applications, and that USCIS should hold such 
applications for adjustment of status in abeyance until final 
resolution of the provisional waiver applications. According to the 
commenter, this would provide applicants present in the United States 
the opportunity to obtain work authorization and to appeal any denial 
of their provisional waiver applications. The commenter suggested that 
upon approval of a provisional waiver application, USCIS should route 
the application for adjustment of status to DOS for consular processing 
of the applicant's immigrant visa abroad.
    DHS declines to adopt this suggestion. DHS believes that the 
commenter misunderstands the purpose of filing applications for 
adjustment of status. Those applications may be filed only by 
individuals who are in the United States and meet the statutory 
requirements for adjustment of status. If the applicant is eligible for 
adjustment of status, approval of the application adjusts one's status 
to that of an LPR in the United States, thus making it unnecessary to 
go abroad and obtain an immigrant visa. For those who are in the United 
States but are not eligible for adjustment of status, filing an 
application for adjustment of status serves no legitimate purpose. 
These individuals may not adjust status in the United States and must 
instead depart the United States and seek an immigrant visa at a U.S. 
consulate through consular processing. As these individuals are not 
eligible for adjustment of status, DHS believes it is inappropriate to 
invite them to submit applications seeking adjustment of status. 
Moreover, DOS has its own application process for immigrant visas. 
Thus, even if USCIS were to forward a denied application for adjustment 
of status to DOS, that application would have no role in the 
individual's application process with DOS. The individual would still 
be required to submit the proper DOS immigrant visa application to seek 
his or her immigrant visa.
12. Additional Eligibility Criteria
    A few commenters suggested that DHS consider imposing restrictions 
in the provisional waiver process, including by adding eligibility 
criteria for provisional waivers, to better prioritize the classes of 
individuals eligible to seek such waivers.\37\ Two commenters suggested 
that the provisional waiver process should prioritize family members of 
U.S. citizens over those of LPRs. One commenter suggested using level 
of education as a factor for prioritizing applicants. This commenter 
implied that applicants should be prioritized if they have advanced 
degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields. 
Additional suggestions included: (1) Making provisional waivers easier 
to obtain for couples who have children or have been married more than 
two years; (2) limiting the number or percentage of waivers that are 
made available to particular demographic groups within the United 
States; (3) combining eligibility for provisional waivers with ``cross-
chargeability'' rules in the INA; \38\ (4) prioritizing waivers for 
those with high school degrees or who paid their taxes; (5) making 
waivers available only to those who submit three letters of 
recommendation from community members; and (6) making waivers available 
only to those who can demonstrate proficiency with the English language 
or who enroll in English language classes.
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    \37\ Many of the commenters who suggested additional eligibility 
criteria also believed that approved waivers should entitle 
individuals to adjust to LPR status in the United States. Others 
suggested that provisional waiver applicants should pay fines, and 
some of these commenters believed that paying fines should allow 
individuals to apply for adjustment of status as an alternative to 
consular processing. Many of these commenters believed that such 
changes would create efficiencies for both the applicant and the 
government. As explained throughout this rule, DHS cannot change the 
statutory requirements for adjustment of status in the United 
States. Similarly, USCIS cannot impose fines as part of its filing 
fees.
    \38\ Cross-chargeability is a concept employed by the INA in the 
context of applying the INA's numerical limits on immigrant visas, 
particularly the ``per country'' limitations that restrict the 
percentage of such visa numbers that may go to nationals of any one 
country. See generally INA sections 201, 202, and 203; 8 U.S.C. 
1151, 1152, and 1153. Generally, an immigrant visa number that is 
allotted to an individual is ``charged'' to the country of his or 
her nationality. However, when application of the ``per country'' 
limits may lead to family separation, the immigrant visa number 
allotted to an individual may instead be charged to the country of 
nationality of that individual's spouse, parent, or child. See INA 
sections 202(b), 8 U.S.C. 1152(b); see also 22 CFR 42.12; Department 
of State, 9 Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) ch. 503.2-4A, available at 
https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM050302.html (last visited Apr. 
26, 2016).
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    DHS declines to impose limitations or eligibility requirements for 
obtaining provisional waivers beyond those currently provided by 
regulation or statute. See INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C 
1182(a)(9)(B)(v); 8 CFR 212.7. In the 2013 Rule, DHS originally limited 
eligibility to seek such waivers through the provisional waiver process 
to ensure operational feasibility and reduce the risk of creating 
processing delays with respect to other petitions or applications filed 
with USCIS or DOS. Considering the agency's capacity and the 
efficiencies gained through the provisional waiver process, DHS now 
believes that the provisional waiver process should be made available 
to all statutorily eligible individuals. DHS is confident that the 
expansion will reduce family separation and benefit the U.S. Government 
as a whole, and that all agencies involved possess the operational 
capacity to handle the additional casework.
13. Bars for Certain Inadmissible Individuals
    Two commenters suggested that those who have committed crimes 
should be precluded from participating in the provisional waiver 
process, and another commenter cautioned DHS against adopting a 
standard that would allow provisional waiver eligibility to the ``wrong 
people,'' in the commenter's view, such as those who hate American 
values and principles.\39\
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    \39\ One of these commenters believed that, although accrual of 
unlawful presence is not desirable, serious criminality and evidence 
of violent behavior should be the deciding factors when determining 
whether to separate families. Absent these factors, the commenter 
reasoned, immediate family members of U.S. citizens and LPRs should 
be allowed to remain with their loved ones in the United States 
before consular processing.
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    As indicated above, DHS continues to uphold the integrity and 
security of the provisional waiver process by conducting full 
background and security checks to assess whether an applicant may be a 
threat to national security or public safety. If the background check 
or the applicant's immigration file reveals derogatory information, 
including a criminal record, USCIS analyzes the significance of the 
information and may deny the provisional waiver application as a matter 
of discretion.

[[Page 50258]]

D. Adjudication

1. Requests for Evidence (RFEs) and Notices of Intent To Deny (NOIDs)
    Several commenters criticized USCIS' practice with respect to 
issuing Requests for Evidence (RFEs) or Notices of Intent to Deny 
(NOIDs) in cases where the agency ultimately denies provisional waiver 
applications. Commenters criticized USCIS for both (1) issuing denials 
without first submitting RFEs that provide applicants the opportunity 
to correct deficiencies, and (2) issuing RFEs that failed to clearly 
articulate the deficiencies in submitted applications. With respect to 
the latter, commenters indicated that RFEs tend to use boilerplate 
language that makes it impossible for applicants to respond 
effectively, especially with respect to assessments of extreme hardship 
or application of the reason-to-believe standard. Noting that terms 
such as ``reason to believe'' and ``extreme hardship'' are vague, 
commenters requested that USCIS issue detailed and case-specific RFEs 
or NOIDs (rather than templates) when the agency intends to deny 
applications, thereby giving applicants an opportunity to cure any 
deficiencies before such denials are issued.\40\ Commenters also raised 
concerns with the number of days that USCIS provides applicants to 
respond to often lengthy RFEs, noting that, in most instances, USCIS 
provides only 30 days for such responses.
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    \40\ One commenter requested that USCIS ensure transparent 
processing of applications. USCIS is committed to providing 
processing information on its adjudication processes by including 
information on the form and its instructions. USCIS also intends to 
include a section in the USCIS Policy Manual on provisional waivers.
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    As provided in 8 CFR 212.7(e)(8), and notwithstanding 8 CFR 
103.2(b)(16), USCIS may deny a provisional waiver without issuing an 
RFE or NOID. USCIS, however, is committed to issuing RFEs to address 
missing and critical information that relates to extreme hardship or 
that may affect how USCIS exercises its discretion. USCIS officers also 
have the discretion to issue RFEs whenever the officer believes that 
additional evidence would aid in the adjudication of an application. 
Due to the streamlined nature of the program, USCIS currently provides 
applicants only 30 days to respond to an RFE in such cases.\41\
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    \41\ See USCIS Memorandum, Standard Timeframe for Applicants to 
Response to Requests for Evidence Issued in Relation to a Request 
for a Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, Form I-601A (Mar. 1, 
2013), available at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/Static_Files_Memoranda/2013/I-601A_30-Day_RFE_PM.pdf.
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    USCIS will continue to issue RFEs in provisional waiver cases based 
on the current USCIS RFE policy \42\ and to assess the effectiveness of 
its RFE practice in this area. In response to comments, however, the 
agency has instructed its officers to provide additional detail 
regarding application deficiencies in RFEs relating to claims of 
extreme hardship in order to better allow applicants to efficiently and 
effectively cure such deficiencies. USCIS will retain the 30-day RFE 
response period, because USCIS and DOS closely coordinate immigrant 
visa and provisional waiver application processing. The 30-day RFE 
response time streamlines USCIS processing, prevents lengthy delays at 
DOS, and allows applicants to complete immigrant visa processing in a 
timely manner.
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    \42\ See USCIS Memorandum, Requests for Evidence and Notices of 
Intent to Deny (June 3, 2013), available at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Laws/Memoranda/2013/June%202013/Requests%20for%20Evidence%20(Final).pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As explained in the 2013 Rule, a NOID gives an applicant the 
opportunity to review and rebut derogatory information of which he or 
she may be unaware. Because provisional waiver adjudications do not 
involve full assessments of inadmissibility, however, USCIS is not 
issuing NOIDs describing all possible grounds of inadmissibility that 
may apply at the time of the immigrant visa interview. Rather, USCIS 
continues to decide an applicant's eligibility based on the submitted 
provisional waiver application and related background and security 
checks. If the applicant's provisional waiver is ultimately denied, he 
or she may file a new Form I-601A application in accordance with the 
form's instructions. Alternatively, the individual can file an 
Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, Form I-601, with 
USCIS after he or she attends the immigrant visa interview and after 
the DOS consular officer determines that the individual is 
inadmissible.
2. Motions To Reopen, Motions To Reconsider, and Administrative Appeals
    A number of commenters requested that USCIS amend the regulations 
to allow applicants the opportunity to appeal, or otherwise seek 
reconsideration, of denied applications. Commenters stated that the 
only option for challenging wrongful denials is to file new 
applications or to hope that USCIS will exercise its sua sponte 
authority to reopen cases. Commenters felt that this policy damages the 
public's trust and fails to hold USCIS officers accountable for errors. 
One commenter also noted that although denied applicants remain 
eligible to apply for waivers through the Form I-601 waiver process 
after the immigrant visa interview abroad, some still choose not to 
pursue their immigrant visas because of the uncertainty and hardships 
associated with consular processing. Commenters argued that these 
individuals are likely to remain in the United States, thereby 
diminishing the benefits of the provisional waiver process. 
Consequently, commenters requested that DHS amend its regulations to 
institute a mechanism for administrative appeal or reconsideration. 
According to these commenters, such a mechanism would provide 
additional due process protections for those whose applications are 
erroneously denied, those who experience changed circumstances, and 
those without legal representation (including those who have a 
deficient or improper application filed by a notario or other 
individual not authorized to practice law in the United States).
    DHS declines to allow applicants to appeal or otherwise seek 
reconsideration of denials. The final rule retains the prohibition on 
appeals and motions, other than sua sponte motions entertained by 
USCIS. As a preliminary matter, DHS disagrees that there is a legal due 
process interest in access to or eligibility for discretionary 
provisional waivers of inadmissibility. See, e.g., Darif v. Holder, 739 
F.3d 329, 336 (7th Cir. 2014) (no due process interest in discretionary 
extreme hardship waiver).\43\ Additionally, and as stated in the 2013 
Rule, section 10(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. 
704, permits an agency to provide an administrative appeal if the 
agency chooses to do so. See Darby v. Cisneros, 509 U.S. 137 (1993). 
Due to efficiency concerns, DHS continues to believe that 
administrative appeals should be reserved for actions that involve a 
comprehensive, final assessment of an applicant's admissibility and 
eligibility for a benefit. The provisional waiver process does not 
involve such a comprehensive assessment, and the denial of such an 
application is not a final agency action for purposes of the APA. See 8 
CFR

[[Page 50259]]

212.7(e)(9)(ii). If a provisional waiver application is denied, the 
applicant may either file a new provisional waiver application or seek 
a waiver through the Form I-601 waiver process after DOS conclusively 
determines that he or she is inadmissible under INA section 
212(a)(9)(B)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i). In contrast to denial of a 
Form I-601A application for a provisional waiver, the denial of a Form 
I-601 application is appealable. In this regard, the final eligibility 
determination as it relates to the Form I-601 application lies with the 
USCIS Administrative Appeals Office (AAO), and the final immigrant visa 
eligibility determination rests with DOS. See 2013 Rule, 78 FR at 555.
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    \43\ Other courts of appeals have recognized that due process 
does not require an agency to provide for administrative appeal of 
its decisions. See, e.g., Zhang v. U.S. Dep't of Justice, 362 F.3d 
155, 157 (2d Cir. 2004); Loulou v. Ashcroft, 354 F.3d 845, 850 (9th 
Cir. 2003); Mendoza v. U.S. Att'y Gen., 327 F.3d 1283, 1289 (11th 
Cir. 2003); Albathani v. INS, 318 F.3d 365, 376 (1st Cir. 2003); 
Guentchev v. INS, 77 F.3d 1036, 1037-38 (7th Cir. 1996).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Moreover, the provisional waiver process is intended to be a 
streamlined process that is closely coordinated with DOS immigrant visa 
processing. Holding cases during an administrative appeal of a 
provisional waiver application would produce logistical complications 
for the respective agencies, interrupting the regular adjudication 
flow, and therefore would be counterproductive to streamlining efforts.
3. Confidentiality Provisions
    As with the 2013 Rule, commenters asked DHS to include 
confidentiality protections so that denials of provisional waiver 
applications would not automatically trigger removal proceedings. The 
commenters asserted that the Department should provide regulatory 
assurances stating that DHS will not put provisional waiver applicants 
in removal proceedings, even if their applications are denied. 
According to the commenters, such assurances were necessary because a 
new Administration might institute a change in policy in this area.
    DHS declines to adopt these suggestions as the Department already 
has effective policies on these issues. DHS focuses its resources on 
its enforcement priorities, namely threats to national security, border 
security, or public safety.\44\ Similarly, USCIS continues to follow 
current agency policy on the issuance of NTAs, which are focused on 
public safety threats, criminals, and those engaged in fraud.\45\ 
Consistent with DHS enforcement policies and priorities, the Department 
will not initiate removal proceedings against individuals who are not 
enforcement priorities solely because they filed or withdrew 
provisional waiver applications, or because USCIS denied such 
applications.
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    \44\ See Memorandum from Secretary Jeh Charles Johnson, DHS, 
Policies for Apprehension, Detention, and Removal of Undocumented 
Immigrants (Nov. 20, 2014), available at https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_prosecutorial_discretion.pdf.
    \45\ See USCIS Memorandum, Revised Guidance for the Referral of 
Cases and Issuance of Notices to Appear (NTAs) in Cases Involving 
Inadmissible and Removable Aliens (Nov. 7, 2011), available at 
www.uscis.gov/NTA.
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E. Filing Requirements and Fees

