I-881

Application for Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal (Pursuant to Section 203 of Public Law 105-100 (NACARA))

Agency
USCIS
Revision
Edition 01/20/25
Fillable fields
494
Pages
14
Official source
USCIS form page
Checked
October 20, 2026
Fill I-881 online
Page 1 of form I-881

Form I-881: Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal (NACARA)

Form I-881, Application for Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal (Pursuant to Section 203 of Public Law 105-100, NACARA), is used by people eligible to apply for that relief under section 203 of the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA 203). The instructions say it can be filed with USCIS in some cases and with the Immigration Court in others.

The instructions list six categories of applicants, all of whom have not been convicted of an aggravated felony. They cover certain registered ABC class members from El Salvador and Guatemala, certain asylum applicants, nationals of listed Eastern European and former Soviet countries, family members, and spouses or children who were battered or subjected to extreme cruelty.

The instructions warn that USCIS may use information in the application to place the applicant in immigration proceedings, even if the application is later withdrawn. The USCIS page lists edition 01/20/25.

Top of page 1 of Form I-881: Suspension of Deportation or Special Rule Cancellation of Removal (NACARA), as printed by USCIS

What's on Form I-881

Part 1: Information about you

Current legal name, other names used since birth, U.S. mailing address, date, city and country of birth, citizenship, A-Number, USCIS online account number and Social Security number.

Part 2: Application type

Boxes for Items 1 to 4 and Item 8, plus the name, A-Number and relationship of the spouse or parent who has applied, for family member applicants.

Part 3: Presence in the United States

Physical addresses for the last 10 years, departures from and returns to the United States, entry details and questions about past deportation or removal orders.

Parts 4 to 7: Work, money and family

Employment for the last 10 years, earnings and assets, marital history, children and parents.

Parts 8 to 10: Biographic details, history and hardship

Ethnicity, race, height, weight, eye and hair color, Yes or No questions on arrests and other history, and questions about hardship to the applicant and qualifying family members.

Parts 11 to 15: Signatures, interview and extra space

The applicant's signature, interpreter and preparer sections, Part 14 for the interview or hearing, and Part 15 for additional information.

How to fill out Form I-881

  1. 1

    Select the boxes in Part 2

    The form says to select all applicable boxes in Items 1 to 4. Family member applicants attach evidence of the relationship and give the spouse or parent's details in Items 5 to 7.

  2. 2

    Give 10 years of addresses and jobs

    Part 3 asks for every address lived at for 60 days or more in the last 10 years, current address first. Part 4 asks for all employment in the same period, most recent first.

  3. 3

    Explain any Yes in Part 9

    The form says a Yes answer in Part 9 needs an explanation in Part 15. For an arrest or conviction, the explanation includes each offense, its location, the date, any penalty or sentence and time served.

  4. 4

    Answer the Part 10 hardship questions

    The form notes that applicants under Part 2 are presumed to meet the extreme hardship requirement unless the record shows otherwise, but explanations are still given. Name each family member and their relationship.

  5. 5

    Write N/A or None and use Part 15

    Type or print in black ink. Write N/A where a question does not apply and None for a zero. Extra answers go in Part 15 with your name, A-Number, page, part and item number.

  6. 6

    Sign Part 11 and leave Part 14 blank

    A stamped or typewritten name is not accepted. Part 14 is completed before an asylum officer or immigration judge. This page lets you fill the form online free, then print it for signature.

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Where to file, evidence, interview and fees

Filing with USCIS

The USCIS page gives one address for U.S. Postal Service, FedEx, UPS and DHL: USCIS, Attn: Form I-881, in Montclair, California. The instructions say to send the original form and one copy, each with attachments, plus two passport-style photos.

Filing with the Immigration Court

The instructions describe a separate process for people in deportation or removal proceedings, following DHS instructions given at the master calendar hearing, with a copy to the DHS attorney and Form G-325A for applicants between 14 and 79.

Fee

The fee is on the USCIS Fee Schedule page and in Form G-1055, which can change. The instructions say an immigration judge may waive the fee for a court filing on a showing of inability to pay.

Supporting documents

The instructions list documents that may support continuous physical presence, such as leases, receipts and tax records, good moral character, such as letters from two witnesses, and extreme hardship, such as school and medical records.

The interview

The USCIS asylum office sends the interview notice. The instructions say to bring a copy of the application, original documents and identification, and an interpreter who is at least 18 if the interview cannot go ahead in fluent English.

Work permit

The instructions say applicants may apply for employment authorization with Form I-765. When it is filed with Form I-881, the fees are paid separately for each form.

Related forms

Who may file Form I-881?

  • Registered ABC class members

    Part 2, Item 1 covers a national of El Salvador who first entered on or before September 19, 1990, or of Guatemala who first entered on or before October 1, 1990, who registered on time for ABC settlement benefits and was not apprehended at entry after December 19, 1990.

  • Guatemalan and Salvadoran asylum applicants

    Part 2, Item 2 covers a national of Guatemala or El Salvador who filed an asylum application on or before April 1, 1990. The instructions say filing with USCIS is only while that asylum application is still pending with USCIS.

  • Nationals of listed Eastern European countries

    Part 2, Item 3 covers a person who entered on or before December 31, 1990, filed for asylum on or before December 31, 1991, and was then a national of the Soviet Union, Russia, a former Soviet republic or another country listed on the form.

  • Spouses, children, sons and daughters

    Part 2, Item 4 covers family of someone who has applied or is filing with them. The instructions say filing with USCIS is only when USCIS granted the relief to the spouse or parent, or their Form I-881 is pending with USCIS.

  • Spouses or children who were battered

    Part 2, Item 8 covers a spouse or child battered or subjected to extreme cruelty by a person in Items 1 to 3. The instructions say only the Immigration Court can decide this category, so it is filed there.

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Questions about Form I-881

Can Form I-881 be filed with USCIS or only in Immigration Court?

Both, depending on the case. The instructions say USCIS accepts it in the situations listed for each category, and an initial application before the Immigration Court is made by people in deportation or removal proceedings.

What if a person in proceedings does not fit the NACARA categories?

The instructions say they use Form EOIR-40 in deportation proceedings or Form EOIR-42B in removal proceedings instead.

What happens if USCIS does not grant the application?

The instructions say that if the applicant appears to be inadmissible or deportable, USCIS may place them in removal proceedings and refer the application to the Immigration Court for a decision.

Does USCIS provide an interpreter for the interview?

No. The instructions say the applicant brings an interpreter who is at least 18 and fluent in English and the applicant's language, and USCIS will not pay for the interpreter.

What is the Form I-881 filing fee?

USCIS fees change, so this page does not list one. The I-881 page points to the USCIS Fee Schedule, and the instructions point to Form G-1055.