We refer US Entry Waivers to our partners at Pilkington Immigration Law Firm.
How to Obtain Permission to Enter US with a Criminal Record
If you’re reading this, chances are you want to learn how to get into the United States with a criminal history as simply & easily as possible. The solution is to properly apply for and then successfully receive permission from the United States Department of Homeland Security. This permission comes in the form of a US Entry Waiver, which is a document that grants entry into the United States to a Canadian citizen who has a criminal conviction or other type of miscellaneous issue (such as an overstay during a previous trip) that would otherwise keep them from entering.
US Entry Waivers
A US Waiver of Inadmissibility can be issued for a time frame of one, two, or five years depending on a number of factors including the strength of the application, the seriousness and extent of the crimes that were committed, the amount of time since the convictions occurred, and whether or not it’s a new Waiver or a Waiver renewal. A person can visit the United States multiple times during the duration of a single US Travel Waiver, but if they plan to stay for more than 3 months at once there may be additional forms that will need to be completed, notarized, and then attached to the application. While it’s possible to apply for a US Entry Waiver yourself by completing Form I-192 which allows inadmissible non-immigrant aliens to request permission for temporary admittance to the United States, it’s important to realize that it’s a highly complex legal process that can easily overwhelm someone without professional assistance. The US Waiver application requires a significant amount of tedious paperwork including proof of citizenship, fingerprints, biographic information (form G-325A), police records, court documents, character references, rehabilitation docs, and even form I-212 if the individual has already been removed from or denied entry to the country. The Department of Homeland Security standards are extremely high, and forgetting to include even a single document can result in the entire application being rejected. For this reason, many Canadians choose the stress-free option of using a qualified US Immigration Lawyer to assist them.