1. Concurrent Filing
    One commenter requested that DHS allow for the concurrent filing of 
a Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130 (``family-based immigrant 
visa petition''), with the application for a provisional waiver. The 
commenter reasoned that allowing the concurrent filing of the 
provisional waiver application and a family-based immigrant visa 
petition would create efficiencies for applicants and the U.S. 
Government by reducing paperwork and wait times. Other commenters asked 
that USCIS allow concurrent filing of a Form I-212 application for 
consent to reapply for admission with the provisional waiver 
application if the applicant also needs to overcome the inadmissibility 
bar for prior removal under INA section 212(a)(9)(A), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(A), at the time of the immigrant visa interview. Given that 
processing of Form I-212 applications already takes place in the United 
States, these commenters believed that it would make sense to 
adjudicate the Form I-212 and provisional waiver applications at the 
same time and by the same officer.
    DHS has considered these comments but maintains that concurrent 
filing would undermine the efficiencies that USCIS and DOS gain through 
the provisional waiver process. Currently, denials of family-based 
immigrant visa petitions are appealable to the BIA. See 8 CFR 
1003.1(b)(5). Denials of other petitions also are generally appealable 
to the AAO. See 8 CFR 103.3.\46\ If the denial of an immigrant visa 
petition is challenged on appeal, USCIS would have to either 1) hold 
the provisional waiver application until the decision on appeal is 
issued, or 2) deny the provisional waiver application and subsequently 
consider reopening it if the denial is overturned on appeal. Both 
scenarios produce administrative inefficiencies and could cause USCIS 
to incur additional costs for storing provisional waiver applications 
and transferring alien registration files (A-files) or receipt files 
between offices until the administrative appeals process is complete. 
Therefore, DHS has decided against allowing the concurrent filing of 
provisional waiver applications and immigrant visa petitions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \46\ See also AAO's Practice Manual, Chapter 3, Appeals, 
available at https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/directorates-and-program-offices/administrative-appeals-office-aao/administrative-appeals-office-aao.
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    DHS also declines to allow concurrent filing of Form I-212 and 
provisional waiver applications. In the event that a Form I-212 
application is denied, the applicant may file an administrative appeal 
with the AAO. If USCIS allowed the concurrent filing of Form I-212 and 
provisional waiver applications, USCIS would again be faced with 
administratively inefficient options in cases where the Form I-212 
application is denied and the applicant seeks to appeal that denial. As 
noted above, the agency would again be faced with the choice of either 
1) holding the provisional waiver application in abeyance until the 
appeal is decided, or 2) denying the provisional waiver application and 
later reopening it if the appeal is sustained. As previously discussed, 
the provisional waiver process is intended to streamline DHS and DOS 
processes ahead of immigrant visa interviews at consular posts. The 
delay in the adjudication of provisional waiver applications that would 
result from allowing additional procedural steps would decrease the 
efficiencies derived from the provisional waiver process and thus be 
counterproductive to these streamlining efforts. As indicated 
previously in this preamble, however, DHS will allow an individual who 
has been approved for consent to reapply for admission under 8 CFR 
212.2(j) to seek a provisional waiver. By allowing individuals with 
conditionally approved Form I-212 applications to apply for provisional 
waivers, DHS further expands the class of eligible individuals who can 
benefit from provisional waivers and, at the same time, maintains the 
program's streamlined efficiency.
2. Fines or Penalties
    Several commenters believed that DHS should require provisional 
waiver applicants to pay fines or fees of up to several thousand 
dollars to remain in the United States and obtain LPR status. Other 
commenters appeared to suggest that DHS should generally impose 
financial penalties on individuals unlawfully in the United States.
    Congress has given the Secretary the authority to administer and 
enforce the immigration and naturalization laws of the United States. 
See 6 U.S.C. 112, 202(3)-(5); see also INA section 103, 8 U.S.C. 
1103(a). The Secretary also is authorized to set filing fees for 
immigration benefits at a level that will ensure recovery of the full 
costs of

[[Page 50260]]

providing adjudication and naturalization services, including services 
provided without charge to refugees, asylum applicants, and other 
immigrants. See INA section 286(m), 8 U.S.C. 1356(m). This fee revenue 
remains available to DHS to provide immigration and naturalization 
benefits. See INA section 286(n), 8 U.S.C. 1356(n). DHS has already 
established an appropriate filing fee for the Form I-601A application 
as authorized by the statute. Congress, however, has not imposed a 
specific fine or penalty on provisional waiver applicants or 
individuals unlawfully present in the United States. Congress also did 
not authorize any type of independent lawful status for such 
applicants. Such fines, as with a general fine for unlawful presence, 
would be unrelated to the costs incurred during the adjudication of 
immigration benefits. USCIS does not have the authority to impose such 
civil penalties.
3. Fees
    DHS received several comments related to fees. One commenter noted 
that Congress has already approved DHS's funding for this fiscal year, 
and that Congress did not authorize changes to the Department's budget. 
The commenter thus requested an explanation as to why DHS believes that 
funding is available to effectuate the changes proposed by this rule. 
Another commenter believed that DHS and DOS should return immigrant 
visa fees to applicants if their provisional waiver applications are 
ultimately denied. One commenter stated that the derivative spouses of 
primary beneficiaries should pay separate application fees.
    In contrast to many other U.S. Government agencies, USCIS does not 
rely on appropriated funds for most of its budget. Rather, USCIS is a 
fee-based agency that is primarily funded by the fees paid by 
applicants and petitioners seeking immigration benefits. USCIS relies 
on these fees to fund the adjudication of provisional waiver 
applications; none of the funds used for these adjudications comes from 
funds appropriated annually by Congress.
    Furthermore, as noted above, the fees received with provisional 
waiver applications and immigrant visa petitions cover the costs of 
adjudication. These fees are necessary regardless of whether the 
application or petition is ultimately approved or denied. Therefore, 
USCIS does not return fees when a petition, application, or request is 
denied. For its part, DOS determines its own fees pursuant to its own 
authorities. See, e.g., INA section 104, 8 U.S.C. 1104; 8 U.S.C. 1714; 
see also 22 CFR 22.1, 42.71(b).
    Finally, an individual who applies for a provisional waiver must 
submit the application with the appropriate filing and biometrics fees, 
as outlined in the form's instructions and 8 CFR 103.7, even if the 
individual is a derivative beneficiary.
4. Premium Processing
    A few commenters recommended that DHS establish a premium 
processing fee to expedite processing of provisional waiver 
applications. One commenter indicated that the processing time for a 
provisional waiver application should not exceed 30 days under premium 
processing.
    DHS declines to adopt the suggestion to extend premium processing 
to provisional waiver applications. The INA permits certain employment-
based petitioners and applicants for immigration benefits to request 
premium processing for a fee. See INA section 286(u), 8 U.S.C. 1356(u). 
DHS has established the current premium processing fee at $1,225.\47\ 
See 8 CFR 103.7(b)(1)(i)(RR); see also 8 CFR 103.7(e) (describing the 
premium processing service). The premium processing fee, which is paid 
in addition to the base filing fee, guarantees that USCIS processes a 
benefit request within 15 days. See 8 CFR 103.7(e)(2). If USCIS cannot 
take action within 15 days, USCIS refunds the premium processing 
fee.\48\ Id.
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    \47\ The fee was originally set at $1,000, and may be adjusted 
according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). See INA section 286(u), 
8 U.S.C. 1356(u).
    \48\ Even if USCIS refunds this fee, USCIS generally continues 
expedited processing of the benefit request.
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    DHS has not extended premium processing to any immigration benefit 
except for those authorized under INA section 286(u), 8 U.S.C. 1356(u). 
Notably, INA section 286(u) expressly authorizes premium processing 
only for employment-based petitions and applications. Even if USCIS 
could develop an expedited processing fee for other benefits, USCIS 
would not apply it to the provisional waiver process, as that process 
requires background checks over which USCIS does not control timing. 
Additionally, determining an appropriate fee for such a new process 
would require USCIS to estimate the costs of that service and engage in 
separate notice-and-comment rulemaking to establish the new fee. Thus, 
DHS will not establish a Form I-601A premium processing fee at this 
time.
5. Expedited Processing
    One commenter stated that the processing time for a provisional 
waiver application should generally not exceed 30 days. Other 
commenters urged USCIS to expedite the processing of applications for 
family members of active duty members or honorably discharged veterans 
of the U.S. Armed Forces. One commenter asked that DHS and DOS expedite 
the immigrant visa interviews of individuals with approved provisional 
waivers.\49\
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    \49\ One commenter also urged CBP to expedite Freedom of 
Information Act requests so that individuals are able to obtain the 
information they need to assess eligibility and complete their 
applications. The commenter indicated that expanding the provisional 
waiver process is useless unless potential applicants are given 
access to their files. DHS declines to adopt this suggestion as it 
is beyond the scope of this rulemaking.
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    DHS did not incorporate these suggestions in this final rule. DHS 
believes the provisional waiver process is well managed, and officers 
adjudicate cases quickly after receiving an applicant's background 
check results. Creating an expedited process for certain applicants, 
including relatives of military members and veterans, would create 
inefficiencies and potentially slow the process for all provisional 
waiver applicants.\50\
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    \50\ Each time USCIS has to set aside a regularly filed case to 
prioritize the adjudication of another case, it delays those cases 
that were filed prior to the prioritized case and disrupts the 
normal adjudication process.
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    Additionally, even if DHS were to expedite the provisional waiver 
process for certain applicants, they would still be required to spend 
time navigating the DOS immigrant visa process. DHS believes that 
expediting the processing of provisional waiver applications for 
certain individuals would generally not significantly affect the 
processing time of their immigrant visa processing with DOS. 
Individuals often file their provisional waiver applications with USCIS 
while the DOS National Visa Center (NVC) pre-processes their immigrant 
visa applications. The NVC pre-processing of immigrant visa 
applications usually runs concurrently with the USCIS processing of 
provisional waiver applications. Thus, even if DHS were to expedite the 
provisional waiver process for certain applicants, those applicants 
would nevertheless be required to wait for DOS to complete its process. 
Additionally, the processing time for immigrant visa applications at 
the NVC largely depends on other outside factors, including whether 
applicants submit necessary documents to the NVC on a timely basis 
throughout the process. In many cases, including those in which 
applicants

[[Page 50261]]

delay in getting necessary documents to the NVC, immigrant visa 
processing would not be affected by the expediting of other processes.
    DHS reminds applicants, however, that they may request expedited 
adjudication of a provisional waiver application according to current 
USCIS expedite guidance.\51\ Also, relatives of current and former U.S. 
Armed Forces members may seek USCIS assistance through the agency's 
special military help line.\52\
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    \51\ For guidance on USCIS expedite procedures, please visit 
http://www.uscis.gov/forms/expedite-criteria.
    \52\ Information about the military help line is available at 
http://www.uscis.gov/military/military-help-line. DHS encourages 
military families that need assistance to reach out to USCIS through 
the help line.
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6. Background Checks and Drug Testing
    One commenter requested that USCIS conduct background checks and 
drug testing for provisional waiver applicants.\53\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \53\ Two commenters also asked that USCIS allow provisional 
waiver applicants to include medical examinations performed by 
USCIS-designated civil surgeons with their provisional waiver 
applications. These commenters believed that the opportunity to 
provide the results of the medical examination before departure for 
the immigrant visa interview would further streamline the process. 
The commenters also believed that applicants could either avoid the 
higher panel physician examination fee abroad, or detect and treat 
possible medical conditions that would render them ineligible for 
their immigrant visas before departure. One of these commenters also 
indicated that such a process would allow an applicant's 
representative to check the panel physician's work. DHS did not 
adopt this suggestion. Under DOS regulations, each immigrant visa 
applicant must be examined by a DOS-designated panel physician, see 
22 CFR 42.66, and altering DHS regulations to permit submission of 
medical examinations with a provisional waiver application would not 
eliminate that requirement.
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    DHS is not modifying the background checks and biometrics 
requirement in this rule to include drug testing. Individuals seeking 
provisional waivers already must provide biometrics for background and 
security checks. Based in part on the background check results, USCIS 
determines whether the applicant is eligible for the waiver, including 
whether a favorable exercise of discretion is warranted. DHS only 
collects the biometric information needed to run such checks and to 
adjudicate any requested immigration benefit. Additional testing, such 
as a medical examination, is required within the DOS immigrant visa 
process and for DOS's visa eligibility determinations. Performing 
medical tests as part of the provisional waiver process would duplicate 
the DOS process.

F. Comments Outside the Scope of This Rulemaking

    DHS received a number of comments that are outside the scope of 
this rule. For example, one commenter asked USCIS to publish guidance 
on whether an individual who is subject to the 3- or 10-year unlawful 
presence bar, but who has already returned to the United States, could 
satisfy the requisite inadmissibility period while in the United 
States. Other commenters suggested that those with approved provisional 
waivers should be permitted to seek adjustment of status in the United 
States. Many asked DHS to extend the period for accepting adjustment of 
status applications pursuant to INA section 245(i), 8 U.S.C. 1255(i). 
Others requested that DHS: create a new waiver for people who leave the 
United States because of family emergencies; make certain immigrant 
visa categories immediately available or create new immigrant visa 
categories; Create new inadmissibility periods for purposes of INA 
sections 212(a)(9)(B)(i) and 212(a)(9)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i) 
and 1182(a)(9)(C); and generally modify immigration laws, particularly 
those perceived as harsh.
    Other commenters requested changes to DOS consular processes or 
regulations, which are also not within the scope of this rule. For 
example, commenters asked DHS to instruct DOS consular officers to 
issue immigrant visas to applicants with approved provisional waiver 
applications.\54\ One commenter criticized the inability to appeal 
immigrant visa denials to DHS as unfair, even though DOS, not DHS, 
adjudicates immigrant visa applications. See generally 22 CFR part 42. 
Similarly, another commenter stated that individuals whose immigrant 
visa applications have been denied by DOS must be allowed to reopen 
those applications so that they can be allowed to file provisional 
waiver applications.\55\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \54\ To the extent that these comments are read to suggest that 
DOS should issue immigrant visas to individuals with approved 
provisional waiver applications without assessing whether such 
individuals are inadmissible for other reasons, DHS believes those 
comments are outside the scope of this rulemaking. To the extent 
that the comments are read to suggest that DOS should not re-
adjudicate or ``second-guess'' USCIS's provisional waiver 
determinations, DHS notes that DOS does not reassess USCIS' 
provisional waiver determination. DOS, however, is required to 
assess whether an individual is ineligible for an immigrant visa, 
including whether an applicant is inadmissible. If the individual is 
inadmissible on a ground other than unlawful presence, or is 
otherwise ineligible for the immigrant visa, DOS may deny the 
individual's immigrant visa application, even if the provisional 
waiver was approved.
    \55\ As with other DOS processes, review of the denial of a visa 
application is governed by DOS regulations, not DHS regulations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Because DHS believes that these suggestions are outside the scope 
of this rule, the suggestions will not be addressed in this rule.

G. Comments on the Executive Orders 12866/13563 Analysis

    In one comment requesting that the DOS visa interview scheduling 
cut-off date be eliminated as an ineligibility requirement, the 
commenter cited DHS's acknowledgement that the 2013 Rule's provisional 
waiver application projections were overestimated. Because of the 
overestimation in the 2013 Rule, the commenter suggested that DHS 
likely overestimated provisional waiver applications resulting from the 
2015 Proposed Rule. Since publication of the 2015 Proposed Rule, DHS 
has adjusted its application projection method based on new, revised 
data from DOS and this rule's new provisional waiver eligibility 
criteria. DHS believes this new method will better project the 
provisional waiver applications resulting from the rule.
    DHS received many comments affirming the benefits of the 
provisional unlawful presence waiver described in the 2015 Proposed 
Rule. Commenters agreed that the provisional waiver's expansion would 
provide greater certainty for families, promote family unity, improve 
administrative efficiency, improve communication between DHS and other 
government agencies, facilitate immigrant visa issuance, save time and 
resources, and relieve the emotional and financial hardships that 
family members experience from separation.
    DHS also received several economic-related comments that were 
outside the scope of this rule. Several commenters mentioned that 
obtaining legal status, which both the provisional and general unlawful 
presence waivers may facilitate, provides a significant benefit to the 
undocumented individual as well as American society. According to the 
commenters, this is because obtaining legal status tends to increase 
taxable income, reduce poverty, contribute to job growth, help 
businesses gain qualified employees, and add to consumer spending. 
Although DHS agrees that obtaining legal status provides important 
economic benefits to once-undocumented individuals, and the United 
States in general, those benefits are not directly attributable to the 
provisional waiver eligibility

[[Page 50262]]

provided by this rule. Rather, obtaining a waiver of the unlawful 
presence ground of inadmissibility (provisional or not) is just one 
step in the process for gaining legal status, which USCIS hopes this 
rule will facilitate.
    A different commenter asserted that non-U.S. citizen workers hurt 
the economy. DHS disagrees with this comment and finds that it is 
beyond the scope of this rule because obtaining a waiver of 
inadmissibility (provisional or not) for unlawful presence does not 
provide employment authorization for someone who is unlawfully present. 
Receiving such a waiver is just one step in the process for gaining the 
legal status required to lawfully work in the United States.

