Fraud and Misrepresentations

A foreign national faces lifetime exclusion from the United States whenever a misrepresentation is such that immigration consequences result, unless a waiver of inadmissibility is granted. The immigration laws instruct that a foreign national is inadmissible if he or she “by fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact, seeks to procure (or has sought to procure or has procured) a visa, or other documentation, or admission into the United States or other benefit provided.” Fraud waivers are difficult to obtain, and only are available to intending immigrants who are the spouse, son, or daughter of a permanent resident or U.S. citizen; moreover, a showing of extreme hardship must be made to that person, and not to the intending immigrant who made the misrepresentation.

Waivers for Certain Criminal Grounds of Inadmissibility

There are two ways in which waivers of criminal grounds of inadmissibility can be obtained. The first method requires evidence of extreme hardship to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse, parent, son or daughter. The second method requires evidence of that the alien is inadmissible under certain provisions of law or in cases where the underlying criminal conduct occurred more than fifteen years ago; that admission to the United States would not be contrary to the national welfare, safety, or the security of the United States; and that he or she has been rehabilitated.

A number of crimes are covered by these waivers, including crimes involving moral turpitude, a single conviction of simple possession of thirty grams or less of marijuana, multiple criminal convictions, prostitution, and offenses by diplomats asserting immunity from prosecution for serious criminal activities. This waiver is not, however, available for crimes of murder or torture or for admission of acts constituting murder or torture or to a foreign national who has been convicted of an aggravated felony since the date of admission as a legal permanent resident or if the alien has not continuously resided in the United States for the seven years immediately preceding the initiation of removal proceedings.