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US Entry WaiverCanadians seeking permission to enter the U.S.

What is a US Entry Waiver?

A US Entry Waiver is a travel document required to overcome inadmissibility to the United States. You may be inadmissible for a number of reasons that include; having a Canadian criminal record in the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database, attempting to enter the US with contraband, overstaying on an approved immigration visa, among other reasons. This application, once approved, is issued for a period of time ranging from 1- 5 years and requires you to renew in advance of expiry. By addressing your inadmissibility and being approved for a Waiver, you will regain your freedom to travel into the US as a visitor for holidays, work-related conferences and family visits.

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Why do I need a US Entry Waiver?

Attempting to enter the US with a Canadian criminal record, after overstaying on an approved immigration visa, or after being told you are not permitted to enter for a different reason will create further problems for you. You must treat border crossing as a privilege and abide by immigration laws. Applying and waiting on approval of your US Entry Waiver will allow you to travel freely with a subsequent document to your passport, eliminating any unforeseen complications when traveling.

We have heard countless stories of travel plans being cut short due to not knowing or not acting according to the rules in place. Contact us to discuss your particular situation prior to making travel plans so that you may travel with peace of mind.

Gain access to:

  • International Business
  • Conferences
  • Family Gatherings
  • Sightseeing for Pleasure
  • Ease with travel
  • Connecting Flights

How do I get a US Entry Waiver?

A US Entry Waiver is a United States government application that requires several supporting documents. As with many government applications, it is tedious and time consuming. It is also challenging to determine where and what documents you must obtain, how to present a solid application and what the specific criteria is to ensure you have met in order to have the best possible chance of success. There are two separate phases; collecting the required and supporting documentation and then submitting and awaiting government approval.

Processing times range from 4-10 months to collect the documents and can be extended depending on where you must obtain court documentation. When the application is ready to be submitted you can expect government decision-making to range from 4-12 months.

Promising news is coming though. The governing body that processes these applications is implementing a digital submission format that is expected to cut processing times in half.

Contact us to evaluate if now is a good time to apply.

Can I apply on my own?

You sure can, however, from experience it seems the majority of people that contact us find obtaining all of required documentation, analyzing their application against the governments criteria and subjective decision-making prevent them from moving forward and instead procrastinate. We all know that even once we get the ball rolling on something important, reminders, follow up, encouragement and support are all helpful when dealing with the hard stuff in life.

  • Ryan - Whitby, Ontario
    I found myself unable to travel for work back in 2016 after being denied entry on my way to a big meeting. It was devastating and has caused major problems with maintaining my American clientele since. A colleague recently shared his similar experience and that he found Pardon Partners through a friend's referral. I have put this off for years but am finally beginning the process of being allowed to travel into the US again freely. After one short conversation, my mind was at ease and I feel good that these are people with vast experience in this industry and who I want to work with.
    Ryan - Whitby, Ontario
    Trafficking Marijuana 1998

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Common Questions

 
What makes you inadmissible to the US?
The United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs & Border Protection considers anyone with a criminal record, someone who overstays on an approved visa or attempts to enter the country with contraband, inadmissible. Their job is to protect the border from any harm or risk to their residents and this is some of the criteria they use when reviewing individuals presenting their passport or other travel documents to enter for business or pleasure. Although your criminal offence may be very old, which would suggest you do not pose a current risk, an offence that is found on the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) database most often disqualifies you from advance permission to enter the country. In order to avoid disappointment during travel, it is recommended that you confirm you are eligible to travel freely into the US. The easiest way to do so is to contact one of our team to discuss your situation.
What is the difference between a Pardon and a Waiver?
A Pardon or Record Suspension is a Canadian application that removes your criminal record of conviction in Canada. If not completed prior to traveling into the US and your record is found by US Customs & Border Protection, you may be refused entry and instructed to apply for a Waiver. The Waiver is an additional travel document required to be presented each time you enter the US. It is a renewal application and must remain valid upon each entry. You may require one or both but an evaluation of your particular situation should be assessed before embarking upon the work involved.
How long is a Waiver good for?
Waivers are typically approved for 1 year upon submitting your initial application. It should be noted that this is a renewal application as the US will evaluate any changes to your personal information during the review of each new application. Generally, if your offences are not recent and/or nothing new turns up on a new application, you can expect the second application to be approved for a longer period of time.
How much does it cost?
The US government fee to submit your US Entry Waiver is $585USD. This is paid to Customs & Border Protection Officers upon submitting your application. There is a significant amount of paperwork to compile before you can submit a complete application to prove you do not pose a risk if allowed into the country. While you are welcome to work on the application yourself, many individuals find it challenging and time consuming and resort to using an agency to prepare the application, collect and analyze the required documents and present a strong application for you. If working with a lawyer, you can expect to pay upwards to $5000. If working with an agency like us you can expect to pay between $800-$2000. With 20 years experience, we are confident in preparing strong applications with a 96% success rate. If your application does not appear to fare well we will be transparent with you and offer a more realistic timeline to apply where your application will find a better chance of success.
Is the Waiver guaranteed?
No, but our goal is to assist you in preparing a strong application that establishes the merit of your request and the lack of risk to society if you are permitted entry. The Department of Homeland Security takes into account a number of factors during decision-making.

These include but are not limited to: the nature of applicants desire to enter the US, the type of offence on record, circumstances that led to the offence, the recency of the offence, whether it was an isolated offence or a pattern, if there is evidence of reformation or rehabilitation, seriousness of the cause behind inadmissibility, how this offence were fair in the US with respect to it being considered a misdemeanor or felony

After 20 years in the industry, we are well versed in the US government's assessment factors for applications that stand very little chance. Moreover, we will always be clear from the beginning in outlining your chances of success.