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Policy Manual
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Book outline for Policy Manual
  • Policy Manual
    • Search
    • Updates
    • Table of Contents
    • Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures
    • Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants
    • Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole
    • Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees
    • Volume 5 - Adoptions
    • Volume 6 - Immigrants
    • Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status
    • Volume 8 - Admissibility
    • Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief
      • Part A - Waiver Policies and Procedures
        • Chapter 1 - Purpose and Background
        • Chapter 2 - Forms of Relief
        • Chapter 3 - Review of Inadmissibility Grounds
        • Chapter 4 - Waiver Eligibility and Evidence
        • Chapter 5 - Discretion
        • Chapter 6 - Validity of an Approved Waiver
        • Chapter 7 - Denials, Appeals, and Motions
      • Part B - Extreme Hardship
      • Part C - Family Unity, Humanitarian Purposes, or Public or National Interest
      • Part D - Health-Related Grounds of Inadmissibility
      • Part E - Criminal and Related Grounds of Inadmissibility
      • Part F - Fraud and Willful Misrepresentation
      • Part G - Unlawful Presence
      • Part H - Provisional Unlawful Presence
      • Part I - Immigrant Membership in Totalitarian Party
      • Part J - Alien Smuggling
      • Part K - Noncitizens Subject to Civil Penalty
      • Part L - Refugees and Asylees
      • Part M - Temporary Protected Status Applicants
      • Part N - Special Immigrant Juvenile Adjustment Applicants
      • Part O - Victims of Trafficking
      • Part P - Crime Victims
      • Part Q - Violence Against Women Act Applicants
      • Part R - Other Waivers and Provisions Overcoming Inadmissibility
      • Part S - Consent to Reapply
    • Volume 10 - Employment Authorization
    • Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents
    • Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization
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  2. Policy Manual
  3. Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief
  4. Part A - Waiver Policies and Procedures
  5. Chapter 3 - Review of Inadmissibility Grounds

Chapter 3 - Review of Inadmissibility Grounds

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  • Guidance
  • Resources (13)
  • Appendices (0)
  • Updates (4)
  • History (0)

A. Verification of Inadmissibility

Before adjudicating a waiver, the officer must verify that the applicant is inadmissible. [1] The officer must identify all inadmissibility grounds that apply, even if an immigration judge, a consular officer, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer, or a different USCIS officer made a prior inadmissibility determination. [2] 

An applicant’s file should reflect evidence of inadmissibility. Examples of evidence that may indicate an applicant is inadmissible may include but is not limited to:​

  • A visa refusal worksheet;

  • Background check results;

  • A criminal disposition;

  • A sworn statement; and

  • A Record of Arrests and Prosecutions sheet (police arrest record). 

If the officer identifies that the applicant is inadmissible, the officer should then determine whether a waiver or other type of relief is available and whether the applicant meets the eligibility requirements for the relief. [3] 

B. Grounds Included in Waiver Application

The officer must review all inadmissibility grounds that the applicant lists in the waiver application. If the applicant states that he or she is inadmissible but there is no evidence of inadmissibility in the record, then the officer should issue a Request for Evidence (RFE). The officer should request that the applicant provide a written statement explaining why the applicant thinks he or she is inadmissible. The officer should proceed with the waiver adjudication if the officer determines that the applicant is inadmissible.

An applicant may file a waiver application after another government agency, such as the Department of State or CBP, has found the applicant inadmissible. In general, USCIS accepts another government agency’s finding of inadmissibility. The officer should only question another government agency’s inadmissibility determination if:

  • The government agency’s finding was clearly erroneous; or

  • The applicant has shown that he or she is clearly not inadmissible.

The officer should work with the other government agency to resolve the issue through appropriate procedures.

C. Grounds Not Included in Waiver Application

If the officer identifies additional inadmissibility grounds based on events that are not included in the waiver application, the officer should notify the applicant and the applicant’s representative, if applicable. The officer should follow current USCIS guidance on the issuance of RFEs, Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID), and Denials. 

Footnotes


[^ 1] For more on admissibility determinations, see Volume 8, Admissibility [8 USCIS-PM].

[^ 2] When verifying the inadmissibility, the officer may determine that the applicant is admissible and does not require a waiver. For more on admissibility determinations, see Volume 8, Admissibility [8 USCIS-PM].

[^ 3] For specific scenarios that the officer may encounter during the adjudication of a waiver, see Chapter 4, Waiver Eligibility and Evidence, Section C, Evidence [9 USCIS-PM A.4(C)].

Resources

Legal Authorities

8 CFR 212.7 - Waiver of certain grounds of inadmissibility

INA 207, 8 CFR 207 - Annual admission of refugees and admission of emergency situation refugees

INA 209, 8 CFR 209 - Adjustment of status of refugees and asylees

INA 210, 8 CFR 210 - Special agricultural workers

INA 211, 8 CFR 211 - Admission of immigrants into the United States

INA 212, 8 CFR 212 - Excludable aliens

INA 214, 8 CFR 214 - Admission of nonimmigrants

INA 244, 8 CFR 244 - Temporary protected status

INA 245, 8 CFR 245 - Adjustment of status of nonimmigrant to that of person admitted for permanent residence

INA 245A, 8 CFR 245a - Adjustment of status of certain entrants before January 1, 1982 to that of person admitted for lawful residence

Forms

G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative

I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver

Other Materials

How to Use the USCIS Policy Manual Website (PDF, 2.99 MB)

Appendices

No appendices available at this time.

Updates

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Alien”

May 11, 2021

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “alien” with “noncitizen” or other appropriate terms throughout the Policy Manual where possible, as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Technical Update - Moving the Adjudicator’s Field Manual Content into the USCIS Policy Manual

May 21, 2020

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating and incorporating relevant Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) content into the USCIS Policy Manual. As that process is ongoing, USCIS has moved any remaining AFM content to its corresponding USCIS Policy Manual Part, in PDF format, until relevant AFM content has been properly incorporated into the USCIS Policy Manual. To the extent that a provision in the USCIS Policy Manual conflicts with remaining AFM content or Policy Memoranda, the updated information in the USCIS Policy Manual prevails. To find remaining AFM content, see the crosswalk (PDF, 350.49 KB) between the AFM and the Policy Manual.

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

3 USCIS-PM - Volume 3 - Humanitarian Protection and Parole

4 USCIS-PM - Volume 4 - Refugees and Asylees

5 USCIS-PM - Volume 5 - Adoptions

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

Technical Update - Replacing the Term “Foreign National”

October 08, 2019

This technical update replaces all instances of the term “foreign national” with “alien” throughout the Policy Manual as used to refer to a person who meets the definition provided in INA 101(a)(3) [“any person not a citizen or national of the United States”].

Affected Sections

1 USCIS-PM - Volume 1 - General Policies and Procedures

2 USCIS-PM - Volume 2 - Nonimmigrants

6 USCIS-PM - Volume 6 - Immigrants

7 USCIS-PM - Volume 7 - Adjustment of Status

8 USCIS-PM - Volume 8 - Admissibility

9 USCIS-PM - Volume 9 - Waivers and Other Forms of Relief

10 USCIS-PM - Volume 10 - Employment Authorization

11 USCIS-PM - Volume 11 - Travel and Identity Documents

12 USCIS-PM - Volume 12 - Citizenship and Naturalization

POLICY ALERT - Waiver Policies and Procedures

August 23, 2017

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance to address the general policies and procedures applicable to the adjudication of waivers of inadmissibility.

Read More
Affected Sections

9 USCIS-PM A - Part A - Waiver Policies and Procedures

Version History

No historical versions available.

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