[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 166 (Wednesday, August 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 52623]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18763]



[[Page 52623]]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[OMB Control Number 1615-0030]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Extension, Without 
Change, of a Currently Approved Collection: Application for Waiver of 
the Foreign Residence Requirement of Section 212(e) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of 
Homeland Security.

ACTION: 60-Day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to comment upon this proposed extension of a currently 
approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is 
published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the 
nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, 
the estimated burden (i.e., the time, effort, and resources used by the 
respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the 
actual information collection instruments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until 
October 26, 2020.

ADDRESSES: All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 
1615-0030 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID 
USCIS-2008-0012. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal 
website at http://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-
2008-0012. USCIS is limiting communications for this Notice as a result 
of USCIS' COVID-19 response actions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, 
Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone 
number 202-272-8377 (This is not a toll-free number. Comments are not 
accepted via telephone message.) Please note contact information 
provided here is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not 
for individual case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information 
about the status of their individual cases can check Case Status 
Online, available at the USCIS website at http://www.uscis.gov, or call 
the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments

    You may access the information collection instrument with 
instructions, or additional information by visiting the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal site at: http://www.regulations.gov and enter USCIS-
2008-0012 in the search box. All submissions will be posted, without 
change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you 
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You 
may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that 
you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may 
withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it 
determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For 
additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is 
available via the link in the footer of http://www.regulations.gov.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies should address one or more of the following four points:
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

    (1) Type of Information Collection: Extension, Without Change, of a 
Currently Approved Collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Application for Waiver of the 
Foreign Residence Requirement of Section 212(e) of the Immigration and 
Nationality Act.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
DHS sponsoring the collection: Form I-612; USCIS.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals and Households. This 
information collection is necessary and may be submitted only by an 
alien who believes that compliance with foreign residence requirements 
would impose exceptional hardship on his or her spouse or child who is 
a citizen of the United States, or a lawful permanent resident; or that 
returning to the country of his or her nationality or last permanent 
residence would subject him or her to persecution on account of race, 
religion, or political opinion. Certain aliens admitted to the United 
States as exchange visitors are subject to the foreign residence 
requirements of section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(the Act). Section 212(e) of the Act also provides for a waiver of the 
foreign residence requirements in certain instances.
    (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-612 is 
7,200 and the estimated hour burden per response is .333 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 2,398 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 $882,000.

    Dated: August 21, 2020.
Samantha L. Deshommes,
Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland 
Security.
[FR Doc. 2020-18763 Filed 8-25-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-97-P