INA §212(d)(11) Waiver Factors #
Once a person has met these requirements, she then must convince the adjudicator to grant the waiver because of one or more of the following grounds:
- for “humanitarian purposes”
- to “assure family unity” or
- When it is “otherwise in the public interest”
NO WAIVER EXISTS FOR SOMEONE WHO #
• assisted someone other than, or in addition to, her own son/daughter, parent, or spouse;
• seeks to immigrate through the fourth preference category (siblings of U.S. citizens);
• seeks to immigrate through a work visa;
• must establish good moral character; or
• applies for some other form of relief (although certain forms of relief have general waivers that may apply, see Section II(A)(2).
WAIVER EXISTS FOR #
A limited waiver exists for the alien smuggling ground of inadmissibility. There are two basic requirements for this discretionary waiver:
- A lawful permanent resident who temporarily traveled abroad voluntarily (not under an order of deportation or removal), and is otherwise admissible;
- OR
- A person applying for a green card based on a family-based petition (including immediate relatives or through a first, second, or third preference visa petition—but not through a fourth preference visa petition for brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens).
Additional Requirement #
The person must have smuggled only her spouse, parent, son, or daughter (and no other individual). These are the basic eligibility criteria for the inadmissibility waiver.