The Admissibility Review Office (ARO) located in the Washington, DC area and a department within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been the sole agency adjudicating I-192 waiver applications since 2005. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created the ARO in an effort to achieve consistency in the adjudication of all nonimmigrant waivers (CBP Memorandum from March 22, 2005).
First time waiver applications usually involve the longest processing time with subsequent waiver applications being completed much quicker – often within 90-120 days. Recently applicants have reported longer processing times even with renewal applications (200+ days or more). So what's causing the delay? Staff shortages, changes or additions to the processing system? Unfortunately there isn't a clear answer. Interestingly, the CBP website (Find an Answer) recently updated this document (Entry into the U.S. - Canadian with criminal record or overstay, waiver) with the following specific to status requests:
Have you been waiting longer than 180 days for your waiver?
Processing times
Application processing for the I-192 waiver can vary from case to case. AROs goal is to process each application within 120-180 days of the filing date, but there are many cases in which the processing period is much longer. The delay is not always with the ARO, but sometimes with other federal agencies responding to the necessary background and security checks (often referred to as secondary security checks).First time waiver applications usually involve the longest processing time with subsequent waiver applications being completed much quicker – often within 90-120 days. Recently applicants have reported longer processing times even with renewal applications (200+ days or more). So what's causing the delay? Staff shortages, changes or additions to the processing system? Unfortunately there isn't a clear answer. Interestingly, the CBP website (Find an Answer) recently updated this document (Entry into the U.S. - Canadian with criminal record or overstay, waiver) with the following specific to status requests:
...a full review of your circumstances can take up to a year, and requests for status updates may add to that timeline.One year adjudication for potentially a 1 year waiver is obviously disconcerting. Let's hope this situation is only temporary. It's still advisable to have your application submitted at least 6 months prior to your intended US travel date, while some might consider adding an additional month or two as buffer.
Checking status
Keep in mind that the ARO recommends waiting at least 130 days from the date of submission of you I-192 before making an inquiry about the status of your application. (email address: inquiry.waiver.aro@dhs.gov)Have you been waiting longer than 180 days for your waiver?
been waiting Since July 2014, 18 months now, ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteFiled at Ottawa airport on May 15 2015 and received a 1 year waiver January 4 2016. Specified the need for an L2, unfortunately there was an oversight and my waiver specified B1/B2. Contacted the ARO and they corrected my letter within 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteIs there a way to contact ARO other than that email inquiry.waiver.aro@dhs.gov? Anybody know a phone number maybe??
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