USCIS Form I-612

I-612, Application for Waiver of the Foreign Residence Requirement (under Section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as Amended) Exchange Visitors (J-1) may file this application to apply for a waiver of the two-year foreign residence requirement of INA Section 212(e). Forms and Document Downloads Form I-612 (PDF, 488.83 KB) Instructions for Form I-612 (PDF, 327.69 KB) Form Details Edition Date Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format. If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.

If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions . Where to File If you are filing Form I-612 because: You have an exceptional hardship to your U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse or child; or You believe that returning to your country of nationality or last residence would subject you to persecution on account of race, religion, or political opinion Mail your form to the filing location based on where you live. If you live in: Mail your form to: Alaska Armed Forces – America Armed Forces – Europe Armed Forces – Pacific Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Maine Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Montana Nebraska New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Dakota Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Dakota Tennessee Utah Vermont Washington Wisconsin Wyoming USCIS Elgin Lockbox U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS Attn: I-612 P.O. Box 4224 Carol Stream, IL 60197-4224 FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS Attn: I-612 (Box 4224) 2500 Westfield Drive Elgin, IL 60124-7836 Alabama American Samoa Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Micronesia Mississippi Nevada New Mexico North Carolina Northern Mariana Islands Oklahoma Palau Puerto Rico South Carolina Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Virginia West Virginia USCIS Phoenix Lockbox U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS Attn: I-612 P.O. Box 20128 Phoenix, AZ 85036-0128 FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS Attn: I-612 (Box 20128) 2108 E. Elliot Rd. Tempe, AZ 85284-1806 If you are requesting a waiver of INA 212(e) because: You received a request from an interested U.S. government agency; You received a written statement from your country of nationality or last foreign residence that it has no objection to the waiver; or A state’s Department of Public Health, or its equivalent, sent a request to the U.S. Department of State for you to work in a medically underserved area (Conrad Waiver Program) Follow the process described on the Department of State website.

Filing Fee You can find the filing fee for Form I-612 by visiting our Fee Schedule page. Checklist of Required Initial Evidence (for informational purposes only) Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-612. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form.

Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations. If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English. Did you provide the following? A statement detailing the hardship or persecution that will occur if you return to your country of citizenship or nationality; Copies of all Forms DS-2019/IAP-66, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status, for all exchange programs in which you or your spouse participated (if applicable); and A copy of your Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record.

If you are applying for a waiver of the foreign residence requirement because your departure from the United States would impose exceptional hardship on your U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse or child, did you provide the following? Evidence of your spouse’s or child’s U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status; Evidence of the relationship between you and your spouse or child; and Evidence of legal termination of all prior marriages for you and your spouse (if applicable). Form Filing Tips Filing Tips: Review our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form. Don’t forget to sign your form.

We will reject any unsigned form. Last Reviewed/Updated: 06/01/2026