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):

Applied Sept 5 2016 at North Portal land crossing
Recieved Feb2. Dated jan2017. 5yr waiver. It is my second waiver. 1st one was 1yr

Terrygibber replied 7 years ago   #422

Applied at rainbow bridge Niagara Falls on Dec 3rd 2016 now waiting for good new that's my 3rd waiver previews one were good for 1 yr then 5 try hoping to get 5 years this time too

Nauman replied 7 years ago   #421

Applied for my second waiver Sept 9 2016
Received Jan 31 2017, good for 5 years!
My first one was only for one year.

Meredith replied 7 years ago   #420

Recently granted and received a waiver. Just wanted to share the following.

- SEP 13, 2016: submitted application (at CBP Vancouver Intl Airport)
- JAN 23, 2017: granted waiver, letter dated and mailed out this day (US mail postmarked same day)
- JAN 26, 2017: (136 days after application) received waiver in the mail - regular post

Notes:
- my 6th waiver
- 5-year validity (previous were 5-yr, 2-yr, 1-yr, 1-yr, 1-yr)
- all applications submitted at CBP Vancouver Intl Airport (YVR)
- all applications prepared and document gathering completed by yours truly
- all waivers received via regular US/Canada post mail

I'll take this opportunity to thank everyone for posting on this forum especially the site owner and moderators. The information, insights, and updates shared here have and continue to be essential in my waiver preparation and anticipation.

kruinc replied 7 years ago   #419

Finally.waiver arrived..so happy. So for us it took 6 months to get prints back from RCMP then four months for the waiver. (Applied at Lewiston border middle of August and just received today Dec 16. Waiver good for five years..charges were from over thirty years ago. Did waiver ourselves.
Good Luck to all. I know how stressful and frustrating this is.

Ruby replied 7 years ago   #418

@Philly @ Kiwi tomorrow November 30th makes 20 months.

Here are some of the email addresses that have been responding to my periodic inquiries at the ARO.INQUIRY.WAIVER@cbp.dhs.gov

MILNES, STEVEN M <STEVEN.M.MILNES@CBP.DHS.GOV>
PREMO, DANETTE C <DANETTE.C.PREMO@CBP.DHS.GOV>

I'm tempted to email one of the addresses above directly, but I'm afraid that would just piss them off completely. That's too bad about the lawyer being of no help. I have been thinking of getting a lawyer too. I have been doing my own applications since 1995. Never been declined and never took longer than 7 months. In the good old days they took 90 days!!
That's what baffles me.... nothing in my life has changed so why the long delay? It shouldn't take 20 months to decline me. They would just go ahead and do it. So that's why I think it's lost or some malicious agent tossed it. The other option is to redo the whole application and go to the border and resubmit. They will be pissed of if I show up without a valid waiver but at this point what else can we do. A lawyer with REAL connections would be best, but not $5K. at worst I would expect maybe $2k.
So this year instead of Florida for Christmas it's Paris. Hope I don't get refused entry!!!

Figman replied 7 years ago   #417

@ Kiwi - Hmmm that's interesting. I have never seen a name in the email response. I always get a response from : ARO INQUIRY WAIVER <AROINQUIRYWAIVER@cbp.dhs.gov>

Can you confirm the email you are sending to for an update? Thanks!

Philly replied 7 years ago   #416

Philly, I see the name in the email response to tell me that it's still under review.
Here are some of them.
MILNES, STEVEN M [STEVEN.M.MILNES@CBP.DHS.GOV]
NOVIELLI, MARIANNA [marianna.novielli@cbp.dhs.gov]
PREMO, DANETTE C [DANETTE.C.PREMO@CBP.DHS.GOV]
ADAMS, VERONICA [VERONICA.N.ADAMS@cbp.dhs.gov]

Had a few from Danette Premo, also one other female officer which I got multiple responses from but I deleted the emails and forgot her name.

Nothing to help with getting a better answer than the cut and past responses though.

I just checked with a friend who is using a lawyer for his application here in Vancouver, $2K CAD and he thought that was a lot.

