US Waiver

Saeedposted 9 years ago

Hello,
Can someone help me to get idea about US waiver process, I have a criminal record of "fraud over 5k". Is it a serious charge in US custom and border agency, can my waiver application be rejected. I have no other criminal record and I have been to US numerous times in the past, I applied for waiver in the end of November 2014. it's mid April and there no answer from them, does anyone has similar situation?.

Thanks

Replies (recent first):

#137...Excellent Michelle are you are 100% correct. I thought for a second that I was hearing myself speak..lol Only thing I would slightly caution is regarding the letter of remorse/explanation. As you are already aware, this is a very critical part of the package. The person is supposed to explain what happened but should also remember to stay within the actual scope of the conviction.

An example is that this one downtown Toronto waiver company did a waiver on a guy that did not need one. Specifically, he had a Charge of Fraud over $5,000 that had been completely dismissed. He did not pay a fine and it had been completely thrown out by the judge. So they did his waiver and told him to elaborate on the Fraud. He then got a waiver without even needing one.

Essentially, It states under the immigration code that CBP can only use the elements of a relevant actual charge(not conviction) against a person if they "voluntarily admit" to the elements of committing the offence...whether verbally or in writing. So this means that they would combine the charge with the person's voluntary admission to committing the actual offence..and this can make a person inadmissible that has a charge but no conviction.

I actually found out about him by accident after his buddy had the same circumstances surrounding a PPT charge in Surrey but no conviction. We got his buddy cleared after showing that it was only a charge that resulted in a dismissal. So the buddy does not need a waiver but the Fraud charge guy still does because he already elaborated on the charge and this is what has made him technically inadmissible.

K SCOTT replied 5 years ago   #133

@Adelaide

My policy is this. If you apply for a waiver and are denied, I always re-apply for free. No time limit. You are not going to get a September Letter. You will either get a waiver, or a rejection based on that fact they are going to enforce the full 10 year ban. The truth is you are going to do waivers for the rest of your life.

I am going to assume you do not live in the GTA, so will have to do your fingerprints elsewhere. (not in our office I assume) The fee is $536.75. (taxes included)

Just to give you a comparison. I understand how frustrating this is. But there really is no "miracle" way around this. Your unfortunately a waiver person.

John Rogers replied 5 years ago   #132

I can give you the same policy that we give on September Letter cases...Our September Letter policy is that if we give a client our 100% assurance that they will get a September Letter and they only get a waiver(1 - 5 year)or a denial...then that client gets a complete 100% refund of whatever fee that they have paid to us to do their package.

The only condition is that they have to show us the actual original us entry waiver or denial letter that they have received in the mail to include the envelope that it came in. After that, they get the refund either on the spot in cash literally from my wallet or by etransfer the same day.

So far, we have not have had to give any refunds on the September Letters yet because I make sure by 1,000,000% that they will qualify before I give them that assurance.

So yeah it will be the same policy for you but in regards to getting a waiver.

I am thinking that starting in Dec 2020 that we will expand the September Letter policy even further by even refunding the person the $585us fee that they paid at the border. We may also even expand the policy to apply to all waiver clients in Dec 2021 or sooner.

I am not in the business of giving money back...lol..However, I have a lot of good people under me and we stand behind what we provide...as being a man of my word.

Also, you would know your chances of being denied while you are sitting at the table either with myself or one of my staff members.

However, unless you are a member of Hamas, Herzbollah, or Khalistan..lol We will take your case and ensure that you will not get denied.

K SCOTT replied 5 years ago   #131

@K SCOTT

Supposing I were to come see you next year when I plan to file my waiver and you do my waiver and it gets denied for whatever reason...Do you offer a discount or what's your specific protocol on doing the waiver over again?

Typically if a waiver is denied what's the best amount of time to wait for even trying to file again?

I'm hoping this isn't the case (getting denied) obviously but I just like to know generally what the process is.

Thanks

Adelaide replied 5 years ago   #130

@michelle well done!

John Rogers replied 5 years ago   #129

That sounds great Michelle.

Mine is only partly similar (fraud, and restitution, but not theft / gambling / etc).

Curious... how long after sentencing did this individual apply? (ie, how long has it been since the infraction?)

jazzsax1 replied 5 years ago   #128

Hi All, the following is a case that I have been working on for 2 years - waiver received yesterday - 5 years - first time application. Not all cases will be this fortunate and honestly, I am surprised - very happy - but surprised. Case involved FRAUD x 2, Gambling addiction, stealing from Federal Government, and $400k Restitution. Some Professional Advise for you when submitting your waiver, it is extremely important to show remorse, explain in detail what happened, and why you will not re-offend. You must absolutely show rehabilitation, and lots of it, either through court or on your own, both preferred. Attend Counselling, Volunteer your time helping others with the same addiction, and you must be able to show you have dealt with or are dealing with the Restitution. Do not ignore it, 2 years ago, this was not such a big deal, this has now changed. It is now a huge deal...Hope this helps anyone who is applying on their own. As always you can contact myself at info@fingerprintpardon.com or Ken and John. Keep in mind that each person is unique and the end results will vary depending on your circumstances.

