To All: Applied for my renewal on May 28 and just received today.

@Lee Ving- well with us owning properties in the US it's real affordable. Thankfully. We have travelled to Mexico and several other tropical destinations and its all lovely but there is nothing like being in your own home away from home in your own bed! Not too mention the friends you meet and get to know over the years. With that said enjoy your holidays wherever they may take you. Everyone needs a stress free vacation to get away from it all. I am sure your Waiver is on its way!

TO ALL :
Well I have 15 days left on current waiver. I re applied in August believing this would be ample time to receive the new waiver. Im still waiting other, than the generic response nothing new. So without this I guess I'm saving money with the exchange so high so I guess this is a positive. Looks like Mexico again for March break.

Just curious how much $ would you spend annually traveling to the USA? I would spend between $ 4,000 to $ 6,000 annual between family trips/business and day trips. Cheers L.V

@Kiwi - please note I always included all that information in every email as I was told too. The file number is the number that starts with an A. The service that prepared both my waivers gave me all the details to include in every enquiry to the ARO. it's for your own security as well.

@kristina - your very welcome. Enjoy your vacation. I am out of this deep freeze winter very soon. Yay!
@Kiwi - Good luck to you ... It appears they have changed their rules again. Keep positive as your Waiver should be coming soon. Keep us posted!

Just got this response to an email status update inquiry, I was missing Citizenship and address from my email, never been asked for this much detail before.

“In order for the Admissibility Review Office to respond, please include the following items in each email inquiry:”

Full name:
Citizenship:
Date of birth:
Alien File Number: 9 digits
Address:
Port application was submitted at:
Date application was submitted:

@Moozeee1 - This makes me happy. I assumed they just issued it for as long as maybe your current vacation is (so whenever your return flight is) knowing its for the full 6 months is great, especially if we decide to stay a little longer we don't have to go through the hassle of extending :) Thank you for the info.

9 1/2 months and still waiting

@Mike95 - I don't know why they staple it to the passport page as its only for entry into the US. it has never affected me from entering another country. I believe you can remove it and put it back in your passport I don't believe there is a rule about it being stapled in. But it must be turned in before the 6 months. But it's good for multiple entries in that 6 month period and I believe it's another way of keeping track of time spent in the US. And you get another one at border entry even if your Waiver is for 5 years of which move is and that is the maximum time given for a Waiver.

When they staple the I94 card to your passport do other countries question IT? Like if you fly from the U.S. to another country what do they say about the paper stapled to your passport does it result in further screening?

Also I've never had a waiver before so I'm new to the document that you are referring to that is stapled to your passport. You have to give it back to a border agent by the expirery date? Does it matter where you turn it in at? And you need a new one every 6 months even if your waiver is valid longer?

Thank you

@kristina - just to let you know I would recommend that you guys just get to the border crossing a bit earlier especially if you are flying to the US. Your husband must have his original waiver with him and his passport of course. They will do a quick review and take fingerprints again and a picture I think ... Not sure about the picture I don't remember exactly as my first time crossing with a waiver was 2 years ago. Then you pay $7 or $8 for an I94 card that they (the customs officer) staple in your passport and it's good for exactly 6 months from the first time of entry. If you travel lots back and forth in a six month time period you may turn it in at the Canadian border crossing (allow at least a week) as they record and turn it into the US border. Otherwise if you don't travel a lot just give it back after each trip and get another one on your next visit. It's cheap and definitely not worth the hassle because if that I94 card is not turned in by expiration date they could deny you entry. Just the heads up on that. Good luck and happy travels.

@Lee Ving - this will be my husbands first time crossing over (very first time he tried a few years ago was denied because of 2 criminal convictions). Have you ever had any problems crossing over the border with your waiver in hand? Have they asked you for proof of ties to Canada? I'm wondering what all we should bring with just to be on the safe side.

@Kristina thank you for the response. I too hope it just shows up and then I can do the happy dance. I travel often to the US with Wife/Kids and work. thanks again L.V

@Lee Ving - Yes that is what our response said :) The last time we received that response was on Dec. 23rd and his waiver showed up Dec. 28th. I still have no idea how it got to us so quickly since mail usually takes forever from the US. I assume when I got that standard response from ARO at that point it had already been approved. This is why I don't put much faith into their automatic responses.

My husband applied July 8th and it was his first waiver. We did not use any service/lawyer and just did it all our selves. Hopefully yours comes soon!

I have been browsing this website for over a year. My husband requires a waiver. He is in his 50s. His last record was in 1987. He has about 6 charges no drugs mostly drinking, etc. He applied successfully for a waiver in 2014 expiring in Nov 2015. We used a lawyer, and filed at the Peace Bridge Buffalo. In June we applied by ourselves at the lewiston office. In November we got a letter asking for him to attend an office to give addresses that we intend on visiting while in the states. I forgot to mention that our child was attending university in the US, but came home in July. My husband went to Pearson to give the only address that we knew we would visit We are still waiting. I haven't emailed them yet, but intend to at the end of this week. While at Pearson, my husband arrived an hour before they opened 8 am and got out of there at 2pm. We did not have to wait at Lewiston or the Peacebridge.

@Kritina did your response read "Your application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. It is currently pending further review. Due to the individual circumstances of each waiver application, there is not a set timeframe to give us to when an application decision will be completed."

I submitted in August as a renewal and the above is what I received. Its been over 135 days was hoping for better news since my current waiver expires end of January. Fingers Crossed I guess

On Dec. 23 it said it had been received and was being processed - we were never even told it was approved. It just showed u in the mail today dated Dec. 28th. (No idea how it got it so quickly)

@ChrisD - on December 18th I said my decision was made and will be mailed soon. My waiver came in the mail dated December 21, 2015. I received it in MY MAILBOX on December 29, 2015. And @ Kristina - yay for you guys. Congratulations. Happy New Year everyone!

HOLY CRAP!!! Got my husbands waiver today!!!! I was so scared opening the envelope but it was approved for 1 year. This is his first waiver and it was for 2 minor convictions from 14 years ago. Applied at Edmonton International Airport in July.

@Moozeee1 - I have another quick question. In this thread you said on December 18th they replied saying that your application was received and being processed. In less than 10 Days your waiver was in your mailbox so my question is this. Did the waiver or paperwork attached have any kind of date on it? I have a feeling like everyone else here that the email responses are generic and they don't actually do any looking around and the date on your waiver would confirm that if it was prior to your in processing response. Technically, if it was sent it would have said your waiver was mailed on XX/XX/XXX?? Would it not?