QUESTION: I am a Canadian citizen living in the Cayman Islands. I have downloaded and completed Form I-192. Can you provide me with the address that I am to mail the application to?
REPLY: Unfortunately, there is no easy mail-in option for the Form I-192. This is because U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) officials must take the fingerprints of all I-192 waiver applicants in-person. The filing fee is also processed by CBP officials at a port of entry or designated pre-clearance location in Canada upon filing of the Form I-192. Once the port of entry/pre-clearance location has all of the required documents, fingerprints, and fees, the complete I-192 waiver application package is forwarded to the CBP Admissibility Review Office (“ARO”), which is where all I-192s are sent for adjudication.
There is one port of entry in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan that accepts the Form I-192 and filing fee by mail, however, you must still appear in person at that port of entry to have your fingerprints taken by a CBP officer. Your I-192 waiver application package will not be forwarded to the ARO until the package is complete with the necessary fingerprint chart. I spoke with a CBP officer in Sault Ste Marie today, who explained that once your Form I-192 and filing fee are received in the mail, that port will contact you directly with instructions to appear for fingerprints.
The other option would be to appear at a port of entry or pre-clearance location in Canada, such as the I-192 office at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on a Saturday between 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM, where you can file your application in-person, pay the filing fee, and complete the fingerprint process all at the same time.
The CBP website also provides a list of locations where Forms I-192 are accepted: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/id_visa/indamiss_can_info.xml.