Michelle replied 5 years ago   #127

I can only go by what you are writing here since I have not seen the particulars on your case...Generally yes if overstay is your only offence and you overstayed 1 year or more. You should be good after the 5 years are up.

Also, note that you will have to account for the reasons for the overstay and how you have overcome these reasons.

An example is that you overstayed 3 years and lived unlawfully with a boyfriend in Seattle that took care of you. Let's assume you had no ties to Canada other than parents in Surrey BC. So your packet would have to show how you no longer are a risk of overstaying again.

Let's say you no longer have the boyfriend and now finished or still in Nursing school at UBC. Among other things, you would have to show how you have the financial means to take care of yourself, proof of employment/student status and such. You could also show proof of student status and maybe proof of part-time employment. Employment does not mean you could throw in 2 pay stubs and say I work at Winners in downtown Vancouver.

Again, I am only speaking in general terms since there are specifics that you should tailor to your own case.

I think you may have trouble if nothing has changed since you overstayed in the USA. CBP could say "What proof do we have that you will not overstay again?"

Essentially, you will have to show how you no longer pose a risk of overstaying....based on your particular circumstances.

:: @K SCOTT added on 30 Aug ’18 · 10:00

You will also have to account for proper Canadian ties even when your ban is over. It is not necessarily that hard but a person has to be careful how it is presented to CBP when they make an entry....since if done incorrectly,(depending on the circumstances) it could go right into a future 5-year ban.

Again, if done properly, I believe that you could save yourself thousands of dollars by not having to file for future waivers...depending on your circumstances.

K SCOTT replied 5 years ago   #126

K SCOTT

Thank you for replying.

You're saying applying in my 5th year of my ban should give me a good shot at getting a waiver? I've read on here that one really shouldn't expect a realistic shot at a waiver until 5 years has passed.

If, for some reason, it was denied do they hold that against you on any future attempts and do they exactly tell you why a waiver was denied?

In addition if I were to get a waiver and when my 10 year ban is up do I still need to get waivers after that or do they just look at it as "you've done your time and you're good to go" after that?

Adelaide replied 5 years ago   #125

I would not be too concerned in your case. Luckily, you likely will not have to go through this process for the rest of your life...Unless you violate again or so.

It is true that they carefully examine each application. It is hard to comment on your case without knowing all of the particulars.

You can always give me a shout for a quick free chat at 1 888 908-3841 or 604 332-9213.

I think you likely won't have to hire anyone to do your case since it is not a really hard one.

K SCOTT replied 5 years ago   #124

K SCOTT

I have never ever done a waiver but plan on filing next year in which case I’ll be into the 5th year of my 10 year ban.

I’m just concerned that they actively look for stuff to screw you on in the adjudication process given the draconian policies of this Trump guy.

Adelaide replied 5 years ago   #123

Misrepresentation is indeed a lifetime ban. It should be indicated on your paperwork or maybe in your sworn statement. Misrepresentation is not necessarily hard to overcome but they definitely do not like it. However, if you have a simple overstay(and nothing else) then that is a different story.

Anyway, here is the immigration code on it:

(C) Misrepresentation.-

(i) In general.-Any alien who, by fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact, seeks to procure (or has sought to procure or has procured) a visa, other documentation, or admission into the United States or other benefit provided under this Act is inadmissible.

(ii)

9FALSELY CLAIMING CITIZENSHIP-

(I) IN GENERAL- Any alien who falsely represents, or has falsely represented,
himself or herself to be a citizen of the United States for any purpose or
benefit under this Act (including section 274A) or any other Federal or State
law is inadmissible.

An example is if you live in Surrey and say that you are going to shop at Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham. Then the officer finds out that you are actually going to be meeting a boyfriend in Seattle instead of going to the mall.

Another example is if the officer asks you if you have ever been arrested/charged in your life and you say no. He then does a computer search and sees a 1999 Charge only (no conviction) for Possession of a Narcotic(a joint). He could then say that technically it was Misrepresentation because you answered no to ever being arrested or ever charged but he found the 1999 Charge.

He could then say you are inadmissible not for the old charge but for telling them no when you had actually had a charge. Essentially, it is when a person says one thing but they actually find something different in the system or whatever you admitted to that was a material false statement. The 6Ci is the more relevant one.

