Cancellation of Removal

Aliens who can show presence in the U.S. for at least ten years, good moral character, and exceptional and extremely unusual hardship to U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouses, parents or children, can apply for this benefit in the context of a removal proceeding before an Immigration Judge. Only 4,000 numbers are available per year for permanent residence under this provision. The hardship test is extremely difficult to satisfy. Since the old seven year Suspension remedy was replaced by the Cancellation remedy in 1997, presumably less than 4,000 people have been granted Cancellation each year, since there have been no publicized backlogs.