@Magnus

You are making the process to approve a waiver out to be something it is not.

Whether it takes 5 minutes or 5 hours to approve a waiver isn't the point. It is "how fast does the waiver get on a desk?"

Yes, once the waiver is looked at, it might be easy to say "yes", but the line-up of waivers is what defines how quickly it is sitting on a desk. I have a ton of files waiting to be "finished" by me. If you are next on my desk, your going to get DONE next. If you are #20 in my pile, then it doesn't matter if you are hard or easy, your turn is still your turn. Homeland Security works the same way. So the delay is because of the traffic jam, not how easy or hard the file is.

My E Safe application was submitted on May 16th and I'm still waiting. Hoping it comes in the next 3 weeks since I have a friends wedding to attend on July 29th!

@magnus
The first and second waivers took 9 months to get approved , the third one was 6 months so this one just over 2 months is pretty fast. E safe has sped up the approval process

@Pet
Thank you for replying. I was just curious as to the seemingly long time it took to be approved.

It’s surprising that it took 74 days to be approved for such a minor charge and the fact that it’s your fourth waiver. One would think that it would just be something that would be “rubber stamped” without too much adjudication needed.

Needed a waiver for marijuana charge 40 years ago. This is my fourth waiver

@Pet Just out of curiosity…
May I ask why you needed a waiver?

7/6/2022, 06:30 AM MDT : Status changed to Completed
4/24/2022, 09:30 AM MDT : Status changed to Submitted to ARO
4/11/2022, 12:27 PM MDT : Status changed to Paid
4/11/2022, 12:24 PM MDT : Status changed to Signed
4/10/2022, 10:44 AM MDT : Application Created
Took 74 days for approval -5 year waiver

You don't have to make an appointment. You can just show up. But you should call ahead and make sure you're showing up within the hours that the people who do biometrics are there.

When you select the port you're using to cross, using the e-safe drop-down, you should select the port where you're doing the biometrics. When it comes time to actually cross, you can use any port.

I had my Biometrics completed at Sumas crossing last week. I showed up at 1 am and had them completed within an hour. I specified on my application I would be crossing at Sweetgrass. There are no appointments for biometrics. Call the crossing and ask when they are available and just show up. There is also no requirement to have this done at the crossing you intend to use.

@J Rogers

Thanks for that, I did figure that out last night after much searching and called in this morning to make my appointment. The E-Safe website should really make that a bit clearer to be fair. I submitted my application a couple weeks back and all it said was to "Present yourself at a port of entry within 45 days" which in my mind makes it sound like you can just show up and get it done.

@kdo

You make an appointment. Do not just show up. Also you have to go to the port you listed on your waiver.

716-843-8521

Did you guys just show up at the border crossing to do your biometrics? What are the wait times like? Was planning to go to Lewiston crossing tomorrow.

Im so happy!! Receive my waiver today after 37 days! First application and 5 years waiver!

Status History (5)
5/5/2022, 02:31 PM EDT : Status changed to Completed
3/29/2022, 11:00 AM EDT : Status changed to Submitted to ARO
2/28/2022, 05:08 PM EST : Status changed to Paid
2/28/2022, 05:06 PM EST : Status changed to Signed
10/14/2021, 10:22 PM EDT : Application Created

@Bob D

Great! Was it your first application? @Bob D

Great help on this website. Got my approval through today for 5 years:
5/5/2022, 12:00 PM EDT : Status changed to Completed
3/28/2022, 07:30 PM EDT : Status changed to Submitted to ARO
3/24/2022, 09:18 PM EDT : Status changed to Paid
3/24/2022, 09:16 PM EDT : Status changed to Signed
3/23/2022, 07:34 PM EDT : Application Created

Remember everyone, it no longer matters WHERE you submit the waiver. The answer is uploaded from Virginia. 32-35 days after the border is the average time based on the last 2 weeks.

Will post here when I get somthing back . Submitted at Lewiston. @BobbyD

Let me know when you received your answer, I went on March 29 at Champlain. Where did you go?@Bob D

Thanks for providing your timeline @we all make mistakes . I submitted at ARO March 28th so hope to hear somthing shortly.

Hello my inadmissible Brethren,

This website helped me get over some of my anxiety of not knowing how long it would take to get my approval back after submitting for the first time using the e-safe website.

Please see the timeline;

4/28/2022, 08:00 AM EDT : Status changed to Completed
3/22/2022, 01:00 PM EDT : Status changed to Submitted to ARO
3/21/2022, 09:13 PM EDT : Status changed to Paid
3/21/2022, 09:10 PM EDT : Status changed to Signed
2/19/2022, 09:55 AM EST : Application Created

This was my 3rd waiver application, so I was pretty sure this one would be approved without a hiccup. All 3 times I did everything myself. Please see the listing of documents I submitted with my application.
- court records for each charge
- personal statement
- prior waivers
- photo copies of my passport and drivers license
- RCMP Certificate Form C216C
- 2 reference letters
- USCIS Form I-192 (Edition 07/20/21)

Also I noted that is good to ask in your personal statement you are seeking entry for multiple visits for the purposes of both "Business and Pleasure"

I just wanted to pay it forward to the next person