I've never tried, but apparently there is an email address to check your waiver application status.
Have you tried it?
Update: a newer version of this post can be found here.
CHECKING THE STATUS OF YOUR WAIVER REQUEST:
Please allow at least 120 days from the date of submission of your I-192 before making an inquiry about the status of your application. As stated earlier, a full review of your circumstances can take up to a year, and requests for status updates may add to that timeline. However, if for some reason you are concerned about the status of your request, and you filed at a CBP Preclearance location or at a land border port of entry after August 26, 2007 you may ask for an update by emailing inquiry.waiver.aro@dhs.gov. In the email, be sure to provide your full name, DOB and your A number. If you filed at a land border port of entry prior to August 26, 2007, please contact them directly. Phone numbers are on our Web site.
Attorney inquiries: attorneyinquiry.waiver.aro@dhs.gov
If you have submitted an application and you have had a change of address please remember to notify ARO by e-Mail inquiry.waiver.aro@dhs.gov or mail:
US Customs and Border Protection
Admissibility Review Office
7th Floor Mail Stop 1340
12825 Worldgate Dr
Herndon, VA 20598-1340
Have you tried it?
Update: a newer version of this post can be found here.
In the 10 months since I submitted my I-192 I have received the same reply to at least a half dozen inquiries.
ReplyDeleteYour application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. It is
pending results of required security checks. Due to the individual
circumstances of each waiver application, there is not a set timeframe
to give as to when an application decision will be completed.
Do not reply to this message; submit all your inquiries to
ARO.INQUIRY.WAIVER@cbp.dhs.gov
Thank you,
Admissibility Review Office
They will reply to the first inquiry asking for more information. In actual fact you need to provide name, DOB, citizenship, address, A-File number, port where you submitted the application and the date it was submitted.
It's pretty much a waste of time though since the reply is always the same.
Had the same response "Your application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. " I guess it is a template.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good website for getting your waiver completed right away:
ReplyDeleteUS Waivers For Canadians
Spam spam spam!
DeleteI have tried emailing for a status update of my waiver application twice now in the past 2 months and only get this in return:
ReplyDelete"ATTENTION: This mailbox will be shut down for required maintenance. No inquires will be responded to until further notice."
Anyone have any idea how to actually get a status update?
I have now been waiting over a year. Has anyone else taken this long? tell me there is hope!
ReplyDeleteI have been waiting for 14 months, the approved application was sent back to the wrong address and now I am hanging in limbo....
DeleteHi there, did you get your letter now? I am in the same boat. They send my letter on June 19, 2017 and I have not received it yet. Do you know what should I do? Please help. Thanks
DeleteI have received a different response: "a decision has been mailed to the address that was provided with your application"
ReplyDeleteHowever, it's been 5 weeks, and we still haven't received it.
we applied in January, so I guess the application time didn't take long, it's the "snail mail" that's taking forever
Hi there, did you get your letter now? I am in the same boat. They send my letter on June 19, 2017 and I have not received it yet. Do you know what should I do? Please help. Thanks
DeleteHi there, did you get your letter now? I am in the same boat. They send my letter on June 19, 2017 and I have not received it yet. Do you know what should I do? Please help. Thanks
DeleteAnyone finally receive their waiver in a timely manner? We were told 6 months and we are at the 6 month mark and nothing. Kinda worried that if I email it may delay the process as I read on their website.
ReplyDeleteI just received my 5 yr waiver yesterday. I submitted it at the Calgary Airport on March 12, 2013, and got it back July 29, 2013. Took 4 1/2 months
ReplyDeleteIs it your first time waiver or renewal ?
DeleteI got my first one (valid for 1 year) on June 10th after applying for it on January 15th.
ReplyDeleteI submitted my application in June 2012..it is now Aug 2013...I get the same form letter response everytime I email and have recently snail mailed the office. Has anyone else experienced this long of a wait? any help would be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteApplied on June 4th 2013, at the Calgary Airport, Still getting the same canned response:
ReplyDelete1. Your application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. It is pending results of required security checks.