IV. Regulatory Amendments

    After careful consideration of the public comments, as previously 
summarized in this preamble, DHS adopts the regulatory amendments in 
the proposed rule without change, except for the provisions noted 
below. In addition to these substantive changes, DHS also has made 
edits to the text of various provisions that do not change the 
substance of the proposed rule.

A. Amending 8 CFR 212.7(e)(1) To Clarify Which Agency Has Jurisdiction 
To Adjudicate Provisional Waivers

    Currently, 8 CFR 212.7(e)(1) specifies that all provisional waiver 
applications, including an application made by an individual in removal 
proceedings before EOIR, must be filed with USCIS. The provision 
implies, but does not specifically state, that USCIS has exclusive 
jurisdiction to adjudicate and decide provisional waivers. With this 
final rule, DHS modifies the regulatory text to clarify that USCIS has 
exclusive jurisdiction, regardless of whether the applicant is or was 
in removal, deportation, or exclusion proceedings. See new 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(2).

B. Removing the Reason-to-Believe Standard as a Basis for Ineligibility

    Under the 2013 Rule, an individual is ineligible for a provisional 
waiver if ``USCIS has reason to believe that the alien may be subject 
to grounds of inadmissibility other than unlawful presence under INA 
section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) or (II), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(I) or (II), 
at the time of the immigrant visa interview with the Department of 
State.'' 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(i). The 2015 Proposed Rule proposed to 
retain this requirement but requested any alternatives that may be more 
effective than the current provisional waiver process or the amended 
process in the proposed rule. See 80 FR 43343. In response to comments, 
DHS is removing this standard as a basis for ineligibility for 
provisional waivers. See new 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4). DHS, however, retains 8 
CFR 212.7(e)(14)(i), which provides that a provisional waiver is 
automatically revoked if DOS determines, at the time of the immigrant 
visa interview, that the applicant is inadmissible on any grounds of 
inadmissibility other than unlawful presence under INA section 
212(a)(9)(B), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B). Revocation of the provisional 
waiver based on inadmissibility on other grounds, however, does not 
prevent the individual from applying for a general waiver under 8 CFR 
212.7(a) to cure his or her inadmissibility under INA section 
212(a)(9)(B), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B) or any other ground of 
inadmissibility for which a waiver is available.

C. Removing the DOS Visa Interview Scheduling Cut-Off Dates in 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(4)(iv) and 212.7(e)(5)(ii)(G)

    In the proposed rule, DHS sought to retain date restrictions that 
prevented immediate relatives of U.S. citizens from obtaining 
provisional waivers if DOS acted prior to January 3, 2013 to schedule 
their immigrant visa interviews. See 80 FR at 43343. DHS also proposed 
that other individuals (i.e., individuals other than certain immediate 
relatives of U.S. citizens) would be ineligible for provisional waivers 
if DOS had acted on or before the effective date of this final rule to 
schedule the immigrant visa interview. Id. Furthermore, DHS proposed to 
reject provisional waiver applications that were not filed consistent 
with the above date restrictions. See proposed 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(5)(G)(ii)(1) and (2). In response to comments, DHS has decided 
to eliminate these filing restrictions. See new 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4) and 
(5).

D. Allowing Individuals With Final Orders of Removal, Deportation, or 
Exclusion To Apply for Provisional Waivers

    Since the inception of the provisional waiver process, individuals 
have been ineligible for provisional waivers if they are 1) subject to 
final orders of removal issued under INA sections 217, 235, 238, or 
240, 8 U.S.C. 1187, 1225, 1228, or 1229a; 2) subject to final orders of 
exclusion or deportation under former INA sections 236 or 242, 8 U.S.C. 
1226 or 1252 (pre-April 1, 1997), or 3) subject to final orders under 
any other provision of law (including an in absentia order of removal 
under INA section 240(b)(5), 8 U.S.C. 1229a(b)(5)). See generally 2013 
Rule, 78 FR 536. As indicated in the response to comments on this 
subject in the preamble, DHS is amending the rule to provide 
eligibility for provisional waivers to certain individuals who are 
subject to an administratively final order of removal, deportation, or 
exclusion and therefore will be inadmissible under INA section 
212(a)(9)(A)(i) or (ii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(i) or (ii), upon 
departure from the United States. Under the final rule, such 
individuals will be eligible to apply for provisional waivers if they 
have been granted consent to reapply for admission under INA section 
212(a)(9)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(iii) and 8 CFR 212.2(j). See 
new 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4) (iv). However, they cannot file Form I-212 
applications and provisional waiver applications concurrently. See new 
8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(iv).
    Notwithstanding this change, individuals will remain ineligible for 
provisional waivers if 1) they have returned unlawfully to the United 
States after removal, and 2) CBP or ICE, after service of notice under 
8 CFR 241.8, has reinstated a prior order of removal, deportation, or 
exclusion. Under INA section 241(a)(5), 8 U.S.C. 1231(a)(5), 
reinstatement of a such an order makes the individual ineligible for 
waivers of inadmissibility and other forms of relief. See new 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(4)(v). Moreover, even in the absence of reinstatement, the 
individual's unauthorized return to the United States may be considered 
as an adverse discretionary factor in adjudicating a provisional waiver 
application. Finally, the approval of a provisional waiver application 
will be automatically revoked if the applicant is ultimately determined 
to be inadmissible under INA 212(a)(9)(C), 8 U.S.C 1182(a)(9)(C), for 
having unlawfully returned to the United States after a prior removal 
or prior unlawful presence.

E. Clarifying When an Individual Is Subject to Reinstatement and 
Ineligible for Provisional Waivers

    Currently, an individual is ineligible for a provisional waiver if 
he or she is subject to reinstatement of a prior order under INA 
section 241(a)(5), 8 U.S.C. 1231(a)(5). See 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(vii). DHS 
retained this ineligibility criteria in the proposed rule. In this 
final rule, however, DHS clarifies which individuals are ineligible for 
provisional waivers based on application of the reinstatement of 
removal provision at INA section 241(a)(5), 8 U.S.C. 1231(a)(5). Under 
the final rule, an individual will be ineligible for a provisional 
waiver if ICE or CBP, after service of notice under 8 CFR 241.8, has 
reinstated the removal, deportation, or

[[Page 50263]]

exclusion order prior to the individual filing the provisional waiver 
or while the provisional waiver application is pending. See new 8 CFR 
212.7(e)(4)(v).

F. Miscellaneous Technical Amendments

    In this final rule, DHS made several technical and non-substantive 
changes. First, DHS amended 8 CFR 212.7(e)(2) by adding the word 
``document'' after the terms ``employment authorization'' and ``advance 
parole.'' Additionally, DHS simplified the text of 8 CFR 212.7(e)(5). 
Currently, that provision outlines filing conditions, which are also 
provided in the instructions to provisional waiver applications. DHS, 
therefore, revised the provision to refer individuals to the filing 
instructions of the form.

V. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements

A. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995

    This rule will not result in the expenditure by State, local and 
tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 
million or more in any one year, and it will not significantly or 
uniquely affect small governments. Therefore, no actions were deemed 
necessary under the provisions of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 
1995.

B. Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996

    This rule is not a major rule as defined by section 804 of the 
Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Act of 1996. This rule will not 
result in an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a 
major increase in costs or prices; or significant adverse effects on 
competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or on 
the ability of United States-based companies to compete with foreign-
based companies in domestic and export markets.

C. Executive Orders 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review) and 13563 
(Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review)

    Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 direct agencies to assess the 
costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives and, if 
regulation is necessary, to select regulatory approaches that maximize 
net benefits (including potential economic, environmental, public 
health and safety effects, distributive impacts, and equity). Executive 
Order 13563 emphasizes the importance of quantifying both costs and 
benefits, of reducing costs, of harmonizing rules, and of promoting 
flexibility. This rule is a ``significant regulatory action,'' although 
not an economically significant regulatory action, under section 3(f) 
of Executive Order 12866. Accordingly, the Office of Management and 
Budget has reviewed this regulation. This effort is consistent with 
Executive Order 13563's call for agencies to ``consider how best to 
promote retrospective analysis of rules that may be outmoded, 
ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome, and to modify, 
streamline, expand, or repeal them in accordance with what has been 
learned.''
1. Summary
    After careful consideration of public comments on the 2015 Proposed 
Rule,\56\ DHS adopts most of the regulatory amendments specified in the 
proposed rule without change, except for the provisions addressing 
ineligibility for: 1) reason to believe that the applicant may be 
inadmissible on grounds other than unlawful presence at the time of the 
DOS immigrant visa interview (8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(i)); 2) DOS initially 
acting before January 3, 2013 or before the effective date of this 
final rule to schedule an applicant's immigrant visa interview 
(proposed 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(iv) and 212.7(e)(5)(ii)(G)); and 3) the 
applicant being subject to an administratively final order of 
exclusion, deportation, or removal (``final order'')(8 CFR 
212.7(e)(4)(vi)). With the adoption of most of the proposed regulatory 
amendments, DHS largely applies the 2015 Proposed Rule's economic 
analysis approach to this final rule. However, some changes to the 
analysis are necessary to capture the population of individuals now 
eligible for provisional waivers through this final rule's elimination 
and modification of certain ineligibility provisions just described and 
source data revisions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \56\ See 80 FR 43338 (July 22, 2015).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This rule's expansion of the provisional waiver process will create 
costs and benefits to newly eligible provisional waiver (Form I-601A) 
applicants, their U.S. citizen or LPR family members, and the Federal 
Government (namely, USCIS and DOS), as outlined in Table 1. This rule 
will impose fee, time, and travel costs on an estimated 100,000 newly 
eligible individuals who choose to complete and submit provisional 
waiver applications and biometrics (fingerprints, photograph, and 
signature) to USCIS for consideration during the 10-year period of 
analysis (see Table 8). These costs will equal an estimated $52.4 
million at a 7 percent discount rate and $64.2 million at a 3 percent 
discount rate in present value across the period of analysis. On an 
annualized basis, the costs will measure approximately $7.5 million at 
both 7 percent and 3 percent discount rates (see Table 1).
    Newly eligible provisional waiver applicants and their U.S. citizen 
or LPR family members will benefit from this rule. Individuals applying 
for a provisional waiver will receive advance notice of USCIS' decision 
to provisionally waive their 3- or 10-year unlawful presence bar under 
INA section 212(a)(9)(B), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B), before they leave the 
United States for their immigrant visa interviews abroad. This offers 
applicants and their family members the certainty of knowing that the 
applicants have been provisionally approved for a waiver of certain 
unlawful presence grounds of inadmissibility before departing from the 
United States. Individuals with approved provisional waivers may 
experience shortened periods of separation from their family members 
living in the United States while they pursue immigrant visas abroad, 
thus reducing related financial and emotional strains on the families. 
USCIS and DOS will continue to benefit from the operational 
efficiencies gained from the provisional waiver's role in streamlining 
immigrant visa application processing, but on a larger scale than 
currently in place.
    In the absence of this rule, DHS assumes that the majority of 
individuals who would have been newly eligible for provisional waivers 
under this rule will likely continue to pursue an immigrant visa 
through consular processing abroad and apply for waivers of unlawful 
presence through the Form I-601 process. Those who apply for unlawful 
presence waivers through the Form I-601 process will incur fee, time, 
and travel costs similar to individuals applying for waivers through 
the provisional waiver process. However, without this rule, those who 
must seek a waiver of inadmissibility abroad through the Form I-601 
process after the immigrant visa interview may face longer separation 
times from their families in the United States and experience less 
certainty regarding the approval of a waiver of the 3- or 10-year 
unlawful presence bar before departing from the United States.

[[Page 50264]]



                            Table 1--Total Costs and Benefits of Rule, Year 1-Year 10
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          10-Year present values                     Annualized values
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   3% Discount rate    7% Discount rate    3% Discount rate    7% Discount rate
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Costs:
    Quantitative................  $64,168,205.......  $52,429,216.......  $7,522,471........  $7,464,741
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Benefits:
 
    Qualitative.................    Decreased amount of time that U.S.
                                    citizens or LPRs are separated from
                                     their family members with approved
                                      provisional waivers, leading to
                                      reduced financial and emotional
                                        hardship for these families.
                                    Decreased amount of time that U.S.
                                    citizens or LPRs are separated from
                                     their family members with approved
                                      provisional waivers, leading to
                                      reduced financial and emotional
                                        hardship for these families.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                    Provisional waiver applicants will
                                      receive advance notice of USCIS'
                                   decision to provisionally waive their
                                    3- or 10-year unlawful presence bar
                                    before they leave the United States
                                     for their immigrant visa interview
                                     abroad. This offers applicants and
                                   their family members the certainty of
                                   knowing that the applicants have been
                                    provisionally approved for a waiver
                                      before departing from the United
                                                  States.
                                    Provisional waiver applicants will
                                      receive advance notice of USCIS'
                                   decision to provisionally waive their
                                    3- or 10-year unlawful presence bar
                                    before they leave the United States
                                     for their immigrant visa interview
                                     abroad. This offers applicants and
                                   their family members the certainty of
                                   knowing that the applicants have been
                                    provisionally approved for a waiver
                                      before departing from the United
                                                  States.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      Federal Government will achieve
                                         increased efficiencies by
                                        streamlining immigrant visa
                                     processing for applicants seeking
                                    inadmissibility waivers of unlawful
                                                 presence.
                                      Federal Government will achieve
                                         increased efficiencies by
                                        streamlining immigrant visa
                                     processing for applicants seeking
                                    inadmissibility waivers of unlawful
                                                 presence.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: The cost estimates in this table are contingent upon Form I-601A filing projections as well as the
  discount rates applied for monetized values.