I assume you overstayed at least 1 year or more? Then it is a 10-year ban. You may be halfway through your ban? It is always tricky in the forum by giving info without knowing all the facts or even seeing the paperwork. However, it is good for general info though.

I will say that this administration is tougher in general on anyone entering that is not a USA Citizen or Jay Treaty holder.

usentrywaiverservices.com

Anyway, I was just surprised when you said you only had an overstay but was doing another waiver. I assume that you are still within the 10-year ban?

.

K SCOTT replied 5 years ago   #122

#130- K SCOTT

Is misrepresentation something that can be added on after the fact? If I file a waiver do they actively go searching for things to screw you on?

I don’t have a misrepresentation charge just an overstay but can they dredge something up that somehow equates to misrepresentation in their eyes? If so is misrepresentation difficult to overcome?

I’ve read on different websites that it means a lifetime ban which seems really incredibly quite harsh but I’m not sure what the specifics of misrepresentation would actually mean.

One could get the feeling that this administration may be actively out to screw Canadians (given the whole NAFTA thing today on top of it).

Adelaide replied 5 years ago   #121

#126 & #128Yup Michelle you are correct although if her ban is only for an overstay and done...then she may not even need a waiver....depending on her situation. It will be different though if her ban was for overstay and Misrepresentation. If just a simple overstay then she may be good to go if they time has passed.

This can get tricky in the sense that if someone does not need a waiver, files for one and says the wrong in the packet...then they can actually talk themselves into needing a waiver for life.

#129 A lot of it will be what is in your sworn statement and in the system in general. An example is that a person can overstay but not necessarily had been working. An example is that we had a girl that overstayed for 5 years but was being taken care of by her boyfriend. She did not have to work so she technically did not generate any income. She lived off of his money.

K SCOTT replied 5 years ago   #120

#128 Michelle

So if one was working illegally by overstaying a visa (as one of many potential possible scenarios as I'm not claiming here that I did) in the US then obviously that's very much frowned upon. When addressed in a personal letter how does one overcome that? I imagine that's a difficult one for them to be forgiving of.

Adelaide replied 5 years ago   #119

#127 @ Adelaide, absolutely, even if the ban is done, and you will need to address the specific information in your personal letter especially if you were living in the USA.

Michelle replied 5 years ago   #118

If I have a ban for an overstay do I have to somehow account for it when I file a waiver?

Adelaide replied 5 years ago   #117

Hi All, an update for you....I had a client deliver paperwork to Customs, and it got refused....Main reason is the Custom officer was confused on the process, however, he did state that Head Office has told them that any paperwork that is not completed 100% correct is to be refused. He also stated that Calgary International Airport has been accepting too many "shady" applications. Now, he refused my client's paperwork, because he thought the I-192 Form is expired, it does say 06/30/2018 as expiry, but this is the most recent form, and it is the correct one to use. Do not use an older version. Second, reason: Officer thought my client needed to address the points for an overstay or deportation in his personal letter. This was not the case for my client and he did not need to address this. So unfortunately, my client has to make a second trip due to the inexperience of this Officer. However, it is does show that Customs is cracking down and maybe some of these shady companies will be put out of business. If you are doing a waiver on your own, make sure you know what you are doing also. Have a good weekend everyone...

Michelle replied 5 years ago   #116

I have actually never heard this from a client but maybe this is a new thing. This is also the first time that I have heard this....Although...I do remember in mid-2017 that one friend dropped off his packet at Victoria Preclearance and the officer looked at it and apparently immediately recognized us. My buddy said the officer did not say anything bad. The only thing apparently said was that we have seen this work before. It was surprising since we have not sent many people to Victoria BC Preclearance before. I did not think much of it until you posted what happened.

So yes it apparently seems that they may keep a database of companies and I believe that certain waiver applications from select businesses may face more scrutiny than others. I think it may be pointless for them to keep this database because a company can just change their name and would be in the clear under a new name.

I am going to assume that it is ones that are similar to the name of the Facebook Group that we are in. This particular company had made a lot of bad news in Ontario and I think that their waivers probably may get more scrutiny? I have never heard of them though refusing to take a packet because it was prepared by a certain business though... although anything is indeed possible.

K SCOTT replied 5 years ago   #115

Hi all, my client went to deliver his paperwork to US Customs and they asked him if he did it on his own or if he hired a company; he stated he hired FPS Fingerprint Pardon Services. He said that they went to the computer and after a few minutes said yes, we will accept that company's paperwork. My client asked them if there are companies that they don't accept, and they said yes, that they are not accepting "shady" applications. This is the first time I have heard of this, and am wondering if anyone has been asked which company you hired? and or had your application refused because of the company you hired?

Michelle replied 5 years ago   #114

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