Let this be a lesson to all you young Adults our there!! Don't do any type of crime, even if it seems petty! its totally not worth it.
how can we submit a request for a waiver update? does anyone have a link to a web page that will provide such? and not the standard ARO.INQUIRY.WAIVER.bla.bla.bla
ReplyDeleteweb page that sends the autoreply stuff. there has to be an update somewhere....right?
Wrong
DeleteI received my waiver in a very timely manner, 4 months. However it is only valid for 1 year! What do I do now? I've already paid $585.00! HELP!
ReplyDeleteYou need to re apply asap so that your 2nd waiver will arrive shortly after your first one expires
DeleteI received my waiver in 4 months. I cost me $585.00. It is however, good for ONLY one year! What? this can't be correct? HELP!
ReplyDeleteto both January 20, 2014 comments:
ReplyDeleteYup that is right normally the first waiver is only for (1) year and when I got my second waiver it was good for (3) years. I am hoping in 2016 when I apply for the third one it will be for (5) years.
I was wondering if us customs actually calls your references (people who wrote reference letters for you).
ReplyDeleteDo I need to give them a heads up.
I don't want them to be surprised by a call.
to January 27, 2014 comment
ReplyDeletereferences ?? do you mean the 3 letters that you have written by your friends. if that is what you are talking about then your friends write the letter and hence they are aware of what's going on because they are writing the reference letter for you.
For those getting your first 1 year waiver, I recommend starting the process to renew 6 months before it expires.
ReplyDeleteI waited until the last two months and I am still waiting for my new waiver, hoping for more than one year this time. I applied roughly 4 months ago.
I applied end of October last year and are still waiting for my waiver to be processed the last time I applied which was some years ago it only took 2 months
ReplyDeleteJust got my one year waiver approved today and i assume the second one will be easier ... as far as acceptance! I just hate to build my life on a job in the States and then I won't be able to renew it later one! Pls let me know your thoughts? What's the percentage of acceptance of the second waiver after you receive the first one (approved)?
ReplyDeleteWhen did you apply I was wondering how many weeks it took for you to be aproved
ReplyDeletei m really tired submit it more than 2 years in jackman custum and i can t receive anything
ReplyDeletei tried to contact us (aro) to enter in contact with jackman and aro cannot call custom ..........i call aro maybe 6 time only to call jackman maybe sometime someone got a good news for me i m really tired about that
hi i applied for my visa back in feb and was told it takes 4-6 months, its now been 4 months, i am hoping to go us in sept, is there any chance i will be an answer by then?
ReplyDeleteMy husband applied for his renewal waiver in January 2013,,,,so we have been waiting 18 months!!! Anyone else wait this long?? And when he sent in the email to enquire...no response...ideas??
ReplyDeleteIs there anyone who has applied or received their waiver recently? I am going to do my first one on Friday at Edmonton international airport and was wondering what kind of timeline I'm looking at?
ReplyDeleteI did my waiver in August of this year and I got it back in last month October 2014
ReplyDeleteI received a reply from ARO with the exact same message as everyone else except where it says security checks, mine says secondary security checks...Has anyone seen this or know what it means. Mine is a renewal. Its been 85 days. outbackdd@gmail.com any help is greatly appreciated.
ReplyDeleteARO screens waiver applicants through security databases and lookout lists, which contain the names of individuals identified as security risks. There is also some anecdotal evidence (no source) that ARO also scans public news and social networks. A positive “hit” on any of these lists will trigger additional security clearances and may cause the consular officer to seek guidance on the further handling of the case.
DeleteIt's probably nothing to be concerned about as you are still within the average time range for processing (90 to 120 days) for new waiver applications and renewals.
I handed my first application in August 2018 and it’s now been exactly a year since and nothing .. the latest reply I received was
DeleteYour application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. It is pending results of necessary secondary security checks.
Should I worry about it saying “necessary security checks”?
Has anyone ever had this reply and how long after did they receive a result
Hi. Where did you find the average 90-120 days? I applied October 27 2014 I am really hoping to get one real soon. I live on the boarder and crossing weekly for family and kids sports. Missing they greatly
ReplyDeleteDid u receive your waiver
DeleteHi Sorry just say the question. Yes I received my Waiver for one year on Jan 30/2015 so based on the original submission it was about 96 days and based on what Im reading I was super lucky! No I submitted my renewal in August 24 2015 and I am still waiting Im at about 135 days.. Fingers crossed I get approved and it is longer then one year.. the exchange rate is crazy and the application is expensive enough.
