Waiver application processing times

i194waiverposted 9 years ago

Got your I-194?

Reply here with how long it took. Months, weeks, days...

Replies (recent first):

first time application, Got a 5 year visa, It took 2 months and one week. Applied at Calgary airport. Also, fingerprints and RCMP record came back in 2 weeks. Anyone in Calgary need help let me know by posting and I would be happy to help.

Bazz replied 6 years ago   #782

2 months and 1 week

Bazz replied 6 years ago   #781

Thanks for sharing, appreciate it and glad that you're through with it.

Gene replied 6 years ago   #780

Sounds like time was on your side.... definitely the longer you went with being clean the more likely to get a 5 year. Congrats!

jazzsax replied 6 years ago   #779

@Gene and @jazzsax - my charges were from 1997 so 19 years ago. There were 2 separate charges/convictions within 2 months of each other. They were for theft/possession of stolen property under $5000. I paid a fine for both of them at the time.

YYC1 replied 6 years ago   #778

I would love to know a bit more as well from YYC! How long ago were your charges? how severe? 5 year for a first waiver is awesome!!!

jazzsax replied 6 years ago   #777

YYC1, that's really great news that you got yours so quickly! Thanks for posting to let us know. I'm in Ottawa and have just started to work on my waiver renewal application. My first one was granted for 5 years and took 5 months to process. Hoping this one will be a little quicker.

CPR replied 6 years ago   #776

YYC1, Congratulations, its very encouraging to know that in just 3 months you where able to receive your waiver. If you don't mind, kindly share why you needed a US waiver . You don't need to give the details. Thanks.

Gene replied 6 years ago   #775

Applied on November 18th in YYC and my approval letter was in the mailbox today. It was dated for Feb 12th. So just under 3 months in my hand. First time applying (on my own) and received a 5 year waiver.

YYC1 replied 6 years ago   #774

Yes you did, and you have given great feedback! I posted before we chatted. :)

jazzsax replied 6 years ago   #773

I have talked to this person and gave him my opinion, but I am curious about what others think based on their experiences. I will comment at the end.

JOHN ROGERS replied 6 years ago   #772

Curious for some feedback and whether people think I will have an issue applying for a waiver.

Had a charge of fraud over $5K, sentenced to house arrest. Sentence is over but under probation for another 2.5 years. (2.5 years from sentencing, 10 years from when incident happened).

I've talked to a few waiver companies who seem to think I have a strong case (lots of reference letters, character letters, employment, paying restitution faster than expected, etc), but I'm seeing a few posts about not having paid restitution in full being an impediment.

I have a mandated amount to pay during the sentence probation (which I've already actually paid in full ahead of time), and a stand-alone seperate order for the remainder --- which is taking longer.

Have business interests in the US, and the person to whom the restitution is owed has actually been in favour of working with me to get it dealt with (and has been willing to write letters / etc about how I've changed). Not sure how much value that has.

Don't want to waste money on working on a waiver if it looks like a big no, but open to hearing from the experienced folks on best way to get this moving forward (and quickly). Happy to

jazzsax replied 6 years ago   #771

Applied at Pearson Airport on October 28,2017 received 5 year waiver on Jan 29, 2018 - 93 Days Including Thanksgiving, Christmas Shutdown
and the government shutting down. This was my third application. The fastest processing time I have seen usually I apply in May and receive the waiver in late December - Over 6 months.

renewer replied 6 years ago   #770

Received an email today stating...

Your application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. It is pending results of necessary secondary security checks.

What exactly does this mean? Does this mean it is one step closer to being finished?
Thanks

PatientlyWaiting replied 6 years ago   #769

CAM, this should have been a case where instead of a waiver, you should have had a good chance at a September letter. I have had quite a few clients who were stopped because they had no criminal record but admitted smoking pot. (in the last 18 months) If the waiver was structured properly and you had both a doctors letter and a clean drug test, I think you would have possibly gotten a September Letter, not a waiver. The personal letter would have been the key factor.

If you are stopped for nonesense, like admitting you smoked pot, you have ONE chance to get off the waiver program, usually in the first application. If you have a criminal record in Canada and its old, and you want to do your own waiver, I completely get your line of reasoning. If you get a 5 year waiver, there is nothing else that could have been done.

But if you are stopped for something like this (admitting to smoking pot) get some help from someone reliable. . Its worth it. Never having to do another waiver will pay for itself. The fact you admitted it was 6 months ago is more problematic but still not impossible to overcome. Notice that even though the "offence" was recent (6 months) they still gave you a waiver.

JOHN ROGERS replied 6 years ago   #768

Took me just under 3 months to receive my waiver. I was banned for telling the officer I had quit smoking pot 6 months prior

Cam replied 6 years ago   #767

ChrisD, unfortunately you are probably correct, they send denial letters by registered post.

Kiwi

Kiwi replied 6 years ago   #766

All correspondence comes from Homeland Security via regular mail.

JOHN ROGERS replied 6 years ago   #765

I do not follow K Scott logic behind his response. I don't see anyone going through the trouble of filing this waiver and waiting months for a response would do so and have something to hide in regards to inquiring about their waiver. Everyone has their own reason for entering which is a part of the paperwork involved in the waiver application.
By the emails I received it seems it takes a minute or two for a response as all the emails are a generic response.
I have inquired on my application once every 4 to 6 weeks since the 150 day period has passed with no updates. Going on 10 months now. Glad my employer has been patient through this process as it as taken a lot longer then we both imagined. Just wish I could get a better response then my application has been received and it is being processed. It has been that way for over 4 months now....

FlyGuy replied 6 years ago   #764

Hello,
Do all waiver correspondence get delivered via regular mail box? If you get a slip indicating it needs to be picked up at a post office, does this pretty much mean its a denial letter? I have only every received a denial letter in the past and it came with the post office notification. I just got another one today....

ChrisD replied 6 years ago   #763