If you are inadmissible to the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) section 212(a)(9)(A) or (C)—located in the United States Code at 8 U.S.C. §1182—you may use United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form I-212 to ask for consent to reapply for admission to the U.S. (known as consent to reapply or permission to reapply) so you can lawfully return to the United States.
Form I-212 is available online at https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-212.pdf.
Where to File
If you are an applicant filing Form I-212 with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), you can file electronically online at https://e-safe.cbp.dhs.gov/s/login/?ec=302&startURL=%2Fs%2F. And manual filing will continue to be available in person at CBP designated ports of entry.
You can search “Form I-212” or “I-212” on the CBP website located at https://www.cbp.gov/ for more information if you:
• Wish to seek admission as a nonimmigrant aet a U.S. port of entry but are not required to obtain a nonimmigrant visa; or
• Are a nonimmigrant visa applicant (other than a K, T, U, or V nonimmigrant) at a U.S. Consulate.
If you are in removal proceedings, follow the special filing instructions the immigration court gave you. You should also carefully read the information on USCIS Form I-212 and the Direct Filing Addresses pages online at https://www.uscis.gov/forms/direct-filing-addresses-for-form-i-212-application-for-permission-to-reapply-for-admission-into-the.
For more information on obtaining immigration benefits while in removal proceedings, see the USCIS website at https://www.uscis.gov/laws-and-policy/other-resources/immigration-benefits-in-eoir-removal-proceedings.
Filing Fee
The filing fee for Form I-212 is $930. When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing and biometric service fees are final and nonrefundable, regardless of any action taken by USCIS on your application, petition, or request—or if you withdraw your request.
If You File at a USCIS Lockbox
If you file at a USCIS lockbox, pay the fee with a money order, personal check, or by credit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
If You File at a Service Center
If you file at a service center, you cannot pay fees with a credit card—you can only pay with a money order, personal check, or cashier’s check.
If You File at a Field Office
You cannot pay fees with a money order or cashier’s check when filing at a field office. You can only pay with a personal check, debit card, credit card, or a reloadable prepaid credit or debit card.
If You File Your Application With CBP
Contact CBP to determine whether you must attend a biometric services appointment. Read the Form I-212 instructions for more information, or go to CBP’s website at https://www.cbp.gov/ and search “Form I-212” or “I-212”.
If You File Your Application With Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)
Read the Form I-212 instructions and the preorder filing instructions you receive in court to determine how to submit the payment.
Checklist of Required Initial Evidence (For Informational Purposes Only)
This checklist is an optional tool to use as your prepare your Form I-212, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. USCIS recommends you review those statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements before completing and submitting your Form I-212. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form 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 to English.
Checklist: Did you provide the following?
• Copies of documentation relating to every exclusion, deportation, or removal proceeding initiated against you, including the final order(s) of exclusion, deportation, or removal;
• Evidence of your relationship to any relatives listed in your application. In addition, if your relative is a U.S. citizen, you must submit proof of their U.S. citizenship. If they are not a U.S. citizen, you must provide their:
o Full name;
o Date of birth;
o Place of birth;
o Place of admission to, or entry into, the United States;
o Current immigration status;
o Immigration status at the time of entry; and
o A-Number, if known.
• Evidence regarding your inadmissibility under INA section 212(a)(9)(c) (if applicable), including:
o Your exclusion, deportation, or removal from the United States;
o The date you entered or attempted to reenter the United States without being admitted or paroled;
o The date of your last departure from the United States; and
o Evidence of your absence from the United States for 10 years since your last departure, including:
• Copies of entry/exit stamps from foreign countries in your passport;
• Receipts for, or copies of, airplane tickets;
• Registration of your residence abroad;
• Utility bills in your name at the residence abroad;
• Employment records from your foreign job; and
• Any other relevant evidence; and
• Evidence of favorable and unfavorable factors listed in the form instructions.
To Be Notified By E-mail or Text Message
If you want to receive an e-mail or text message confirming that USCIS has accepted your Form I-212 at a USCIS lockbox facility, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the first page of your application.
In Texas, as in other states, individuals who are inadmissible to the United States under INA section 212(a)(9)(A) or (C) can seek permission to reapply for admission to the U.S. by filing Form I-212 with the USCIS. This form is used to request consent to reapply for admission after being previously removed or after unlawful presence in the U.S. The form and instructions are available online, and applicants can file electronically via the CBP website or manually at designated ports of entry. The filing fee for Form I-212 is $930, which is nonrefundable. Payment methods vary depending on where the form is filed: USCIS lockbox (money order, personal check, credit card with Form G-1450), service center (money order, personal check, cashier’s check), field office (personal check, debit card, credit card, prepaid card), and CBP (contact CBP for instructions). If in removal proceedings, special instructions from the immigration court must be followed. Applicants must also provide a checklist of required initial evidence, including documentation of previous immigration proceedings and evidence of relationships to any U.S. relatives. Translations must be provided for any documents not in English. To receive electronic notification upon acceptance of the form, applicants can complete Form G-1145 and attach it to their application.