DeleteHello there!
ReplyDeleteI applied for my I-192 September 2014, I emailed them recently for an inquire and they replied back within 24 hours saying that “ on January 2015 a request for additional information/evidence was mailed to the address of record provided” It has been almost 1 months and I have not got any mail from them. I know that mail from the USA does not take a month to arrive in Canada. Within the last 12 days I emailed them twice to know what I should do in this case, but they never replied back. My first concern is what to do if I never get this mail and second concern is if there is a deadline to return back to them with their request.
Please let me know if anyone has any suggestion.
Thank you
Does the comments work?
ReplyDeleteOmg. I have to retype my whole question.
ReplyDeleteI have no criminal record and was conditionally discharged. I attempted to cross the border while still on a discharge and was denied entry because I did not have proof of ties on me. They saw that I was on a conditional discharge but told me next time bring my ties.
Fast forward June 2014 I crossed over with no hassles, and July 2014 same thing. I attempted to cross Oct 2014 and was denied entry. They told me bring my court papers to show I am free or get a waiver. I applied for a waiver anyways. The guard at the land crossing told me I am wasting money. He told me I don't have any criminal record or lived in USA illegally. He did not even want to do my application.
I did it anyways. My question is in a simple case like mine how long can this take. I applied Jan 2014
Its been over a year and I am still waiting for my waiver. How long did it take for everyone to receive theirs???
ReplyDeleteI just got mine yesterday. It is a letter saying that the crimes that I was convicted of were not moral turpitude and that I am allowed entry into the United States. It's not even a waiver, its a letter. But of course I still have to go through processing like anybody else. Mine was submitted Jan 3, 2015. Got it back on May 14, 2015. Letter says April 27, 2015. Took almost three weeks to come in the mail. So I would say mine took about 4 months. Everybody's case is different. I don't have a criminal record. It depends on the situation and how bad the charges were. Hope this helps!
DeletePeople that commited crimes expect to get a waiver with a snap of a finger. If you have drug charges expect waiting for months, maybe a year. If you overstayed in America expect even a longer delay. A wiman I know had to wait 2.5 years for hers. Good luck
ReplyDeleteHello everybody, short history, I overstayed in US, I was told I needed a waiver by the CBC, so I submitted 192 and 212. Have the receipt that I paid and applied for both of them, now I receive a letter from ARO saying I need for 212 and payment. I am thinking to go to the boarder again, do you have any other suggestions? thanks
ReplyDeleteHas anyone had trouble sending their emails? I keep getting "no matches found."
ReplyDeleteHello Gang
ReplyDeleteI submitted my renewal application in August and I waited the 130 days before I submitted by request for further information. I submitted my requested yesterday and this morning I received the "Good Morning,
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. Etc. Etc.
My waiver expires end of January and I know this is a generic response but is this a bad sign or means nothing?.. I have business in Feb in the USA hoping something happens soon.
Please let me know what happens as I am in the same situation but I filed for a first renewal on Oct.19th... almpost 90 days but have to go in February to meet College scouts with my sons for Universities scholarships...
DeleteThanks !
I recently filed my renewal for my U.S waiver in September as my first one expires in February 2016. I am a little concerned on wait time as I have booked a family cruise vacation in March.
ReplyDeleteI waited the 120 days then sent an email to inquiry.waiver.aro@dhs.gov and received just an auto-populated return.
Today, I sent another request 30 days after the first but received .."Your application is pending with this office. We will take action on your application as soon as possible."
Unsure if that is good or bad! I may have to cancel my trip. My first waiver was good for a year.
BTW... it has a new email address..ARO.INQUIRY.WAIVER@cbp.dhs.gov and it says to submit all inquires to that mailbox.
Has anyone received that reply from ARO?
We submitted in March 2014 and still have not received anything back. Coming up to 2 years and everytime I email for status, I get the same "pending further review" response. Not sure what the hold up is as we "overstayed" no criminal record. Does anyone have any advice or information that could help us out? This is so frustrating!