2. Background
    Individuals who are in the United States and seeking LPR status 
must either obtain an immigrant visa abroad through consular processing 
with DOS or apply to adjust status in the United States, if eligible. 
Those present in the United States without having been inspected and 
admitted or paroled are typically ineligible to adjust status in the 
United States. To obtain LPR status, such individuals must leave the 
United States for immigrant visa processing at a U.S. Embassy or 
consulate abroad. Because these individuals are present in the United 
States without having been inspected and admitted or paroled, many have 
accrued enough unlawful presence to trigger the 3- or 10-year unlawful 
presence grounds of inadmissibility when leaving the United States for 
immigrant visa processing abroad.\57\ See INA section 212(a)(9)(B)(i), 
8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(i). While there may be limited exceptions, the 
population affected by this rule will consist almost exclusively of 
individuals who are eligible for immigrant visas but are unlawfully 
present in the United States without having been inspected and admitted 
or paroled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \57\ Individuals who depart the United States after accruing 
more than 180 days, but less than 1 year, of unlawful presence are 
generally inadmissible for 3 years. Those who depart the United 
States after accruing 1 year or more of unlawful presence are 
generally inadmissible for 10 years.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Before the introduction of the provisional waiver process, 
individuals seeking immigrant visas through consular processing were 
only able to apply for a waiver of a ground of inadmissibility, such as 
unlawful presence, after attending the immigrant visa interview abroad. 
If a consular officer identified any ground(s) of inadmissibility 
during an immigrant visa interview, the applicant was tentatively 
denied an immigrant visa and allowed to seek a waiver of any waivable 
ground(s) of inadmissibility. The individual could apply for such a 
waiver by filing Form I-601 with USCIS. Those who applied for Form I-
601 waivers were required to remain abroad while USCIS adjudicated 
their Forms I-601, which currently takes over five months to 
complete.\58\ If USCIS approved the waiver of the inadmissibility 
ground(s), DOS subsequently scheduled a follow-up consular interview. 
Provided there were no other concerns raised by the consular officer, 
DOS generally issued the immigrant visa during the follow-up consular 
interview.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \58\ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. ``USCIS 
Processing Time Information for the Nebraska Service Center- Form I-
601.'' Available at https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do (last updated Feb. 11, 2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In some instances, the Form I-601 waiver process led to lengthy 
separations of immigrant visa applicants from their U.S. citizen or LPR 
spouses, parents, and children, causing financial and emotional harm. 
The Form I-601 waiver process also created processing inefficiencies 
for both USCIS and DOS through repeated interagency communication and 
through multiple consular appointments or interviews.
    With the goals of streamlining the inadmissibility waiver process, 
facilitating efficient immigrant visa issuance, and promoting family 
unity, DHS promulgated a rule that established an alternative 
inadmissibility waiver process on January 3, 2013 (``2013 Rule'').\59\ 
The 2013 Rule created a provisional waiver process for certain 
immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (namely, spouses, children 
(unmarried and under 21), and parents of U.S. citizens (provided the 
child is at least 21)) who are in the United States, are seeking 
immigrant visas, can demonstrate extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen 
spouse or parent, would be inadmissible upon departure from the United 
States due to only the accrual of unlawful presence, and meet other 
eligibility conditions. That process currently allows eligible 
individuals to apply for a provisional waiver and receive a 
notification of USCIS' decision on their provisional waiver application 
before departing for DOS consular processing of their immigrant visa 
applications. The provisional waiver process contrasts to the Form I-
601 waiver process, which requires

[[Page 50265]]

applicants to wait abroad, away from their family members in the United 
States, while USCIS adjudicates their application for a waiver of 
inadmissibility. Once approved for a provisional waiver, they are 
scheduled for the immigrant visa interview abroad. During the immigrant 
visa interview, a DOS consular officer will determine whether the 
applicant is otherwise admissible to the United States and eligible to 
receive an immigrant visa. Since the provisional waiver process's 
inception, USCIS has approved more than 66,000 provisional waiver 
applications for certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens,\60\ 
allowing these individuals and their families to enjoy the benefits of 
such waivers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \59\ See 78 FR 536 (Jan. 3, 2013).
    \60\ This figure is based on Form I-601A approvals data through 
the end of fiscal year 2015 (September 30, 2015). Note that USCIS 
began accepting provisional waiver applications on March 4, 2013. 
Source: USCIS' Office of Performance and Quality.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Purpose of Rule
    To assess the initial effectiveness of the provisional waiver 
process, DHS decided to offer this process to a limited group--certain 
immediate relatives of U.S. citizens--in the 2013 Rule.\61\ Based on 
the lengthy separation periods and related financial and emotional 
burdens to families associated with the Form I-601 waiver process, and 
based on the efficiencies realized for both USCIS and DOS through the 
provisional waiver process, the Secretary directed USCIS to expand 
eligibility for the provisional waiver process beyond certain immediate 
relatives of U.S. citizens to all statutorily eligible immigrant visa 
applicants.\62\ Consistent with that directive and the INA, on July 22, 
2015, DHS published the 2015 Proposed Rule, which proposed to expand 
eligibility for provisional waivers of certain grounds of 
inadmissibility based on the accrual of unlawful presence to include 
all other individuals seeking an immigrant visa (all other immigrant 
visa applicants \63\) who are statutorily eligible for a waiver of such 
grounds, are seeking a waiver in connection with an immigrant visa 
application, are present in the United States, and meet other 
conditions.\64\ In the 2015 Proposed Rule, USCIS also proposed to allow 
LPR spouses and parents, in addition to currently eligible U.S. citizen 
spouses and parents, to serve as qualifying relatives for the 
provisional waiver's extreme hardship determination, consistent with 
the statutory waiver authority. Under this provision, provisional 
waiver applicants could show that their denial of admission would cause 
extreme hardship to their U.S. citizen or LPR spouses or parents.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \61\ See 78 FR at 542.
    \62\ This expansion included, but was not limited to, adult sons 
and daughters of U.S. citizens; brothers and sisters of U.S. 
citizens; and spouses and children of LPRs. See Memorandum from Jeh 
Charles Johnson, Secretary, DHS, to L[eacute]on Rodr[iacute]guez, 
Director, USCIS, Expansion of the Provisional Waiver Program (Nov. 
20, 2014). Available at http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_i601a_waiver.pdf.
    \63\ For the purposes of this analysis, the phrase ``all other 
immigrant visa applicants'' encompasses the following immigrant visa 
categories: family-sponsored immigrants, employment-based 
immigrants, diversity immigrants, and certain special immigrants.
    \64\ See 80 FR 43338 (July 22, 2015).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This final rule adopts most of the regulatory amendments set forth 
in the 2015 Proposed Rule except for a few provisions. In particular, 
USCIS, in response to public comments on the 2015 Proposed Rule, will 
eliminate the current provisional waiver provisions addressing 
ineligibility for: (1) Reason to believe that the applicant may be 
inadmissible on grounds other than unlawful presence at the time of the 
DOS immigrant visa interview (8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(i)); (2) DOS initially 
acting before January 3, 2013 (for certain immediate relatives) or 
before the effective date of this final rule to schedule an applicant's 
immigrant visa interview (proposed 8 CFR 212.7(e)(4)(iv) and 
212.7(e)(5)(ii)(G)); and (3) applicants who are subject to an 
administratively final order of exclusion, deportation, or removal (8 
CFR 212.7(e)(4)(vi)).\65\ An individual subject to a final order may 
now seek a provisional waiver, but only if he or she has already 
requested and been approved for consent to reapply for admission under 
INA section 212(a)(9)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(iii) via a Form 
I-212 application. Filing and receiving approval of the Form I-212 
application is a requirement already in place for these individuals to 
be eligible for an immigrant visa.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \65\ As mentioned earlier in this preamble, USCIS will 
automatically revoke a provisional waiver if DOS determines, at the 
time of the immigrant visa interview, that the applicant is 
inadmissible on any ground(s) of inadmissibility other than unlawful 
presence under INA section 212(a)(9)(B), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B). 
Revocation of the provisional unlawful presence waiver for this 
reason does not prevent an individual from applying under 8 CFR 
212.7(a) for a waiver of inadmissibility under INA section 
212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v), or for any other waiver 
that may be available for any other ground(s) of inadmissibility.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Other than the changes outlined in this rulemaking, DHS will 
maintain all other eligibility requirements for the provisional waiver 
as currently described in 8 CFR 212.7(e), including the requirements to 
submit biometrics, pay the provisional waiver filing fee and the 
biometric services fee, and be present in the United States at the time 
of the provisional waiver application filing and biometrics 
appointment.
    This rule's amendments will provide more individuals seeking 
immigrant visas and their U.S. citizen or LPR family members with the 
provisional waiver's main benefit of shortened family separation 
periods, while increasing USCIS and DOS efficiencies by streamlining 
the immigrant visa process for such applicants.
4. Current Provisional Waiver Process
    In this analysis, DHS draws on applicable DOS visa ineligibility 
statistics and historical provisional waiver application data to 
estimate the current demand for provisional waivers and the anticipated 
demand directly resulting from this final rule. Illustrating the past 
demand for provisional waivers, Table 2 displays the actual numbers of 
Form I-601A receipts, approvals, and denials recorded for March of 
fiscal year (FY) 2013 \66\ through the end of FY 2015. Across those 
years, DHS received about 107,000 Form I-601A applications, for an 
average of almost 42,000 per year.\67\ During the same period, DHS 
approved 66,000 Form I-601A applications and denied 27,000.\68\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \66\ FY 2013 was October 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013.
    \67\ DHS calculated the average Form I-601A receipts per month 
since the provisional waiver process's implementation in March 2013 
through the end of FY 2015, which equaled 3,467.65, and multiplied 
the average monthly receipts by 12 to determine the annual average.
    \68\ Approvals and denials reflect actual cases adjudicated, 
which do not directly correspond to filing receipts for the same 
year.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Of the provisional waiver applications adjudicated from FY 2013 to 
FY 2015, USCIS denied a total of 9 percent for the following reasons: 
An applicant's lack of a qualifying relative for the waiver's extreme 
hardship determination (0.8 percent); \69\ reason to believe an 
applicant would be inadmissible based on grounds other than unlawful 
presence at the time of the immigrant visa interview (7.2 percent); DOS 
initially acting before January 3, 2013 to schedule an applicant's 
immigrant visa interview (0.1 percent); and an applicant being subject 
to a final order

[[Page 50266]]

(0.9 percent).\70\ With this final rule's elimination or modification 
of these ineligibility grounds, more individuals will presumably be 
eligible for provisional waivers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \69\ Note that applicants denied for not having a qualifying 
U.S. citizen spouse or parent include those who could potentially 
have LPR spouses and/or parents who might experience extreme 
hardship as well as those who attempted to demonstrate hardship to a 
U.S. citizen child-a relative who is not a qualifying relative for 
the purposes of the unlawful presence waiver, provisional or not. 
The exact number of denials according to these different 
demonstrations is unknown. Source: Email correspondence with USCIS' 
National Benefits Center on November 24, 2015.
    \70\ Source: Email correspondence with USCIS' National Benefits 
Center on October 7, 2015 and December 7, 2015.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The actual Form I-601A filing demands illustrated in Table 2 differ 
from the estimates in the 2013 Rule's economic impact analysis. When 
DHS conducted the 2013 Rule's economic impact analysis, DHS did not 
have statistics on unlawful presence inadmissibility findings for 
certain immediate relatives that would have allowed for a precise 
calculation of the rule's impact. Due to these limitations, DHS instead 
estimated the rule's impact based on various demand scenarios. In the 
analysis for this final rule, DHS uses actual USCIS receipts for 
provisional waiver applications to determine the future demand for 
provisional waivers, as discussed later.

                   Table 2--Historical Numbers of Form I-601A Receipts, Approvals, and Denials
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Fiscal year                         Month                Receipts        Approvals        Denials
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2013...............................  Mar........................           1,306               0               0
                                     Apr........................           2,737               5               2
                                     May........................           3,267              52              14
                                     Jun........................           3,119             226             238
                                     Jul........................           3,425           1,006             603
                                     Aug........................           3,075           1,435             790
                                     Sep........................           2,798           1,749             438
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    FY 2013 Total..................  ...........................          19,727           4,473           2,085
2014...............................  Oct........................           2,886           1,465             602
                                     Nov........................           2,697           1,456             562
                                     Dec........................           2,641           1,708             532
                                     Jan........................           2,256           1,616             780
                                     Feb........................           2,483           1,282             579
                                     Mar........................           2,990           1,216             987
                                     Apr........................           3,266           1,363             996
                                     May........................           3,650           2,052             708
                                     Jun........................           4,184           3,151           1,100
                                     Jul........................           3,778           4,211           1,460
                                     Aug........................           3,907           3,912           1,801
                                     Sep........................           4,237           4,075           1,484
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    FY 2014 Total..................  ...........................          38,975          27,507          11,591
2015...............................  Oct........................           4,540           4,196           1,469
                                     Nov........................           3,728           2,167             951
                                     Dec........................           4,103           2,838           1,180
                                     Jan........................           3,370           3,011           1,433
                                     Feb........................           3,402           2,986           1,381
                                     Mar........................           4,588           2,024             960
                                     Apr........................           4,176           2,966           1,138
                                     May........................           4,030           2,708             934
                                     Jun........................           4,364           2,883           1,139
                                     Jul........................           4,162           2,712             946
                                     Aug........................           4,019           2,939             805
                                     Sep........................           4,313           2,880             733
    FY 2015 Total..................  ...........................          48,795          34,310          13,069
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        FY 2013-FY 2015 Total......  ...........................         107,497          66,290          26,745
        FY 2013-FY 2015 Annual       ...........................          41,612          25,661          10,353
         Average \71\.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note: Approvals and denials reflect actual cases adjudicated, which do not directly correspond to filing
  receipts for the month.
Source: USCIS' Office of Performance and Quality.

    Table 3 shows DOS's historical findings of immigrant visa 
ineligibility due to only unlawful presence inadmissibility grounds, 
which DOS revised for FY 2010 through FY 2014 following the 2015 
Proposed Rule's publication.\72\ Between FY 2010 and FY 2015, DOS 
recorded ineligibility due to only unlawful presence for almost 118,000 
immediate relative visas and 24,000 all other immigrant visas.\73\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \71\ To determine these annual averages, DHS calculated the 
average Form I-601A receipts, approvals, and denials per month since 
implementation of the provisional unlawful presence waiver process 
in March 2013 through the end of FY 2015 and multiplied those 
averages by 12. The average monthly receipts equaled 3,467.65, while 
approvals measured 2,138.39 and denials equaled 862.74.
    \72\ DOS determined that the rules it used to collect the 
inadmissibility and ineligibility data included in the 2015 Proposed 
Rule resulted in errors. DOS has since revised its rules to correct 
the errors.
    \73\ Of the ineligibility figures recorded for the ``all other 
immigrants'' visa category, nearly 97 percent correspond to family-
sponsored immigrant visa applications (which does not include 
applications filed by immediate relatives of U.S. citizens), 2 
percent correspond to employment-based immigrant visa applications, 
1 percent correspond to Diversity Visa immigrant applications, and a 
fraction of 1 percent correspond to certain special immigrant visa 
applications.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 4 shows DOS's historical findings of immigrant visa 
ineligibility due to unlawful presence and any other inadmissibility 
ground barring visa eligibility.\74\ DHS uses this population in part 
to estimate the number of

[[Page 50267]]

immediate relatives who will become eligible for provisional waivers 
through this final rule's elimination or modification of certain 
provisional waiver ineligibilities currently in place.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \74\ Other inadmissibility grounds barring visa eligibility can 
be found in INA section 212(a), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a).

             Table 3--Number of Immigrant Visa Ineligibility Findings Due to Only Unlawful Presence
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Visa category type
                                                                 --------------------------------
                           Fiscal year                                               All Other         Total
                                                                     Immediate      immigrants
                                                                  relatives \75\       \76\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010............................................................          15,870           2,739          18,609
2011............................................................          18,569           5,043          23,612
2012............................................................          19,989           5,100          25,089
2013............................................................          10,136           4,126          14,262
2014............................................................          18,201           3,406          21,607
2015............................................................          34,801           3,522          38,323
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................         117,566          23,936         141,502
        FY 2013-FY 2015 Annual Average..........................          21,046           3,685          24,731
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Email correspondence with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs on December 2, 2015.

    Population generally addressed in the 2013 Rule (certain immediate 
relatives of U.S. citizens).
    Population impacted by this rule, excluding immediate relatives.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \75\ Population generally addressed in the 2013 Rule (certain 
immediate relavies of U.S. citizens).
    \76\ Population Impacted by this rule, excluding immediate 
relatives.

