US Waiver for Canadians

Note: Starting July 1st 2014, the RCMP will only accept electronic fingerprint submissions for the purposes of obtaining a waiver or other civil cause. Processing times currently range from 22 weeks for paper submission to under 3 business days for electronic submission. Contact one of the accredited companies or police services to submit your fingerprints electronically. See notice on the main page of the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services site:  http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cr-cj/fing-empr2-eng.htm

Note: this is an update on the process of determining and obtaining an I-194 waiver of inadmissibility. How can a Canadian citizen apply for a waiver to enter the United States if they have been or are likely to be denied admission either because of their criminal history or because they overstayed a previous visit? There are many reasons a person may be ineligible to enter the U.S. The legal descriptions are lengthy and complex, so to help you understand them, I am providing a general description of the most common ones. This list should not be taken as a complete list of reasons to be excluded from entry. In general, you might be denied entry if you have a communicable disease, if you have a criminal record for crimes of moral turpitude (age 18 or older) , for possession of or trafficking in a controlled substance, if you have any involvement with terrorism or terrorist organizations (no waivers can be approved for this category) , if you have trafficked in persons, been invol...

About to reapply? If your most recent set of fingerprints from the RCMP is less than 15 months old, you won't need a new copy. Here's some additional information recently updated on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Find an Answer web site: Reapplying for a Waiver of Inadmissibility, using it for business or pleasure, validity period of a waiver

Wait times for a criminal record checks seem to have been getting much better particularly if you use the electronic fingerprint submission. RCMP recently updated their site for processing times. I received my most recent criminal record check in about 8 business days after it was electronically submitted through Morpho in Ottawa. source:  http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cr-cj/time-temps-eng.htm

You may file for an I-194 waiver in person at a designated land border port of entry. When you bring in your application, you will be given a receipt for your application fee and the U.S. set of fingerprints will be taken. Ensure you have completed these steps in your  I-192 waiver application process . List of land border crossings: Portland Port of Entry 312 Fore Street Portland, ME 04101 Phone: (207) 771-3600 Fax: (207) 771-3608 Houlton Port of Entry 27 Customs Loop Houlton, ME 04730 Phone: (207) 532-2131 x 0 Fax: (207) 532-4153 Fort Fairfield Port of Entry 4 Boundry 4 Line Road Fort Fairfield, ME 04742 Phone: (207) 473-7474 Ft. Kent Port of Entry 401 West Main Street Fort Kent, ME 04743 Phone: (207) 834-5255 Van Buren Port of Entry 137 Bridge Street, P.O. Box 146 Van Buren, ME 04785 Phone: (207) 868-3391 Madawaska Port of Entry 63 Bridge Avenue, Suite 101 Madawaska, ME 04756 Phone: (207) 728-4376 x 0 Calais Por...

I stumbled across this article ( Japan starts fingerprinting, photographing visitors ) which reports on Japan's recent move to prevent terrorists and illegals from entering the country. At one point in the article it is mentioned that Japan is the second country after the United States to implement such a system. It goes on to point out: "Fingerprints and photos will be checked for matches on terrorist watch lists and files on foreigners with criminal records in Japan. People matching the data will be denied entry and deported." It didn't mention anywhere that the record check is synchronized with any foreign databases such as the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database although one can only wonder if it is headed in that direction. It is entirely possible that in a not to distant future all individuals who have criminal records will either be denied foreign travel or would require waivers or other bureaucratic materials.

The Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database is a central warehouse which, amongst other things, keeps records of your FPS (your finger print file). If you have ever been fingerprinted then chances are a record sits in this database and DHS has access. So if you have a criminal record and routinely cross to the US - and you haven't been caught yet - then you should to pay attention to this article I found on HighwayStar magazine . It discusses steps you can take to apply for a pardon which will remove (or erase) these records. Ah, if only I knew this before! The article also outlines the most recent costs associated with waiver applications and I did notice one interesting sentence about something called a 'September Letter' which the article claims is some sort of a permanent waiver. Wow, something new to investigate. Update: recent post about the September Letter

Today, after almost 2 months I received my C-216C! It included a cover letter which read: Dear Sir/Madame, The enclosed fingerprints have been certified as being identical to the Fingerprint Section (FPS) file number: (and my file #). The information relative to this FPS file are being returned to you. It also included the returned fingerprint chart with a date stamp and the document relating to my conviction and the disposition. Now I'll complete my 2 statements and by early next week I will visit the airport and the Border Protection office to submit my I-192 application for the I-194 waiver.

Today I called my local police department, located the fingerprint office and arrived during lunch to complete my C-216C. The process took a little over 15 minutes. They took my photo (mug shot), fingerprints and in return provided me with the completed form (C-216C) and the address of the RCMP location that I am to send it into. The processing cost $25.00. Don't forget to bring your passport! The purpose of sending this form to the RCMP is so they can endorse and time stamp it. I will also request the copy of the official court record from my actual conviction. I learned that all municipal conviction records are eventually forwarded to the RCMP for storage. For me that conviction is 20 years old so I'm for a change, really happy they keep everything. The guy at the fingerprint office told me that getting the endorsement and record from the RCMP can only be done by mail. The reply should come in within 3-4 weeks. Here's hoping.