Success Story: Approval of an I-601 Vaccination Waiver for a Danish National 

Success Story: Approval of an I-601 Vaccination Waiver for a Danish National 

Our client, a Danish national married to a U.S. citizen, filed an I-130 form (petition for an alien relative) and an I-485 form (adjustment of status) while present in the U.S. They reached out to our firm to specifically manage their I-601 vaccine waiver. 

The I-601 vaccine waiver is a specific use of the Form I-601 (Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility). This is where an applicant files the waiver to excuse themselves from the immigration vaccination requirement based on sincere religious beliefs or moral convictions against vaccination. While not having the required vaccinations can make a person inadmissible to the U.S., if they have moral or religious reasons for not getting a vaccine, then this requirement may be waived. However, the applicant must object to all vaccinations, not just specific ones, and cannot pick and choose which vaccines to refuse. 

The I-601 vaccination waiver is specifically for applicants who want an exemption based on religious/moral grounds and are actively seeking adjustment of status (I-485), while having an approved I-130 form. The best time to file for an I-601 vaccine waiver is concurrently with the I-485, or shortly after the main immigration application has been submitted. Waiting too long can cause delays or trigger more often than not a request for further evidence from USCIS. 

In our client’s case, they had strong moral and religious convictions against vaccines. Because our clients filed their I-485 and I-130 forms on their own, the I-601 waiver was submitted after. However, luckily for our clients this did not cause any delay. In fact their I-601 waiver was accepted during the adjustment of status consular interview!

Our client and their spouse are now happily living together in the U.S., without having to break any of their moral or religious beliefs! 

Cases like this show how much smoother the I-601 vaccine waiver process can go with experienced guidance from the start, even when it’s filed after the initial I-130 and I-485, as it was here. If you have sincere religious or moral objections to vaccination and are navigating an adjustment of status case, Blue Lake Law can help you prepare a well-documented waiver application, avoid unnecessary delays or requests for evidence, and give you the best chance of approval without compromising your beliefs. Contact us today to discuss your case.