    Table 4--Number of Immigrant Visa Ineligibility Findings Due to Unlawful Presence and any Other Ground of
                                     Inadmissibility (or Visa Ineligibility)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                        Visa category type
                                                                 --------------------------------
                           Fiscal year                               Immediate       All other         Total
                                                                     relatives      immigrants
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010............................................................           4,655             984           5,639
2011............................................................           4,679           1,768           6,447
2012............................................................           5,436           1,763           7,199
2013............................................................           3,891           1,471           5,362
2014............................................................           3,298           1,113           4,411
2015............................................................           4,323           1,087           5,410
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................          26,282           8,186          34,468
        FY 2013-FY 2015 Annual Average..........................           3,837           1,224           5,061
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Email correspondence with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs on December 2, 2015.

    In the 2015 Proposed Rule, DHS based the demand for Form I-601A 
applications with and without the rule on the FY 2013 to FY 2014 
average ratio of Form I-601A receipts to immigrant visa ineligibility 
findings based on unlawful presence inadmissibility grounds. Since the 
publication of the proposed rule, DOS provided DHS with revised data. 
Based on a review of the revised DOS ineligibility data, DHS has 
determined that using a year-specific ratio of receipts to 
ineligibility findings is no longer the best option to predict future 
provisional waiver demand because of recent changes in Form I-601A 
filing trends. DOS's new data suggests that the majority of immediate 
relatives found ineligible for an immigrant visa by DOS based on 
unlawful presence inadmissibility grounds in one fiscal year have filed 
provisional unlawful presence waivers of inadmissibility prior to DOS's 
immigrant visa ineligibility finding, though the dates of these 
separate events is unknown. Because the time lag between such filings 
and ineligibility findings is unknown, making same-year comparisons 
between these data could result in erroneous conclusions. As such, DHS 
believes it is most appropriate to estimate the future demand for 
provisional waivers in the absence of this rule using historical Form 
I-601A filing data.
    In the absence of this rule, DHS projects that Form I-601A receipts 
from immediate relative immigrants would increase from their three-year 
average of 41,612 (see Table 2) by 2.5 percent per year based on the 
compound annual growth rate of the unauthorized immigrant population 
living in the United States between 2000 and 2012.\77\ Under this 
method, USCIS would receive a projected 478,000 provisional waiver 
applications across 10 years of analysis in the absence of this rule, 
as shown in Table 5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \77\ Calculated by comparing the estimated unauthorized 
immigrant population living in the United States in 2000 (8,500,000) 
to the estimated unauthorized immigrant population living in the 
United States in 2012 (11,400,000). In recent years, the estimated 
unauthorized immigrant population has decreased. DHS uses the 
historical growth rate in the unauthorized immigrant population from 
2000 to 2012 because it most likely reflects the population impacted 
by this rule. This population includes those who have likely been 
unlawfully present in the United States for an extended period and 
who have already started the immigrant visa process by having an 
approved petition. Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 
Office of Immigration Statistics. Estimates of the Unauthorized 
Immigrant Population Residing in the United States: January 2012, 
Figure 1, Unauthorized Immigrant Population: 2000-2012, Mar. 2013. 
Available at http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/ois_ill_pe_2012_2.pdf.

[[Page 50268]]



Table 5--Projected Number of Immediate Relative Form I-601A Applications
       in the Absence of Rule (Population Addressed in 2013 Rule)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Form I-601A
                                                            Receipts--
                       Fiscal year                           Immediate
                                                          Relatives \78\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1..................................................          42,652
Year 2..................................................          43,719
Year 3..................................................          44,812
Year 4..................................................          45,932
Year 5..................................................          47,080
Year 6..................................................          48,257
Year 7..................................................          49,464
Year 8..................................................          50,700
Year 9..................................................          51,968
Year 10.................................................          53,267
                                                         ---------------
    Total...............................................         477,851
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: The yearly estimates in this table were originally calculated
  using unrounded figures. Thereafter, all yearly estimates were
  simultaneously rounded for tabular presentation.

5. Population Affected by Rule
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \78\ Estimated number of provisional waiver applications from 
the eligible population of immediate relatives. These applications 
do not necessarily correspond to waiver approvals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DHS does not believe this rule will induce any new demand above the 
status quo for filing petitions or immigrant visa applications for this 
expanded group of individuals. DHS bases this assumption on the fact 
that most of the newly eligible visa categories to which this rule will 
now apply (namely, family-sponsored, employment-based, diversity, and 
certain special immigrant visa categories) are generally subject, 
unlike the immediate relative category, to statutory visa issuance 
limits and lengthy visa availability waits due to oversubscription.\79\ 
Even with this rule's elimination or modification of specific 
provisional waiver ineligibility criteria currently in place, DHS does 
not anticipate that a related rise in the demand for immigrant visas 
for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens will occur given the low 
historical share of applications denied for these reasons 
(approximately 9 percent as mentioned earlier). In addition, because 
immediate relative visas are readily available, immediate relatives who 
were denied a provisional waiver previously have likely continued on 
with the consular interview process to obtain LPR status.\80\ 
Therefore, DHS did not estimate that these immediate relatives would 
reapply for a provisional waiver. Furthermore, there is no evidence 
that the Secretary's November 2014 memorandum \81\ on the expansion of 
the provisional waiver process spurred a significant increase in 
filings of the Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) or Immigrant 
Petition for Alien Worker (Form I-140).\82\ Thus, DHS does not expect 
that this rule will increase the demand for the immigrant visa 
categories to which it applies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \79\ Family-sponsored immigrant visa applicants, who represent 
nearly 97 percent of the ``all other immigrants'' population found 
ineligible due to only unlawful presence inadmissibility grounds, 
currently face visa oversubscription. This means that any new 
family-sponsored visa applicants must wait in line for available 
visas. Depending on the applicant's country of chargeability and 
preference category, this wait could be many years. Source: U.S. 
Department of State. ``Visa Bulletin: Immigrant Numbers for December 
2015,'' IX (87), Nov. 2015. Available at http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Bulletins/visabulletin_December2015.pdf.
    \80\ Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens 
are unlimited, so they are always available. See INA section 
201(b)(2)(A)(i), 8 U.S.C. 1151(b)(2)(A)(i). This means that 
immediate relatives do not have to wait in line for a visa number to 
become available for them to immigrate. Sources: U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration Services. ``Visa Availability and Priority Dates.'' 
Available at http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-and-priority-dates (last reviewed/
updated Nov. 5, 2015).
    \81\ See Memorandum from Jeh Charles Johnson, Secretary, DHS, to 
L[eacute]on Rodr[iacute]guez, Director, USCIS, Expansion of the 
Provisional Waiver Program (Nov. 20, 2014). Available at http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/14_1120_memo_i601a_waiver.pdf.
    \82\ Based on a DHS comparison of Form I-130 and Form I-140 
filings during the three months immediately following the 
Secretary's 2014 memorandum on the expansion of the provisional 
waiver program and during those same three months in FY 2013 and FY 
2014.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    With this rule's implementation, the number of provisional waiver 
applications is expected to increase from the figures listed in Table 5 
as the provisional waiver eligibility criteria expands. This rule's 
broadened group of qualifying relatives for the provisional waiver's 
extreme hardship determination as well as its elimination or 
modification of current provisional waiver ineligibility provisions 
will allow some immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and LPRs to become 
eligible for provisional waivers. All other immigrant visa applicants 
\83\ who are present in the United States and who otherwise meet the 
requirements of the provisional waiver process described in this final 
rule will also become eligible for provisional waivers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \83\ As previously mentioned, the phrase ``all other immigrant 
visa applicants'' encompasses the following immigrant visa 
categories: family-sponsored, employment-based, Diversity Visa, and 
(certain) special immigrant visa applicants. Examples of family 
relationships that fall under ``all other immigrant visa 
applicants'' include, but are not limited to, adult sons and 
daughters of U.S. citizens, brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens, 
and spouses and children of LPRs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immediate Relatives Affected by Rule
    Some immediate relatives of U.S. citizens were denied provisional 
waivers under the 2013 Rule because USCIS had ``reason to believe'' 
that they were subject to a ground of inadmissibility other than 
unlawful presence. Others were denied because they were subject to a 
final order. This rule eliminates denials based on the reason-to-
believe standard and modifies the ineligibility criteria related to 
final orders, thus allowing additional immediate relatives to become 
eligible for provisional waivers. As previously mentioned, Table 4 
shows DOS's historical findings of immigrant visa ineligibility among 
immediate relatives due to unlawful presence and any other ground for 
denying visa issuance, such as being subject to a final order.\84\ DHS 
believes that the population of immediate relatives found ineligible 
for immigrant visas based on unlawful presence and any other ground of 
inadmissibility shown in Table 4 best predicts the share of immediate 
relatives affected by the elimination or modification of ineligibility 
criteria in this rule, as the DOS figures presumably account for these 
provisional waiver ineligibilities.\85\ According to the FY 2013 to FY 
2015 annual average number of immediate relatives found ineligible for 
visas based on unlawful presence and any other ground of 
inadmissibility (and visa ineligibility) (3,837; see Table 4), and the 
historical 2.5 percent growth in the unauthorized immigrant population, 
DHS estimates that 3,933 immediate relatives will become eligible, and 
consequently apply, for provisional waivers as a direct result of this 
rule's expanded waiver eligibility during the rule's first year of 
implementation (see Table 6).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \84\ Other grounds of inadmissibility barring visa eligibility 
can be found in INA section 212(a), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a).
    \85\ These ineligibility findings likely include the previously 
discussed 9 percent of historical Form I-601A applicants denied for 
the following reasons: an applicant's lack of a qualifying relative 
for the waiver's extreme hardship determination; reason to believe 
an applicant would be inadmissible based on grounds other than 
unlawful presence at the time of the immigrant visa interview; DOS 
initially acting before January 3, 2013 to schedule an applicant's 
immigrant visa interview; and an applicant being subject to a final 
order. However, due to data limitations, DHS does not know the exact 
number of ineligibility findings that correspond to provisional 
waiver denials.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 6 shows that over a 10-year period of analysis, USCIS will 
receive approximately 44,000 provisional waiver applications from 
immediate relatives now eligible for provisional waivers based on this 
rule's elimination or modification of specific provisional

[[Page 50269]]

waiver ineligibility criteria. These figures reflect the assumption 
that the population of individuals historically found ineligible for 
immigrant visas based on unlawful presence and any other ground of 
inadmissibility will apply for provisional waivers even though they may 
still be inadmissible on another ground that would bar them from 
receiving an immigrant visa. However, these figures do not account for 
immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and LPRs who could become eligible 
for provisional waivers through this rule's broadened group of 
qualifying relatives for the provisional waiver's extreme hardship 
determination and its elimination of DOS scheduling date requirements. 
Due to data limitations, DHS cannot precisely measure the number of 
individuals impacted by these amendments, though based on historical 
denials, the number impacted will likely be small.\86\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \86\ Of the provisional waiver applications adjudicated from FY 
2013 to FY 2015, USCIS denied less than 1,000 applications in total 
based on an applicant's lack of a qualifying relative for the 
waiver's extreme hardship determination and for DOS initially acting 
before January 3, 2013 to schedule an applicant's immigrant visa 
interview. Source: Email correspondence with USCIS' National 
Benefits Center on October 7, 2015 and December 7, 2015.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Due to additional data limitations, DHS cannot determine the exact 
number of immediate relatives eligible to apply for provisional waivers 
under the 2013 Rule who either continued taking steps necessary to 
obtain LPR status or who abandoned the immigrant visa process 
altogether after being denied provisional waivers for the ineligibility 
criteria eliminated or modified with this rule (e.g., DOS scheduling 
date requirements). DHS assumes for the purpose of this analysis that 
those immediate relatives who applied for provisional waivers prior to 
this final rule but were denied for the criteria eliminated or modified 
with this rule have continued taking the steps necessary to obtain LPR 
status rather than delay their immigration process. These individuals 
have likely sought waivers of the unlawful presence grounds of 
inadmissibility through the Form I-601 waiver process as part of 
obtaining their LPR status. For these reasons, DHS does not believe 
this rule will affect certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens 
previously denied provisional waivers due to this rule's eliminated or 
modified criteria, and thus does not consider these individuals in the 
population affected by this rule. As such, Table 6 does not include 
these individuals.

Table 6--Projected Number of Immediate Relative Form I-601A Applications
                           Resulting From Rule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                          Form I-601A
                                                          Receipts--
                                                           immediate
                                                       relatives  newly
                     Fiscal year                         eligible for
                                                          provisional
                                                      waiver under  rule
                                                             \87\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1..............................................               3,933
Year 2..............................................               4,031
Year 3..............................................               4,132
Year 4..............................................               4,235
Year 5..............................................               4,341
Year 6..............................................               4,450
Year 7..............................................               4,561
Year 8..............................................               4,675
Year 9..............................................               4,792
Year 10.............................................               4,912
                                                     -------------------
    Total...........................................              44,062
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: The yearly estimates in this table were originally calculated
  using unrounded figures. Thereafter, all yearly estimates were
  simultaneously rounded for tabular presentation.

All Other Immigrants Affected by Rule
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \87\ Estimated number of provisional waiver applications from 
the population of immediate relatives inadmissible due to unlawful 
presence and any other immigrant visa inadmissibility ground. These 
applications do not necessarily correspond to waiver approvals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In addition to the population of immediate relatives illustrated in 
Table 6, this rule will affect a portion of all other immigrant visa 
applicants. To capture the population of all other immigrant visa 
applicants (that is, those who are not immediate relative immigrant 
visa applicants) that may file for a provisional waiver due to this 
rule, DHS uses the following historical data: (1) DOS immigrant visa 
ineligibility findings due to only unlawful presence inadmissibility 
grounds (the population included in the 2015 Proposed Rule); (2) DOS 
immigrant visa ineligibility findings due to unlawful presence and any 
other inadmissibility ground (the population potentially now included 
in this final rule); and (3) growth in the unauthorized immigrant 
population. In particular, DHS applies the previously discussed 2.5 
percent compound annual growth rate of unauthorized immigrants from 
2000 to 2012 to the sum of the FY 2013 to FY 2015 annual averages of 
all other immigrant visa ineligibility findings due to: (1) Only 
unlawful presence inadmissibility grounds; and (2) unlawful presence 
and any other inadmissibility ground, which equals 4,909 (see Table 3 
and Table 4).\88\ For Year 1, DHS projects that Form I-601A 
applications from the population of all other immigrants now eligible 
for provisional waivers will measure approximately 5,032. For Years 2 
through 10, applications are expected to range from 5,158 to 6,284 (see 
Table 7).\89\ These figures partly reflect the assumption that the 
population of individuals historically found ineligible for immigrant 
visas based on unlawful presence and any other ground of 
inadmissibility will apply for provisional waivers even though they may 
still be inadmissible on another ground that would bar them from 
receiving an immigrant visa.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \88\ Calculated as the FY 2013-FY 2015 average number of all 
other immigrant visa ineligibility findings due to only unlawful 
presence (3,685) plus the FY 2013-FY 2015 average number of all 
other immigrant visa ineligibility findings due to unlawful presence 
and any other ground of inadmissibility (1,224) = 4,909.
    \89\ Year 1 figure calculated as the FY 2013-FY 2015 average 
number of all other immigrant visa ineligibility findings due to: 
(1) Only unlawful presence, and (2) unlawful presence and any other 
ground of inadmissibility of 4,909 multiplied by the assumed 2.5 
percent growth rate (that is, 1.025), which equals 5,032.

