In order to have the I-601 extreme hardship waiver approved, the applicant must document how his or her lawful permanent resident spouse or US citizen spouse or parent will suffer if the waiver is not granted. The waiver requires a showing of “extreme hardship” to the qualifying relatives. Although suffering to children and other family members is relevant, their hardship will somehow need to apply to the qualifying family members.Waiver applications should include detailed statements from the applicant and his or her family members as well as evidence of any and all medical and psychological conditions, financial hardship, emotional bonds and country conditions. Even if the different hardship factors individually do not rise to the level of “extreme,” an applicant can still prove “extreme hardship” if the totality of all hardship factors is extreme when considering the evidence in the aggregate. Consequently, it is essential to leave no evidence out of the packet and to assure that all potential hardship elements are fully explored and documented.