Update: The US government decided not to raise the fees except in some rare instances. Please read the update here.

US waiver fees could be increased by 60 percent, possibly within the next month. If you require US Entry Waivers to enter the United States, you should be aware of the proposed fee increase.

Currently, the fee to apply for an I-192 Waiver to enter the United States with a criminal record is $585. With the proposed fee increase, the fee would rise to $930. This fee is payable to the United States government and is not part of our service fees.

US waivers

The form required to enter the United States with a criminal record is called I-192. This is a non-immigrant US waiver and can be approved for anywhere from six months to five years. The cost does not depend on the length of the visa issued. The length of the waiver is at the discretion of the officials reviewing the application.

This waiver requires several documents to be obtained including reference letters, drug tests and police checks. Generally, a person requesting this type of waiver should budget four to ten months for gathering all the Canadian documents and four to nine months for the application to be reviewed by the United States authorities. However, renewing a waiver can take less time. Unfortunately, renewals are charged the same as first-time applicants. In addition, the I-192 waiver renewal process is the same as a first-time application process.

The department states the reason behind the increase is to obtain full cost recovery for the application process.

Next steps

We do not know when the government plans to increase this fee but will update you when the information is available. Currently, US Citizenship and Immigration Services is undertaking a 60-day commenting period on this and several other immigration form fees. This commenting period is due to expire on July 3, at which time a final rule will be published in the Federal Register.

Do you need a US Entry Waiver for business, vacations or family get-togethers? Contact us today to start your application.