ReplyDeleteIs this your first waiver or a renewal?
DeleteI mailed additional documents to the Director Admissibility Review Office 12825 Worldgate Dr in Herndon Virginia and it was returned not deliverable at this address, any one with updated address or phone number, anything would be helpful
ReplyDeleteGary
Gary,
ReplyDeleteThis happened to me on my first waiver application. The envelope was mailed back and stamped " not delivered to address".
I mailed it back using " US Customs and border Protection
7th Floor Mail Stop 1340
12825 Worldgate Drive
Herndon, VA ,USA
20598-1340 "
Hope this helps...
my husband just received a letter from the US Customs looking for more information. The address it came from was U.S. Customs and Border Protection Admissibility Review Office, 7799 Leesburg Pike, 6th Floor, Falls Church, VA 20598-1234
ReplyDeleteI submitted my application 2 years ago, got the same email response many times, I wrote a letter and sent my receipt and still no reply. Does anyone know of a way to contact this office
ReplyDeleteHas anyone sent an inquiry to ARO and not received an auto response? I was getting auto responses then the last couple of times I just stopped getting them....help please with some sound advice
ReplyDeleteI applied for the wavier but no response it is one year already
ReplyDeletePlease help me find my status of my application
ReplyDeleteThis is the 3 request 14 months still no response to my wavier please can anyone tell me what's going on
DeleteI did not enjoy the process but I had my approval in exactly 4 months in my mail box .
ReplyDeleteFew things I learned.
Have good references. It may be embarrassing to ask some people but if your comfortable with their judgement ask them.
Ask for 5 years! This advice was given to me by a women at Homeland Security.
Ask for entry from land, sea and air. Cover all your bases.
Grin and bear it
I applied for waiver in April 2016 @ CBP Niagara Falls.
ReplyDeleteThey said it doesn't take more than 6 months.
There is no response till now.Any email address or contact # to get updates.
FYI, I applied for my waiver On June 17, 2014. So as of today, its been 2 years, 6 months and 22 days. And all I keep getting is the same message. At one point I did get the message that said secondary security checks and a response should be made within 45 days, after the 45 days I inquired and it went back to the same generic message. This is frustrating!!
ReplyDeleteApply for a port parole that's what I did as long as you have applied for a waiver they usually grant it
ReplyDeleteWhat is port parole.
ReplyDeleteA port parole is granted at only one border crossing only for that day of entry and the time you request it. If there is a valid reason in my case it was for a work convention that was already paid for. You must already have a waiver application in progress. It is different than a humanitarian parole. Hope this helps
ReplyDeleteApplied end of Oct 30, 2015 for Waiver,and today March 7,2017 just over 4 months received a 5 year waiver. As a previous person said, have reference letters, employment letter, and in your own words what happened to make you inadmissible to the USA and what your have done to better yourself so that nothing ever happens again. Was surprised that the waiver came in regular mail and is basically two pieces of paper, that are signed but no "official" stamp of any sort . Thrilled that the waiver was for 5 years as I was told most cases it is one year at first , then 3 years and then after several applications it is finally 5 years from then on. Found that it was a very easy process and can easily be done on your won. It just takes time and patience .
ReplyDeleteThanks for the explaining about the port parole.
ReplyDeleteSo how much time it takes to get the port parole approved after applying and how long a port parole is valid once approved.
Thanks in advance.
And just for record my timeline is I applied for waiver in April 2016 and still waiting and no updates at all so far.
ReplyDeleteAfter repeated requests I got a response from ARO saying that "Your application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. It is currently pending further review."
ReplyDeleteIts already year and half and not sure what is "further review"?
Waiting for mine to be renewed. First time it took 4 months, this time 6.5 months and counting...
ReplyDeleteThis is a great inspiring article.I am pretty much pleased with your good work.You put really very helpful information. Keep it up. Keep blogging. Looking to reading your next post. NIW
ReplyDeleteI handed my first application in August 2018 and it’s now been exactly a year since and nothing .. the latest reply I received was
ReplyDeleteYour application is on file with the Admissibility Review Office. It is pending results of necessary secondary security checks.
Should I worry about it saying “necessary security checks”?
Has anyone ever had this reply and how long after did they receive a result