      Table 7--Projected Number of All Other Immigrant Form I-601A
                    Applications Resulting From Rule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Form I-601A
                                                          receipts-- all
                       Fiscal year                             other
                                                            immigrants
                                                               \90\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1..................................................           5,032
Year 2..................................................           5,158
Year 3..................................................           5,286
Year 4..................................................           5,419
Year 5..................................................           5,554
Year 6..................................................           5,693
Year 7..................................................           5,835
Year 8..................................................           5,981
Year 9..................................................           6,131
Year 10.................................................           6,284
    Total...............................................          56,373
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: The yearly estimates in this table were originally calculated
  using unrounded figures. Thereafter, all yearly estimates were
  simultaneously rounded for tabular presentation.

Total Population Affected by Rule
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \90\ Estimated number of provisional waiver applications from 
the population of all other immigrants ineligible due to: (1) Only 
unlawful presence; and (2) unlawful presence and any other ground of 
inadmissibility. These applications do not necessarily correspond to 
waiver approvals.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Table 8 outlines the entire population of immigrant visa applicants 
potentially impacted by this rule, as measured by the sum of Form I-
601A receipts listed in Table 6 and Table 7. Across a 10-year period of 
analysis, DHS estimates that the provisional waiver applications from 
this rule's expanded population of individuals (including immediate 
relatives of U.S. citizens and LPRs, and

[[Page 50270]]

family-sponsored, employment-based, Diversity Visa, and (certain) 
special immigrant visa applicants) will be nearly 100,000. These 
provisional waiver applications may ultimately result in waiver 
approvals or denials. Note that Table 8 presents only the additional 
Form I-601A filings that will occur as a result of this rule; it does 
not account for the provisional waiver applications that DHS 
anticipates will be filed in the absence of this rule by currently 
eligible certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (see Table 5). As 
stated earlier, the figures in Table 8 may underestimate the total Form 
I-601A applications resulting from this rule because they do not 
account for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens and LPRs who could 
become eligible for provisional waivers through this rule's broadened 
group of qualifying relatives for the provisional waiver's extreme 
hardship determination and its elimination of DOS scheduling date 
requirements. They could also overestimate the total Form I-601A 
applications resulting from this rule because they are partly based on 
the assumption that the population of individuals historically found 
ineligible for immigrant visas based on unlawful presence and any other 
ground of inadmissibility will apply for provisional waivers even 
though they may still be inadmissible on another ground that would bar 
them from receiving an immigrant visa.

       Table 8--Total Form I-601A Applications Resulting From Rule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                            Form I-601A
                       Fiscal year                           receipts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1..................................................           8,965
Year 2..................................................           9,189
Year 3..................................................           9,418
Year 4..................................................           9,654
Year 5..................................................           9,895
Year 6..................................................          10,143
Year 7..................................................          10,396
Year 8..................................................          10,656
Year 9..................................................          10,923
Year 10.................................................          11,196
    Total...............................................         100,435
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: The yearly estimates in this table were originally calculated
  using unrounded figures. Thereafter, all yearly estimates were
  simultaneously rounded for tabular presentation.

    All public comments about specific elements of the projections, 
costs, or benefits of the rule are discussed earlier in the preamble.
6. Costs and Benefits
Costs
    Individuals who are newly eligible to apply for a provisional 
waiver strictly under this rule will bear the costs of this regulation. 
Although the waiver expansion may require the Federal Government 
(namely, DHS and USCIS) to expend additional resources on related 
adjudication personnel, equipment (e.g., computers and telephones), and 
occupancy demands, DHS expects these costs to be offset by the 
additional fee revenue collected from the Form I-601A filing fee and 
the biometric services fee. Currently, the filing fees for Form I-601A 
and biometric services are $585 and $85, respectively.\91\ Accordingly, 
DHS does not believe this rule will impose additional net costs on the 
Federal Government.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \91\ Source of fee rates: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Services. ``I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence 
Waiver.'' Available at http://www.uscis.gov/i-601a (last reviewed/
updated Oct. 7, 2015). The Form I-601A filing fee and biometric 
services fee are subject to change through the normal fee review 
cycle and any subsequent rulemaking issued by USCIS/DHS. USCIS/DHS 
will consider the impact of the provisional waiver and biometrics 
process workflows and resource requirements as a normal part of its 
biennial fee review. The biennial fee review determines if fees for 
immigration benefits are sufficient in light of resource needs and 
filing trends. See INA section 286(m), 8 U.S.C. 1356(m).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    With the exception of applicants subject to final orders,\92\ 
eligible individuals must generally first complete Form I-601A and 
submit it to USCIS with its current $585 filing fee and $85 biometric 
services fee to receive a provisional waiver under this rule. DHS 
estimates the time burden of completing Form I-601A to be 1.5 hours, 
which translates to a time, or opportunity, cost of $15.89 per 
application.\93\ DHS calculates the Form I-601A application's 
opportunity cost to individuals by first multiplying the current 
Federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour by 1.46 to account for the full 
cost of employee benefits (such as paid leave, insurance, and 
retirement), which results in a time value of $10.59 per hour.\94\ 
Then, DHS multiplies the $10.59 hourly time value by the current 1.5-
hour Form I-601A completion time burden to determine the opportunity 
cost for individuals to complete Form I-601A ($15.89). DHS recognizes 
that the individuals impacted by the rule are generally unlawfully 
present and not eligible to work; however, consistent with other DHS 
rulemakings, DHS uses wage rates as a mechanism to estimate the 
opportunity costs to individuals associated with completing this rule's 
required application and biometrics collection. The cost for applicants 
to initially file Form I-601A, including only the $585 filing fee and 
opportunity cost, equals $600.89.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \92\ As previously stated, individuals subject to a final order 
may now seek a provisional waiver only if they also request (and are 
approved for) consent to reapply for admission under INA section 
212(a)(9)(A)(iii), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(A)(iii) via an Application 
for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After 
Deportation or Removal (Form I-212). Filing and receiving approval 
for a Form I-212 is a requirement already in place for individuals 
subject to inadmissibility under INA section 212(a)(9)(A), 8 U.S.C. 
1182(a)(9)(A), to be eligible for an immigrant visa. Thus, USCIS 
does not include the cost to file Form I-212 to the applicable 
population of provisional waiver applicants in this rule.
    \93\ See 80 FR 16688 (Mar. 30, 2015) for the estimated Form I-
601A completion time burden.
    \94\ Federal minimum wage information source: U.S. Department of 
Labor, Wage and Hour Division. ``Wages- Minimum Wage.'' Available at 
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/minimumwage.htm (last accessed 
Dec. 7, 2015). Employer benefits adjustment information source: U.S. 
Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. ``Economic News 
Release: Employer Costs for Employee Compensation- September 2015, 
Table 1. Employer costs per hour worked for employee compensation 
and costs as a percent of total compensation: Civilian workers, by 
major occupational and industry group, September 2015- All 
Workers.'' Dec. 9, 2015. Available at http://www.bls.gov/schedule/archives/ecec_nr.htm#current.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    After USCIS receives an applicant's completed Form I-601A and its 
filing and biometric services fees, the agency sends the applicant a 
notice scheduling him or her to visit a USCIS Application Support 
Center (ASC) for biometrics collection. Along with an $85 biometric 
services fee, the applicant will incur the following costs to comply 
with the provisional waiver's biometrics submission requirement: (1) 
The opportunity cost of traveling to an ASC, (2) the opportunity cost 
of submitting his or her biometrics, and (3) the mileage cost of 
traveling to an ASC. While travel times and distances to an ASC vary, 
DHS estimates that an applicant's average roundtrip distance to an ASC 
is 50 miles, and that the average time for that trip is 2.5 hours. DHS 
estimates that an applicant waits an average of 1.17 hours for service 
and to have his or her biometrics collected at an ASC, adding up to a 
total biometrics-related time burden of 3.67 hours.\95\ By applying the 
$10.59 hourly time value for individuals to the total biometrics-
related time burden of 3.67 hours, DHS finds that the opportunity cost 
for a provisional waiver applicant to travel to and from an ASC, and to 
submit biometrics, will total $38.87.\96\ In addition to the 
opportunity cost of providing biometrics, provisional waiver applicants 
will experience travel costs related to biometrics collection. The cost 
of such travel will equal $28.75 per trip, based on the assumed 50-mile

[[Page 50271]]

roundtrip distance to an ASC and the General Services Administration's 
travel rate of $0.575 per mile.\97\ DHS assumes that each applicant 
will travel independently to an ASC to submit his or her biometrics, 
meaning that this rule will impose a time cost on each provisional 
waiver applicant. Adding the fee, opportunity, and travel costs of 
biometrics collection together, DHS estimates that the provisional 
waiver's requirement to submit biometrics will cost a total of $152.62 
per Form I-601A filing.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \95\ See 80 FR 16688 (Mar. 30, 2015) for Form I-601A biometrics 
collection time burden.
    \96\ 3.67 hours multiplied by $10.59 per hour equals $38.87.
    \97\ 50 miles multiplied by $0.575 per mile equals $28.75. See 
79 FR 78437 (Dec. 30, 2014) for the General Services 
Administration's mileage rate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Accounting for all of the fee, time, and travel costs to comply 
with the provisional waiver requirements, DHS finds that each Form I-
601A filing will cost an applicant $753.51. Table 9 shows that the 
overall cost of this rule to the expanded population of provisional 
waiver applicants will measure $75.7 million (undiscounted) over the 
10-year period of analysis. DHS calculates this rule's total cost to 
applicants by multiplying the individual cost of completing the 
provisional waiver application requirements ($753.51) by the number of 
newly eligible individuals projected to apply for provisional waivers 
each year following the implementation of this rule (see Table 8). In 
present value terms, this rule will cost newly eligible waiver 
applicants $52.4 million to $64.2 million across a 10-year period at 7 
percent and 3 percent discount rates, respectively (see Table 9). 
Because this rule will not generate any net costs to the Federal 
Government (as discussed previously), these costs to applicants also 
reflect the total cost of this rule. Depending on the population of 
individuals who apply for provisional waivers beyond the projections 
shown in Table 8, the costs of this rule may be over- or 
underestimated.

      Table 9--Total Cost of Rule to Applicants/Total Cost of Rule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Total waiver
                                                              cost to
                       Fiscal year                          applicants/
                                                           total cost of
                                                               rule
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1..................................................      $6,755,217
Year 2..................................................       6,924,003
Year 3..................................................       7,096,557
Year 4..................................................       7,274,386
Year 5..................................................       7,455,981
Year 6..................................................       7,642,852
Year 7..................................................       7,833,490
Year 8..................................................       8,029,403
Year 9..................................................       8,230,590
Year 10.................................................       8,436,298
                                                         ---------------
    10-Year Total: Undiscounted.........................      75,678,777
                                                         ---------------
    10-Year Total: Present Value, Discounted at 3             64,168,205
     percent............................................
                                                         ---------------
    10-Year Total: Present Value, Discounted at 7             52,429,216
     percent............................................
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: Estimates may not sum to total due to rounding. The cost
  estimates in this table are contingent upon Form I-601A filing (or
  receipt) projections as well as the discount rates applied.

Benefits
    The benefits of this rule are largely the result of streamlining 
the immigrant visa process for an expanded population of individuals 
who are inadmissible to the United States due to unlawful presence. 
This rule will provide applicants seeking provisional waivers and their 
family members advance notice of USCIS' decision on their provisional 
waiver application prior to leaving the United States for their 
immigrant visa interviews abroad, offering many individuals the 
certainty of knowing they have been provisionally approved for a waiver 
of certain unlawful presence grounds of inadmissibility before 
departing from the United States. For those newly eligible individuals 
who receive a provisional waiver through this rule and their U.S. 
citizen or LPR family members, this rule's primary benefits are its 
reduced separation time among family members during the immigrant visa 
process. Instead of attending multiple immigrant visa interviews and 
waiting abroad while USCIS adjudicates a waiver application as required 
under the Form I-601 process, the provisional waiver process allows 
individuals to file a provisional waiver application while in the 
United States and receive a notification of USCIS' decision on their 
provisional waiver application before departing for DOS consular 
processing of their immigrant visa applications. Although DHS cannot 
estimate with precision the exact amount of separation time families 
will save through this rule, DHS estimates that some newly eligible 
individuals and their U.S. citizen or LPR family members could 
experience several months of reduced separation time based on the 
average adjudication time for Form I-601 waiver applications.\98\ In 
addition to the humanitarian and emotional benefits derived from 
reduced separation of families, DHS anticipates that the shortened 
periods of family separation resulting from this rule may lessen the 
financial burden U.S. citizens and LPRs face to support their immigrant 
relatives while they remain outside of the country. Because of data 
limitations, however, DHS cannot predict the exact financial impact of 
this change.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \98\ The average adjudication time of Form I-601 waivers is 
currently over five months. Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 
Services. ``USCIS Processing Time Information for the Nebraska 
Service Center-Form I-601.'' Available at https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do (last updated Feb. 11, 2016).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Due to the unique nature of the Diversity Visa program, individuals 
seeking an immigrant visa through that program and wishing to use the 
provisional waiver process are likely to enjoy fewer overall benefits 
from this rule than others. Although an individual may be selected to 
participate in the Diversity Visa program, he or she may not ultimately 
receive an immigrant visa due to visa unavailability. Under this rule, 
Diversity Visa selectees and their derivatives who wish to use the 
provisional waiver process may file a waiver application before knowing 
whether their immigrant visa will ultimately be available to them. For 
those pursuing the Diversity Visa track, the risk of completing the 
provisional waiver process without being issued a visa is higher 
compared to applicants of other immigrant visa categories filing Form 
I-601A.\99\ If a Diversity Visa program selectee's provisional waiver 
is approved but he or she is not ultimately issued an immigrant visa, 
he or she will incur the costs but not obtain the benefits associated 
with a provisional waiver.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \99\ There is a statutory maximum of 55,000 diversity visas 
authorized for allocation each fiscal year, but this number is 
reduced by up to 5,000 visas set aside exclusively for use under the 
Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act. See NACARA section 
203(d), as amended. DOS regularly selects more than 50,000 entrants 
to proceed on to the next step for diversity visa processing to 
ensure that all of the 50,000 diversity visas are allotted. Source: 
U.S. Department of State, Office of the Spokesman. Special Briefing: 
Senior State Department Official on the Diversity Visa Program. May 
13, 2011. Available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/166811.htm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Based on USCIS and DOS efficiencies realized as a result of the 
current provisional waiver process, DHS believes that this rule could 
provide additional Federal Government efficiencies through its 
expansion to a larger population. As previously

[[Page 50272]]

described in the 2013 Rule, the provisional waiver process allows USCIS 
to communicate to DOS the status of the waiver application prior to an 
applicant's immigrant visa interview abroad. Such early communication 
eliminates the current need to transfer cases repeatedly between USCIS 
and DOS when adjudicating an immigrant visa application and Form I-
601.\100\ Through the provisional waiver process, DOS receives advance 
notification from USCIS of the discretionary decision to provisionally 
waive certain unlawful presence inadmissibility bars, allowing for 
better allocation of valuable agency resources like time, storage 
space, and human capital.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \100\ See 78 FR 536 (Jan. 3, 2013).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

D. Executive Order 13132

    This final rule will not have substantial direct effects on the 
States, on the relationship between the National Government and the 
States, or on the distribution of power and responsibilities among the 
various levels of government. Therefore, in accordance with section 6 
of Executive Order 13132, it is determined that this rule does not have 
sufficient federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a 
federalism summary impact statement.

E. Executive Order 12988 Civil Justice Reform

    Section 3(c) of Executive Order 12988 requires Executive agencies 
to review regulations in light of applicable standards in section 3(a) 
and section 3(b) to determine whether they are met or it is 
unreasonable to meet one or more of them. DHS has completed the 
required review and determined that, to the extent permitted by law, 
this final rule meets the relevant standards of Executive Order 12988.