Kiwi replied 7 years ago   #415

@Philly

What was your lawyers name? Might as well out him out for hosing you for the $5000 USD and nothing to show for it.

Just so others can stay away from this cold hearted snake!

ABC replied 7 years ago   #414

@ Kiwi - You see names in the emails when you email for an update? Which email are you using to follow up ? I never see names.....

Philly replied 7 years ago   #413

@Figman How long have you been waiting? I used a lawyer for mine and I've been waiting for 16 months and nothing. In addition, I haven't really received any "updates" from my lawyer beyond it's currently pending further "security checks." Candidly, I'm not really buying that he has a direct line to the ARO - I think its a bunch of BS. I paid $5k USD for his services and I still have no idea what is going on. The problem is that it is difficult (impossible) to discern IF a particular attorney actually has a direct line with someone in the ARO. Most will tell you they do, but will just send an email to the attorneyinquiry.waiver.aro@dhs.gov and get the same response you would get my emailing yourself.

If you find an attorney that actually has a connecting inside the ARO, let me know.....I'm pretty deflated at this point. My career depends on this waiver and my lawyer doesn't seem to care. I thought having a lawyer would be helpful in terms of follow up/status updates but I've know no more about the status of my file than I did the day I submitted it 16+ months ago. I basically paid to have my file file prepared, went to the border and submitted to what seems like a blackhole......

Philly replied 7 years ago   #412

Waiver renewal arrived today. This is my second waiver. First one valid for 1 year. This one is valid for 5 years. Did everything myself by following the list provided by this site. I had it sent off the end of July and took just under 4 months to arrive.

sandra77 replied 7 years ago   #411

I'm coming up 23 months since I submitted my application, first time I've done this process and filed everything myself.
My reason for denied entry was "crime of moral turpitude" as mine was income tax related.

I got a letter in the mail 3 months after I submitted everything asking for more information, I sent that info right away and that was 20 months ago.

I send an email every month or so, I usually get the same cut and paste response, but sometimes it changes depending on which officer responds.

Must be 6 or 7 different officers on desk duty responding to these emails as I see the same names repeat every now and then.

Not sure what to do except wait, I have though about handing my file over to an immigration attorney as I probably didn't communicate my remorse very effectively.
Other than that I believe I did a very good job on everything else and had two high level people as references, both working for the Government, neither have been contacted yet.

I have sent additional information twice since they requested the extra info in March of 2015, as new updated information was made available to me, but heard nothing back since.

I pretty much reorganized all my travel routes to avoid the US and I forgot how many airlines route through the US.
Going to the Caribbean or even South or Central America requires a lot of creativity and long out of the way routes, it's tough but what can you do?

Kiwi replied 7 years ago   #410

Thanks EAGLE.hope you are right.
I was starting to think what might be happening with my waiver application. It must have gone missing at some point during the process but the status shows "pending further review". So when I send an email I bet they simply check the status and send back the standard response. This will never change until someone notices it has been 20 months and counting. So I guess I lost my $595 US and will have to resubmit. Does anyone know what lawyers are charging to do these nowadays?

Figman replied 7 years ago   #409

Filed first time Nov 7th at Lewiston with the help of FIPS because I wanted to insure I had everything in order. Now I start the waiting game ......

Eve replied 7 years ago   #408

FIGMAN

This is Eagle. Forgot my password. Nothing yet on the waiver. Called Canada Pardons and they told me certain crimes of moral turpitude are lasting 18 months to process.

Hawk replied 7 years ago   #407

Applied in June 2016 got 5 year waiver mid October for 5 yrs.

Traveller replied 7 years ago   #406

Does anyone think that by the aro office mailing me asking to redo prints that I will get it soon? I went to Pearson and submitted them again because they were not readable. This time they actually dipped my fingers in ink and on paper , the last time it was an electronic fingerprinting system. Hopefully this is a good sign that it may be coming soon after they receive a new copy of my prints . Can anyone share their thoughts , do you think this can be a good sign ?

Unknown123 replied 7 years ago   #405

@Eagle
Did you ever get the waiver?

Figman replied 7 years ago   #404

@Patience any word on your application yet?

Figman replied 7 years ago   #403