I also have an update on the B.C. borders. It appears that they are now becoming much stricter on essential workers filing for waiver applications. It seems that they are now trying to force these people to file using ESAFE. Everyone here already knows that I despise ESAFE and will fight to the end to not use it. We feel this way since the person will have to go to the border anyway to do prints. Hence what sense does it make to do it online but then still have to go down there anyway? Why not file in person and do prints at the same time?

Anyway, we had to do 5 last week and we were kicking and screaming at first. I called my contacts at the border and they said that they are under pressure from upper management to try and minimize the amount of time people are sitting in the lobby. So it seems that there is a new push at the borders in the Lower Mainland of B.C. to try and get people to file using this program. I had a heated conversation with one border guard that flat out told me that either our people use ESAFE or they can just stay home. Me and this guard have a heated history and he is known to bully travelers and unnecessarily send them to secondary before Covid.

I will be contacting CBP headquarters in DC to obtain clarification as to whether the field offices can actually force people to use ESAFE or not. I already spoke to one chief and he admitted that they cannot force people to use this method.

Ken Scott
Senior U.S. Immigration Law Intelligence Analyst
www.usentrywaiverservices.com
888 908-3841
604 332-9213

@Ken

I hope you are correct, it would make SOME sense for them to take applications of all types even before the border opens. I think your being a bit optimistic though, I think Bidens main concern is the Southern Border. We shall see, and like I said, i do hope you are correct.

@ John I can respectfully see your point but I have my own theory that is tied to my aforementioned thread. I still believe that they MAY start accepting waiver packets even before the actual border opens. Specifically, I want to see what happens when Biden reverses the Greencard/visa ban and if people can go to the border to file for their L-1 visas and other issues. The Greencard/visa ban is scheduled to end 2021-03-31 and includes other visa categories like E-2 cases and others. Theoretically, they could keep the borders closed but still allow people to come down and file for various services. This is irregardless as to whether they use Esafe or not to file a waiver.

Ken Scott
Senior U.S. ImmigrationLaw Intelligence Analyst
www.usentrywaiverservices.com
888 908-3841
604 332-9213

They can't be "accepting packages" between January 20-April 20 since the date has already been pushed back officially until February 21. I don't think February is viable, but March is "possible" with APril being the earliest likely date.

Remember, in Canada cases are high still. The US is far worse. The only thing going well in the US is Biden and the vaccine rollout.

Canada is keeping the border closed....not the US. When the US is seen as less of a "threat" and have THIER covid under control, THEN Canada will consent to open the border. So watch the US numbers as well as Canadian.

@Michelle

Absolutely. Canada benefits from a President who is progressive, and competent. Waiver clients will hopefully also benefit from a more logical relationship between the reality of a 2021 world and Homeland Security. I doubt there will be any problems tomorrow, I think the extra security, and the fact that many of the crazier Trumpsters already have been arrested will help.

Well tomorrow is the big day....An interesting part of history to unfold for sure.. I think no matter who you like and don't like, it has to be agreed upon that the USA is in a mess.. Hopefully, Immigration issues are address and COVID is brought under control and the country can begin rebuilding itself.

@Ken Scott

Michelle and I were having a real discussion about OUR industry. Your not remotely a "part" of that industry, because you "cherry picked" waivers only. Now your not even part of the Canadian economy.

Now you are in England, I assume your money ran out, and your stuck. What you spent all that time writing was a nice fantasy, but the pudgy guy I see in videos is about 5'8 and MAYBE 210. That body hasn't seen a gym since you were in middle school (or the UK equivalent) I think the truth is your drinking more wine than usual, and your scrambling to make enough money to keep the lights on.

This industry doesn't make a living off of "hardcore gangsters". You have created some sort of "persona" in your head that if people think "Ken deals with all the hardcore gangsters, so I want HIM to handle my case". Its nonsense. This is why you are broke and exiled.

"Joe truck driver" drives the waivers. "Mike plumber" drives the pardons. Normal everyday people with impaired, thefts, assaults, and drugs are what pays the bills.

This "cia ninja/Jack Ryan analyst- gangster whisperer-Better call Saul" thing your "selling" is not impressing anyone. It sounds fake, and I am worried your actually starting to believe your own delusions.

If you ever come back to Canada, and want to be part of the industry, set yourself up properly. You need to get accredited to do fingerprints, and you need to do pardons as well. You need smart organized people to make the pardons flow properly.

And just be "Ken Scott" who promises to do a better job on waivers than the majority of the industry. Believe it or not, if you are honest and transparent, and do a great job, referrals will keep you making money. They do for me.

@John, yes, it sounds like you are in the right location...there are many things I did not know when I started the business, as I was still living in Edmonton, when we decided to move back to Saskatchewan. I knew the Pardons and Waivers inside and out, but didn't know about the Saskatchewan and how behind the times we were. 1. We have an International Airport - but no US Customs... 2. I did not know about the Jay treaty act and Saskatchewan is 70 percent first nations - so there goes waivers...and I did not know about the "first right of Refusal" that the Commissionaires has with the Government and they are in bed with the RCMP also. Honestly, if I would have know 11 years ago, what I know now, I would have not started this business...but, I am here now, so we will keep going for now...

@Michelle

I don't envy you your location. I would like to say being in Brampton was some stroke of genius but in fact it just happens to be where Jennifer was from and when we planned to have children, we wanted to be close to her family. We are close to the highway and in the south, so close to Mississauga and Toronto.

It turns out, Brampton exploded in population, and despite a lot of competition, we do pretty well with the fingerprinting. A side benefit are waivers from clients who have no criminal records, but have tried to get asylum or status in the United States years ago, and either overstayed or we simply denied because of this.

We charge about $5 more than the local competition, and focus on really good customer service. So we avoid being swamped, but get a lot of people that come here because they like the good google rating. Which is ironic, because that should matter LESS (fingerprints are fingerprints) and people who do pardons and waivers should be the ones carefully looking at reviews. We were careful in choosing our offices though, we knew we wanted space (we are here 6 days a week) 24 hour access, and offices that looked nice. It has really worked out well.

Location Location Location, but sometimes dumb luck is almost as important.

John, I am glad you are doing good. It has been a struggle as Commissionaires has the market in fingerprinting here, mainly due to the First Right of Refusal contract, where the Federal Government hands them over millions of dollars in contracts, that they do not have to submit tenders for and are guaranteed the work. I could go on and on about this crooked deal...but I won't..LOL..

@Michelle

I predicted April (Easter). I tell all clients before they start "my prediction" so they don't start and get frustrated. Most still apply, but some have delayed until after Christmas.

Pardons and fingerprints are providing the bulk of sales right now, luckily we are in a good area for people who need fingerprints. We also do passport photos but that can be as much a hassle as anything else.

We have a similar story locally

https://www.680news.com/2020/12/01/trudeau-us-border-restrictions-will-be-in-place-for-a-long-time/

I know the pardon businesses that do not fingerprint are struggling. They did crappy waivers but at least it was more business.

I can see why Ken is having such a difficult time. Waivers are the "best" (in my opinion) because they are fast, and they require less actual monitoring and work. But with the border shut, people don't "need" them as much, and the ones that do cannot hand them in. Had he been set up properly, he could actually be doing pardons and fingerprints until the border re-opens.