US Waiver for Canadians

Tom Wilson of the Globe & Mail recently filed an article that resonates to what a lot of us on this blog have already gone through: being found inadmissible to the US at a point of entry because of a prior criminal conviction. In the article he touches on the very real point: "Honest and forthright individuals can get extremely nervous in these situations, making them appear slippery and dishonest" . The first reaction for most of us, of course, is denial, which is obviously incriminating. What should you do if you are denied entry on the basis of a criminal conviction that might have happened decades ago in your wayward youth? He goes on in the article to describe different situations, for example, the petty offense exception and an interview with a Vancouver based immigration lawyer. It's an interesting and relevant read. See the entire article: Denied entry to the U.S.? Don’t panic Look for a special follow up on March 1st in the Globe & Mail: Admissibility an...

Here's the update to an earlier posting about a Canadian teacher in Indiana who when renewing his permit as a temporary worker was found to have an age-old conviction from 1964. A Canadian, Stephen R. Gill, was teaching English at Indiana University South Bend. Gill learned late last week that U.S. Customs & Border Protection gave him a 90-day extension on a humanitarian parole. That extension expires April 1. “I’m happy about it,” Gill said Tuesday from his South Bend home. Late last year, Gill had been ordered to leave the country and return to Canada by Monday. You can read the complete article here: " South Bend man gets reprieve on deportation to Canada ". The article incorrectly states that Gill has applied for the I-192. The I-192 is only the application form (Application for Advance Permission to Enter as a Non-Immigrant) which you submit in order to be considered for an I-194 waiver. I'll be surprised if U.S. Customs & Border Protection...

Here's an interesting post about the American position on traveling to Canada with a criminal record. The War on Terror hasn't caught many terrorists. But at the Canadian border, it's snagging thousands of tourists who are denied entry due to convictions decades ago for relatively minor offenses. You can read the complete article here .

I stumbled on to an interesting article which could effect those applying for waivers. There is a proposal by the USCIS to increase the fees for processing. For example, the I-192 application for advance permission to enter as a nonimmigrant is currently $265 US. The proposal would increase it to $545 US (a, $280 or 105.7% increase). You can read the full article here: Proposed USCIS Fee Adjustments

It's been over 2 months now since I was found ineligible to the United States based on a 20 year old indiscretion. It's almost a month since I mailed my C-216C to the RCMP. Unfortunately I have yet to receive a reply. Today I found some contact numbers for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection office: Montreal (514) 631-2097 Toronto (416) 929-6011 Winnipeg (204) 783-2206 Calgary (403) 221-1730 Edmonton (780) 890-4486 Vancouver (604) 278-3360 Here's an interesting article from the Edmonton Sun about another unlucky Canadian (and his family) being stopped at the border because of an age old minor criminal conviction. You can read it here .

3 weeks since I mailed my C-216C to the RCMP and still nothing. I've read on a few bulletin boards ( like this one ) that processing times for the I-192 are taking upwards of 10-12 months.