F. Paperwork Reduction Act

    Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), all Departments 
are required to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), 
for review and approval, any reporting and recordkeeping requirements 
inherent in a rule. See 44 U.S.C. 3507. This final rule requires that 
an applicant seeking a provisional waiver complete an Application for 
Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver, Form I-601A, (OMB Control Number 
1615-0123). This form is considered an information collection and is 
covered under the PRA. USCIS is currently seeking OMB approval of 
revisions that this final rule is causing to this information 
collection instrument. DHS specifically requested public comments on 
the proposed changes to the Application for Provisional Unlawful 
Presence Waiver, Form I-601A, and the form instructions in the proposed 
rule in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11(a). OMB reviewed the request 
filed in connection with the proposed rule and also filed comments in 
accordance with 5 CFR 1320.11(c).
1. Comments on the Information Collection
    DHS received several comments from the public directly related to 
the revised form and its instructions, and, in accordance with 5 CFR 
1320.11(f), DHS has considered the comments, provided detailed 
responses to the comments on the form, and explained any modifications 
it has made in its submission to OMB. The comments and responses are 
summarized below.
a. The General Need for a Standardized Application Form
    One commenter requested that USCIS adjudicate provisional waiver 
requests without requiring use of a specific form. The commenter 
believed requiring the completion of a standardized form effectively 
requires applicants to retain an immigration attorney, who may exploit 
them.
    DHS has not accepted the suggestion. USCIS forms are generally 
designed for use by the public in a manner that standardizes the 
collection of necessary information and streamlines the adjudication of 
immigration benefits, which benefits both USCIS and applicants. Lack of 
a standardized information collection document, as well as the 
acceptance of ad hoc requests, could cause confusion and processing 
delays that adversely impact both USCIS and applicants. Standardized 
intake methods and forms help USCIS streamline processing requirements 
and minimize its costs, thereby moderating the fees it must charge for 
immigration benefit requests.
b. Form I-601A, Information About Your Immigrant Visa Petition or Your 
Immigrant Visa Case
    DHS received several suggestions for improving the section of the 
form collecting information about the applicant's immigrant visa 
petition. Two commenters asked USCIS to include a section for 
applicants on Form I-601 \101\ to indicate the name of the employer, 
sponsor, or petitioner. One of those commenters requested that the form 
include a section for applicants to submit information about approved 
Immigration Petitions for Alien Worker, Forms I-140, particularly for 
beneficiaries under the employment-based third preference (EB-3) 
category.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \101\ Both commenters referred to Form I-601 rather than Form I-
601A.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DHS will not adopt this suggestion because it appears to be related 
to Form I-601 and not Form I-601A, the form used for this rule. Form I-
601A already includes questions about the name of the petitioning 
employer or sponsor. See Part 3, Information About Your Immigrant Visa 
Petition and Your Immigrant Visa Case, Item Numbers 3 through 6 of Form 
I-601A.
    Two commenters wanted to ensure that derivative spouses of 
principal beneficiaries are eligible for the provisional waiver. They 
requested that USCIS specifically ask whether the individual is filing 
this application based on an approved Form I-140 petition as a 
derivative spouse of the primary beneficiary and to provide the USCIS 
receipt number for the Form I-140 petition.
    DHS agrees with the need to collect additional information, as 
suggested by the commenters, in light of this final rule's extension of 
eligibility for the provisional waiver to spouses and children who 
accompany or follow to join principal immigrants. DHS has added 
questions to Form I-601A about derivative spouses or children that 
should address the concern raised by the commenters.
c. Form I-601A, Date of Entry and Place or Port of Entry
    One commenter suggested that Form I-601A applicants should be 
permitted to use approximate dates and places of entry when filling out 
the form, rather than only specific dates or places of entry. The 
commenter reasoned that it may be difficult for some applicants, 
especially those who entered at a young age or without lawful status, 
to specify an exact entry date or place.
    Consistent with these comments, DHS has revised Part 1 of Form I-
601A to permit applicants to provide approximate dates and places of 
entry, if necessary. Specifically, DHS added the phrase ``on or about'' 
to ``Date of Entry (mm/dd/yyyy)'' and ``(actual or approximate)'' after 
``Place or Port-of-Entry (City or Town).''
d. Form I-601A, and Instructions, Certain Inadmissibility and Criminal 
History Issues
    One commenter requested that USCIS should not require Form I-601A 
applicants to provide all related court dispositions regarding criminal 
history if the disclosure of such court dispositions is prohibited by 
state law. The commenter was concerned that

[[Page 50273]]

such a requirement would effectively ask applicants to violate state 
confidentiality laws or request records that may be impossible to 
obtain.
    DHS did not adopt this suggestion. DHS does not believe that an 
individual's request for his or her own court dispositions, and the 
subsequent disclosure of that information to USCIS, would violate 
confidentiality laws. Although state confidentiality laws may make it 
improper for a clerk of court to release information about a case to a 
third party, such laws do not prohibit the subjects of those 
proceedings from obtaining information about themselves.\102\ USCIS may 
request any evidence relevant to the adjudication of an immigration 
benefit, including court records, when needed to assess the applicant's 
eligibility for the benefit. USCIS often requires court records to 
assess an applicant's eligibility for a provisional waiver, as well as 
to determine whether the applicant merits the waiver as a matter of 
discretion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \102\ For example, California state law specifies that 
individuals can obtain a copy of their own case files and can 
subsequently disclose such records freely. See Cal. Welf. & Inst. 
Code Sec.  827(a)(1)(C) and (5).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

e. Form I-601A, Statement From Applicant
    A commenter suggested that USCIS add questions related to hardship 
that would allow officers to quickly determine whether a threshold 
level of extreme hardship has been demonstrated. The commenter cited 
the Application for Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule 
Cancellation of Removal, Form I-881, as an example of a form that poses 
specific questions related to the establishment of extreme hardship.
    DHS has not accepted this suggestion. Although Form I-881 includes 
questions relating to potential hardship, that form--unlike the 
provisional waiver application (and the statutory inadmissibility 
waiver grounds upon which it is based)--is used solely to adjudicate 
relief under NACARA, and thus utilizes questions generally tracking 
pertinent regulations outlining hardship factors that may be considered 
under the NACARA program. See 8 CFR 240.64; 8 CFR 1240.58(b). Because 
similar regulations do not exist in the provisional waiver context, DHS 
does not believe that adding specific hardship questions to Form I-601A 
is appropriate. Among other things, such questions may be understood as 
setting the contours of the extreme hardship determination in the 
provisional waiver context, which may unintentionally lead applicants 
to restrict the types of evidence they submit to establish extreme 
hardship. Moreover, DHS notes that USCIS does provide, in the relevant 
form instructions, a list of non-exclusive factors that may be 
considered in making extreme hardship determinations. See Instructions 
to Form I-601 and Form I-601A.
f. Form I-601A Instructions, Criminal History Issues
    One commenter suggested clarifications to the Form I-601A 
instructions regarding documentation of criminal history in two 
scenarios: those involving brief detentions and those where criminal 
records do not exist. First, the commenter suggested a change to the 
instructions to clarify that the relevant documentation requirements do 
not apply to an applicant unless he or she has been arrested for, or 
charged with, a criminal offense (i.e., not individuals who were simply 
stopped or questioned by law enforcement authorities). Second, the 
commenter suggested a change to the instructions to clarify that an 
applicant may submit documents from a relevant court to show the lack 
of criminal charge or prosecution. To accomplish these two suggestions, 
the commenter recommended amending the instructions by inserting the 
following underlined text (and deleting the following text that has 
been struck through) in the instruction for Item Number 31: ``For Item 
Number 31, if you were arrested but not charged with any crime or 
offense, provide a statement or other documentation from the arresting 
authority, or prosecutor's office, or court, if available, to show that 
you were not charged with any crime or offense.''
    In response to these suggestions, DHS has inserted the words 
``arrested but'' and ``or court'' into the relevant instruction as 
suggested by the commenter. DHS agrees that the insertion of this 
language would provide additional clarity to applicants. DHS, however, 
did not add the words ``if available'' as suggested by the commenter, 
because USCIS believes it is self-evident that documents cannot be 
provided if they are not available. In this final rule, USCIS has 
provided applicants with various ways to prove the absence of a 
criminal conviction without necessarily specifying or limiting the 
types of documents USCIS will consider.
g. Form I-601A Instructions, Purpose of Form I-601A
    A commenter suggested adding language to the Form I-601A 
instructions clarifying the categories of individuals who may be 
eligible to apply for provisional waivers under this rule. 
Specifically, the commenter suggested adding the following underlined 
text to ensure that certain individuals are eligible to apply for 
provisional waivers: ``Certain immigrant visa applicants who are 
relatives of U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs); family-
sponsored immigrants; employment-based immigrants; special immigrants; 
and participants in the Diversity Visa Program may use this application 
to request a provisional waiver of the unlawful presence grounds.''
    DHS has not adopted this suggestion. DHS believes the pre-existing 
language accurately captures those who have the requisite family 
relationships to apply for provisional waivers, including those who 
have become newly eligible to apply under this rulemaking. DHS believes 
the additional language suggested by the commenter could be read to 
imply that an applicant is not required to have the requisite 
relationship with a U.S. citizen or LPR in order to apply for a 
provisional waiver. DHS has thus not amended this portion of the Form 
I-601A instructions.
h. Form I-601A Instructions, Who May File
    One commenter suggested that DHS add language to the Form I-601A 
instructions stating that individuals who are not immediate relatives 
and who filed more than one Form I-601A application are still eligible 
to file a subsequent Form I-601A application even if DOS acted, before 
the effective date of this rule, to schedule their first immigrant visa 
interview.
    DHS has not adopted this suggestion. As noted previously, this 
final rule eliminates the regulatory provisions that make individuals 
ineligible for provisional waivers depending on the date on which DOS 
initially acted to schedule their immigrant visa interviews. Therefore, 
the commenter's suggested amendment is now unnecessary.
i. Form I-601A Instructions, Can I file other forms with Form I-601A?
    One commenter suggested adding text to the Form I-601A instructions 
indicating that an applicant may request electronic notification of 
USCIS acceptance of the filing of Form I-601A by filing Form G-1145, E-
Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, along with Form I-
601A.
    DHS adopted this suggestion.

[[Page 50274]]

j. Form I-601A Instructions, General Instructions
    One commenter suggested changes to the Form I-601A instructions to 
make it easier for individuals with a physical or developmental 
disability or mental impairment to request waivers. Specifically, the 
commenter recommended replacing the portion of the Form I-601A 
instructions concerning the ability of a legal guardian to sign for a 
mentally incompetent individual with the following: ``A designated 
representative may sign if the requestor is unable to sign due to a 
physical or developmental disability or mental impairment.''
    DHS has not adopted this suggestion, as the Department believes 
that current regulations are sufficient to address the commenter's 
concerns. First, current regulations provide that a legal guardian may 
sign for an individual who is mentally incompetent. See 8 CFR 
103.2(a)(2). Second, even if no legal guardianship has been 
established, applicants with disabilities have various options for 
affecting signatures. Under USCIS policy, a valid signature does not 
need to be legible or in English, and it may be abbreviated provided it 
is consistent with the manner in which the individual normally signs 
his or her name. An individual who is unable to write in any language 
may place an ``X'' or similar mark in lieu of a signature. DHS believes 
existing regulations already address the commenters concern and did not 
adopt the suggestion.
k. Form I-601A Instructions, General Instructions
    One commenter requested that DHS include an example of a 
translation certification in the Form I-601A instructions.
    DHS did not adopt this suggestion. Regulations require that any 
document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS must be 
accompanied by (1) a full English language translation that the 
translator has certified as complete and accurate, and (2) the 
translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate 
from the foreign language into English. See 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3). DHS 
believes the regulation is sufficiently clear, and the Department is 
worried that providing an example translation certification will be 
understood by applicants as a required form, thus effectively limiting 
options for obtaining translation services.
l. Form I-601A Instructions, Specific Instructions
    One commenter suggested providing applicants with additional 
instructions to help clarify when individuals are deemed to be admitted 
or to have entered without inspection. Specifically, the commenter 
suggested that DHS replace the term ``EWI'' (entry without inspection) 
with ``no lawful status'' in the Form I-601A instructions and to add a 
note to the instructions indicating that applicants without lawful 
status who entered at a port of entry may have nevertheless entered 
pursuant to inspection and admission. The commenter, citing to the 
decision of the Board of Immigration Appeals at Matter of Quilantan, 25 
I. & N. Dec. 285 (BIA 2010), stated that an individual without lawful 
status who is nevertheless permitted to enter the United States at a 
port of entry may be ``admitted,'' even if the inspection at the port 
did not comply with substantive legal requirements and there is no 
record of the individual having been admitted in any particular status.
    DHS has not adopted these suggestions. DHS believes that the form 
instructions are sufficiently clear for applicants to appropriately 
answer all relevant questions. DHS does not believe it is necessary to 
add reminders or warnings on the issue raised by the commenter, as DHS 
does not believe that an applicant will erroneously state that he or 
she is present without admission or parole.
m. Form I-601A Instructions, Immigration or Criminal History
    One commenter requested that the Form I-601A instructions be 
amended to provide information about grants of voluntary departure and 
how such grants affect the provisional waiver process. Specifically, 
the commenter requested that the instructions include a provision 
specifying that an immigration judge may grant voluntary departure, or 
dismiss or terminate removal proceedings, prior to the applicant 
leaving the United States for immigrant visa processing.
    DHS has not adopted this suggestion, as an individual granted 
voluntary departure is not eligible for a provisional waiver. USCIS, 
however, modified Form I-601A by including a question asking whether 
the applicant has been granted voluntary departure. USCIS also made 
corresponding amendments in the form instructions.
n. Form I-601A Instructions, Penalties
    One commenter asserted that USCIS established an overly broad 
standard for denying Form I-601A applications, as well as other 
immigration benefits, due to the submission of false documents with 
such applications. To address this concern, the commenter suggested 
that the Form I-601A instructions be amended to indicate that 
applications will be denied only if the applicants submit 
``materially'' false documents.
    DHS has not adopted the commenter's suggestion, as there are 
existing statutory requirements regarding the use of false documents. 
DHS, however, has modified the relevant language in the form 
instructions to more closely match the language of 8 U.S.C. 1324c and 
18 U.S.C. 1001(a), which relate to civil and criminal penalties for the 
use of false documents to defraud the U.S. Government or obtain an 
immigration benefit. The new language reads, ``If you knowingly and 
willfully falsify or conceal a material fact or submit a false, 
altered, forged, or counterfeited writing or document with your Form I-
601A, we will deny your Form I-601A and may deny any other immigration 
benefit.''
2. Changes to the Information Collection (OMB Control No. 1615-0123)
    DHS has revised the Form I-601A as indicated in the preceding 
responses. The revised form and instructions are available for review 
at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain under OMB control number 
1615-0123, or at https://www.regulations.gov/#!home in docket USCIS-
2012-0003.
    As a result of the final rule's elimination or modification of 
certain provisional waiver eligibility criteria, and a result of newer 
and better data and historical source data revisions,\103\ DHS has 
updated the supporting statement for the Form I-601A. The update 
reflects changes in the respondent estimates that USCIS projected in 
the 2015 Proposed Rule. In the 2015 Proposed Rule, DHS estimated that 
approximately 10,258 new respondents would file applications for 
provisional waivers because of the changes proposed by the rule. DHS 
also estimated that 42,707 individuals currently eligible for 
provisional waivers would file Form I-601 applications in the future. 
DHS has revised these estimates, projecting that approximately 9,191 
new respondents will file applications for provisional waivers because 
of the changes in this final rule and 43,728 individuals currently 
eligible for provisional waivers will file Form I-601 applications in 
the future. With these changes in the number of Form I-601A 
applications, the estimate for the total number of respondents has been

[[Page 50275]]

updated from 52,965 to 52,918, which represents a decrease of 47 
respondents. The current burden hour inventory approved for this form 
is 141,417 hours, and the requested new total hour burden is 141,292 
hours. This revision reflects an increase (47,841 annual burden hours) 
in the annual burden hours previously reported for this information 
collection.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \103\ DOS determined that its rules used to collect the 
inadmissibility data included in the 2015 Proposed Rule resulted in 
errors. DOS has since revised its rules to correct the errors.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Overview of this information collection (OMB Control Number 1615-
0123):
    (1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Application for Provisional 
Unlawful Presence Waiver.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
DHS sponsoring, the collection: I-601A; USCIS.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households: 
Individuals who are: (a) Immigrant visa applicants, including (1) 
immediate relatives, (2) individuals seeking to immigrate under a 
family-sponsored, employment-based, or special immigrant visa category, 
or (3) Diversity Visa selectees and derivatives; and (b) applying from 
within the United States for a provisional waiver under INA section 
212(a)(9)(B)(v), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9)(B)(v), before obtaining an 
immigrant visa abroad.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated 
total number of respondents for the information collection I-601A is 
52,918 and the estimated hour burden per response is 1.5 hours; and 
52,918 respondents providing biometrics at 1.17 hours.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated 
with this collection is 141,292 hours.
    (7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated 
with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated 
with this collection of information is $1,496,282.

G. Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 1980 (RFA), 5 U.S.C. 601-612, as 
amended by the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 
1996, Public Law 104-121 (March 29, 1996), requires Federal agencies to 
consider the potential impact of regulations on small businesses, small 
governmental jurisdictions, and small organizations during the 
development of their rules. The term ``small entities'' comprises small 
businesses, not-for-profit organizations that are independently owned 
and operated and are not dominant in their fields, and governmental 
jurisdictions with populations of less than 50,000.
    DHS has reviewed this regulation in accordance with the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act and certifies that this rule will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
The factual basis for this determination is that this rule directly 
regulates individuals, who are not, for purposes of the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act, within the definition of small entities established by 
5 U.S.C. 601(6). DHS received no public comments challenging this 
certification.

List of Subjects

    Accordingly, DHS adopts the regulatory amendments proposed on July 
22, 2015. In addition, DHS modifies certain provisions based on 
comments received in response to the proposed rule so that chapter I of 
title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations reads as follows:

8 CFR Part 103

    Administrative practice and procedure, Authority delegations 
(Government agencies), Freedom of information, Privacy, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Surety bonds.

8 CFR Part 212

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aliens, Immigration, 
Passports and visas, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

PART 103--IMMIGRATION BENEFITS; BIOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS; 
AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS

0
1. The authority citation for part 103 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  5 U.S.C. 301, 552, 552a; 8 U.S.C. 1101, 1103, 1304, 
1356; 31 U.S.C. 9701; Pub. L. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135; 6 U.S.C. 1 et 
seq.; E.O. 12356, 47 FR 14874, 15557, 3 CFR, 1982 Comp., p. 166; 8 
CFR part 2; Pub. L. 112-54.


Sec.  103.2  [Amended]

0
2. Section 103.2 is amended by:
0
a. In paragraphs (a)(2) and (3), (b)(6) and (7), and (b)(9) and (10) by 
removing ``an benefit request'' and adding in its place ``a benefit 
request'', wherever it appears; and
0
b. In paragraph (b)(12) by removing ``An benefit request'' and adding 
in its place ``A benefit request'', wherever it appears.

PART 212--DOCUMENTARY REQUIREMENTS; NONIMMIGRANTS; WAIVERS; 
ADMISSION OF CERTAIN INADMISSIBLE ALIENS; PAROLE

0
3. The authority citation for part 212 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  8 U.S.C. 1101 and note, 1102, 1103, 1182 and note, 
1184, 1187, 1223, 1225, 1226, 1227, 1255, 1359; 8 U.S.C. 1185 note 
(section 7209 of Pub. L. 108-458); 8 CFR part 2. Section 212.1(q) 
also issued under section 702, Pub. L. 110-229, 122 Stat. 754, 854.
0
4. Section 212.7 is amended by:
0
a. Removing the paragraph (a) subject heading; and
0
b. Revising paragraph (e).
    The revision reads as follows:


212.7  Waivers of certain grounds of inadmissibility.

* * * * *
    (e) Provisional unlawful presence waivers of inadmissibility. The 
provisions of this paragraph (e) apply to certain aliens who are 
pursuing consular immigrant visa processing.
    (1) Jurisdiction. USCIS has exclusive jurisdiction to grant a 
provisional unlawful presence waiver under this paragraph (e). An alien 
applying for a provisional unlawful presence waiver must file with 
USCIS the form designated by USCIS, with the fees prescribed in 8 CFR 
103.7(b), and in accordance with the form instructions.
    (2) Provisional unlawful presence waiver; in general. (i) USCIS may 
adjudicate applications for a provisional unlawful presence waiver of 
inadmissibility based on section 212(a)(9)(B)(v) of the Act filed by 
eligible aliens described in paragraph (e)(3) of this section. USCIS 
will only approve such provisional unlawful presence waiver 
applications in accordance with the conditions outlined in paragraph 
(e) of this section. Consistent with section 212(a)(9)(B)(v) of the 
Act, the decision whether to approve a provisional unlawful presence 
waiver application is discretionary. A pending or approved provisional 
unlawful presence waiver does not constitute a grant of a lawful 
immigration status or a period of stay authorized by the Secretary.
    (ii) A pending or an approved provisional unlawful presence waiver 
does not support the filing of any application for interim immigration 
benefits, such as employment authorization or an advance parole 
document. Any application for an advance parole document or employment 
authorization that is submitted in connection with a provisional 
unlawful presence waiver application will be rejected.

[[Page 50276]]

    (3) Eligible aliens. Except as provided in paragraph (e)(4) of this 
section, an alien may be eligible to apply for and receive a 
provisional unlawful presence waiver for the grounds of inadmissibility 
under section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) or (II) of the Act if he or she meets 
the requirements in this paragraph. An alien may be eligible to apply 
for and receive a waiver if he or she:
    (i) Is present in the United States at the time of filing the 
application for a provisional unlawful presence waiver;
    (ii) Provides biometrics to USCIS at a location in the United 
States designated by USCIS;
    (iii) Upon departure, would be inadmissible only under section 
212(a)(9)(B)(i) of the Act at the time of the immigrant visa interview;
    (iv) Has a case pending with the Department of State, based on:
    (A) An approved immigrant visa petition, for which the Department 
of State immigrant visa processing fee has been paid; or
    (B) Selection by the Department of State to participate in the 
Diversity Visa Program under section 203(c) of the Act for the fiscal 
year for which the alien registered;
    (v) Will depart from the United States to obtain the immigrant 
visa; and
    (vi) Meets the requirements for a waiver provided in section 
212(a)(9)(B)(v) of the Act.
    (4) Ineligible aliens. Notwithstanding paragraph (e)(3) of this 
section, an alien is ineligible for a provisional unlawful presence 
waiver under paragraph (e) of this section if:
    (i) The alien is under the age of 17;
    (ii) The alien does not have a case pending with the Department of 
State, based on:
    (A) An approved immigrant visa petition, for which the Department 
of State immigrant visa processing fee has been paid; or
    (B) Selection by the Department of State to participate in the 
Diversity Visa program under section 203(c) of the Act for the fiscal 
year for which the alien registered;
    (iii) The alien is in removal proceedings, in which no final order 
has been entered, unless the removal proceedings are administratively 
closed and have not been recalendared at the time of filing the 
application for a provisional unlawful presence waiver;
    (iv) The alien is subject to an administratively final order of 
removal, deportation, or exclusion under any provision of law 
(including an in absentia order under section 240(b)(5) of the Act), 
unless the alien has already filed and USCIS has already granted, 
before the alien applies for a provisional unlawful presence waiver 
under 8 CFR 212.7(e), an application for consent to reapply for 
admission under section 212(a)(9)(A)(iii) of the Act and 8 CFR 
212.2(j);
    (v) CBP or ICE, after service of notice under 8 CFR 241.8, has 
reinstated a prior order of removal under section 241(a)(5) of the Act, 
either before the filing of the provisional unlawful presence waiver 
application or while the provisional unlawful presence waiver 
application is pending; or
    (vi) The alien has a pending application with USCIS for lawful 
permanent resident status.
    (5) Filing. (i) An alien must file an application for a provisional 
unlawful presence waiver of the unlawful presence inadmissibility bars 
under section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) or (II) of the Act on the form 
designated by USCIS, in accordance with the form instructions, with the 
fee prescribed in 8 CFR 103.7(b), and with the evidence required by the 
form instructions.
    (ii) An application for a provisional unlawful presence waiver will 
be rejected and the fee and package returned to the alien if the alien:
    (A) Fails to pay the required filing fee or correct filing fee for 
the provisional unlawful presence waiver application;
    (B) Fails to sign the provisional unlawful presence waiver 
application;
    (C) Fails to provide his or her family name, domestic home address, 
and date of birth;
    (D) Is under the age of 17;
    (E) Does not include evidence of:
    (1) An approved immigrant visa petition;
    (2) Selection by the Department of State to participate in the 
Diversity Visa Program under section 203(c) of the Act for the fiscal 
year for which the alien registered; or
    (3) Eligibility as a derivative beneficiary of an approved 
immigrant visa petition or of an alien selected for participation in 
the Diversity Visa Program as provided in this section and outlined in 
section 203(d) of the Act.
    (F) Fails to include documentation evidencing:
    (1) That the alien has paid the immigrant visa processing fee to 
the Department of State for the immigrant visa application upon which 
the alien's approved immigrant visa petition is based; or
    (2) In the case of a diversity immigrant, that the Department of 
State selected the alien to participate in the Diversity Visa Program 
for the fiscal year for which the alien registered.
    (6) Biometrics. (i) All aliens who apply for a provisional unlawful 
presence waiver under this section will be required to provide 
biometrics in accordance with 8 CFR 103.16 and 103.17, as specified on 
the form instructions.
    (ii) Failure to appear for biometric services. If an alien fails to 
appear for a biometric services appointment or fails to provide 
biometrics in the United States as directed by USCIS, a provisional 
unlawful presence waiver application will be considered abandoned and 
denied under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(13). The alien may not appeal or file a 
motion to reopen or reconsider an abandonment denial under 8 CFR 103.5.
    (7) Burden and standard of proof. The alien has the burden to 
establish, by a preponderance of the evidence, eligibility for a 
provisional unlawful presence waiver as described in this paragraph, 
and under section 212(a)(9)(B)(v) of the Act, including that the alien 
merits a favorable exercise of discretion.
    (8) Adjudication. USCIS will adjudicate a provisional unlawful 
presence waiver application in accordance with this paragraph and 
section 212(a)(9)(B)(v) of the Act. If USCIS finds that the alien is 
not eligible for a provisional unlawful presence waiver, or if USCIS 
determines in its discretion that a waiver is not warranted, USCIS will 
deny the waiver application. Notwithstanding 8 CFR 103.2(b)(16), USCIS 
may deny an application for a provisional unlawful presence waiver 
without prior issuance of a request for evidence or notice of intent to 
deny.
    (9) Notice of decision. (i) USCIS will notify the alien and the 
alien's attorney of record or accredited representative of the decision 
in accordance with 8 CFR 103.2(b)(19). USCIS may notify the Department 
of State of the denial of an application for a provisional unlawful 
presence waiver. A denial is without prejudice to the alien's filing 
another provisional unlawful presence waiver application under this 
paragraph (e), provided the alien meets all of the requirements in this 
part, including that the alien's case must be pending with the 
Department of State. An alien also may elect to file a waiver 
application under paragraph (a)(1) of this section after departing the 
United States, appearing for his or her immigrant visa interview at the 
U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad, and after the Department of State 
determines the alien's admissibility and eligibility for an immigrant 
visa.
    (ii) Denial of an application for a provisional unlawful presence 
waiver is not a final agency action for purposes of

[[Page 50277]]

section 10(c) of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 704.
    (10) Withdrawal of waiver applications. An alien may withdraw his 
or her application for a provisional unlawful presence waiver at any 
time before USCIS makes a final decision. Once the case is withdrawn, 
USCIS will close the case and notify the alien and his or her attorney 
or accredited representative. The alien may file a new application for 
a provisional unlawful presence waiver, in accordance with the form 
instructions and required fees, provided that the alien meets all of 
the requirements included in this paragraph (e).
    (11) Appeals and motions to reopen. There is no administrative 
appeal from a denial of a request for a provisional unlawful presence 
waiver under this section. The alien may not file, pursuant to 8 CFR 
103.5, a motion to reopen or reconsider a denial of a provisional 
unlawful presence waiver application under this section.
    (12) Approval and conditions. A provisional unlawful presence 
waiver granted under this section:
    (i) Does not take effect unless, and until, the alien who applied 
for and obtained the provisional unlawful presence waiver:
    (A) Departs from the United States;
    (B) Appears for an immigrant visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or 
consulate; and
    (C) Is determined to be otherwise eligible for an immigrant visa by 
the Department of State in light of the approved provisional unlawful 
presence waiver.
    (ii) Waives, upon satisfaction of the conditions described in 
paragraph (e)(12)(i), the alien's inadmissibility under section 
212(a)(9)(B) of the Act only for purposes of the application for an 
immigrant visa and admission to the United States as an immigrant based 
on the approved immigrant visa petition upon which a provisional 
unlawful presence waiver application is based or selection by the 
Department of State to participate in the Diversity Visa Program under 
section 203(c) of the Act for the fiscal year for which the alien 
registered, with such selection being the basis for the alien's 
provisional unlawful presence waiver application;
    (iii) Does not waive any ground of inadmissibility other than, upon 
satisfaction of the conditions described in paragraph (e)(12)(i), the 
grounds of inadmissibility under section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) or (II) of 
the Act.
    (13) Validity. Until the provisional unlawful presence waiver takes 
full effect as provided in paragraph (e)(12) of this section, USCIS may 
reopen and reconsider its decision at any time. Once a provisional 
unlawful presence waiver takes full effect as defined in paragraph 
(e)(12) of this section, the period of unlawful presence for which the 
provisional unlawful presence waiver is granted is waived indefinitely, 
in accordance with and subject to paragraph (a)(4) of this section.
    (14) Automatic revocation. The approval of a provisional unlawful 
presence waiver is revoked automatically if:
    (i) The Department of State denies the immigrant visa application 
after completion of the immigrant visa interview based on a finding 
that the alien is ineligible to receive an immigrant visa for any 
reason other than inadmissibility under section 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) or 
(II) of the Act. This automatic revocation does not prevent the alien 
from applying for a waiver of inadmissibility for unlawful presence 
under section 212(a)(9)(B)(v) of the Act and 8 CFR 212.7(a) or for any 
other relief from inadmissibility on any other ground for which a 
waiver is available and for which the alien may be eligible;
    (ii) The immigrant visa petition approval associated with the 
provisional unlawful presence waiver is at any time revoked, withdrawn, 
or rendered invalid but not otherwise reinstated for humanitarian 
reasons or converted to a widow or widower petition;
    (iii) The immigrant visa registration is terminated in accordance 
with section 203(g) of the Act, and has not been reinstated in 
accordance with section 203(g) of the Act; or
    (iv) The alien enters or attempts to reenter the United States 
without inspection and admission or parole at any time after the alien 
files the provisional unlawful presence waiver application and before 
the approval of the provisional unlawful presence waiver takes effect 
in accordance with paragraph (e)(12) of this section.

Jeh Charles Johnson,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-17934 Filed 7-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-97-P