Waiver application processing times

11 months and still receiving this lame response

“Your application was received and is being processed. 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”

@ Figman

That's pretty brutal 11 months and still going ... hopefully you'll get it soon.... hate those computer generated responses from DHS.

My application was processed in 5 months 1 week. I did not get my renewal. I got a letter saying my fingerprints were older than 15 months so I need to resubmit them. I thought when I filed that they we valid. RCMP fingerprints were dated July 2014. When I filed it was Sept 2015. The USCIS site says they have to be less than 15 months at the time of filing. The prints I submitted are over 21 months old. I'm now I'm off to get more prints but we all know how long those take. Paperwork I got yesterday says I have 8oish days to send them back to keep my case open. I highly doubt RCMP prints will be quick. Anyone else go through this?

@Sandra I've had the same problem before, prints were RCMP fault's ... and DHS only gives you 87 days, (15 months for fingerprints to be valid) otherwise you have to shell out another $585 US and start all over again.

Hope you get the prints back before 2.5 months so you still have a chance, but rcmp is taking an average 140 days.

good luck!

Thanks. Now I'm hoping the prints come within that time frame. The officer who did my Electronic Prints said some people were getting them back in 2 to 3 weeks lately. My friend who just did his prints had his back in 6 weeks. I guess it all depends on a little luck. I really thought I handed the prints in within the 15 month while they were valid. The date on the Prints did say July and I filed September. I knew I was pushing the 15 months but still had a couple weeks when I filed.
My math says they were but who can you really argue with. Just better to do what they ask or re-do the whole thing again :(

Does anyone know if for the DOS it is first come first serve for the waivers or do they actually look at each and evaluate.for instance do they take into consideration if you have a travel date. Also I have a character letter from a high ranking person in Canadian military. Would this help to increase my chances for getting the waiver faster or no? Thanks for advice. I am thinking of throwing in the towel for my Hawaii trip as doesn't look likely and we will lose all this money but this is too stressful. Better to have waiver in hand to rebook anything. Good Luck to you all who have been waiting so long. It really sucks and not fair

I have been getting waivers renewed for 20 years and I don't believe they even look at whether you need to travel or not. It is handled on "whenever they get to it" basis. Same with references. I've never had one of my references called.

Since Homeland Security was created after 9/11 the process of approving waivers includes FBI, CIA, ATF and of course CBP and US INS.

Still this year is the longest wait times I've ever seen. Used to take about 7 months. Now many people are waiting 1 year or more.

Moral of the story is never book a vacation until you have the waiver in your hands.

Yep..I have learned this lesson. We lost about 4000 on all this so going to cancel and not go until waiver is in hand. Thanks for all the help and info.
Expensive joint from thirty three years ago..lol

I just noticed that on my husbands approved waiver it states his employment. He changed jobs a couple of months ago. Will this cause issues when crossing? Has anyone crossed while working at a different job then what it states on the waiver?

Applied for my waiver on August 24 2015 at Blaine port of Entry and I received an email from ARO yesterday stating "On 03/05/2016, a decision was mailed to the address of record provided on your application."
Just figured its worth mentioning that it says it was sent on a Saturday based on this. Very odd. I don't get this office, I really don't. Its like your dealing with the Illuminati
Anyhow, fingers crossed it comes approved! That would make it just shy of 7 months waiting from the time I applied

Kristina... I have changed jobs while having an approved waiver and it is not an issue. They never ask where you work, they ask what you do and why you're coming to the states. And of course the correct answer is "I have meetings, or I'm on vacation."

@Figman - Thanks :) That makes me feel much better.

i just applied for US waiver at one port of entry on march 14. I was deported for mirepresentation in 2011. Applied for waiver in 2012, but get declined. Now is the 2nd try. Don't know how long will it take.

@peter - How long did it take to get a decline?

~one and half years

Congrats @Peter. 18 months is a new record. That's the longest I've heard. If this is the new normal they should be updating the info on their website.

I'm pretty sure you have a ten year ban!

@LeeVing - did your waiver come approved? How long did mailing take?

I applied in October and got my approval letter and waiver in the mail today. Total time from application was 6 months. They granted me a 5 year waiver. I was lucky.

@Toad- I did mine at Pearson in November so i hope mine comes next month. I have no criminal background it was an overstay. Was this your first waiver?