Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

This was the only contact and no further updates.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hi, I’m new here and hoping you can help. I had my interview at London on 12th May 2025. As expected it was referred to be considered for a ‘waiver of ineligibility’ some 11 months have passed and today I received an email stating that I have been recommended for the waiver however I specifically would like to know, gain some clarification on this part:

‘Based on the factors described above, we will be recommending you for a waiver of your ineligibility. If the consular supervisor agrees with this recommendation and DHS decides to grant your waiver, you will be issued a limited-validity visa. The current waiting period for these two agencies to consider your case is approximately 6-8 months.  However, this is not always guaranteed.

Does this mean that the 6-8 months waiting period has now just started from today - the date of the email or from when I had my interview - 12th May 2025

Please could you kindly clarify

Thanks

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Attended London Embassy 5/3/25 for an I-Visa (foreign media representative). Approved for a waiver. When logging into CEAC, I can see case has not been opened again since that same day - Is this normal?

Only a few in the spreadsheet from around this time via London Embassy, but no movement with any of them.
Such a painfully long process.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hi and welcome to the forum. Yes, the lack of updates in CEAC is completely normal unfortunately. The only time it will change is when they finally get around to contacting you to ask you to submit your passport (or rejecting it out of hand).
As you'll see in the sheet, some have been waiting for 18 months now :-( All one can do is wait.

I assume you're using UK date format - 5th March. I'll add an entry in the sheet for you if you're happy for me to do so.

jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Thank you! Gotya. Ultimately, is there always going to be some form of contact from them, or have people been known to hear nothing at all?
Yup, a long old time!

That's fine, feel free to add that to the sheet.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

There should be a response at some point. Just cannot say when :-(

Entry added.

All the best,

​​​​​​⠀‹jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Be aware renewing a waiver



I have a B2 waiver which expires in March 2027,given that currently it is taking a year or more for waivers to be processed(if granted).

I thought I would start the process now to minimise the gap between waivers,so that when the existing waiver expired and new one would start shortly after the current one expired(if you follow my logic)



Yesterday I went to London and after a three and half hour wait I had my interview, no problem and they said they would recommend a waiver (I have had four waivers before).



I was then told that the procedure was that my existing waiver would be cancelled as I was applying for a new visa.



Obviously I did not want that as it still had almost a year left and I had planned travel using that waiver. I said I would withdraw my new application and was told I could not do that.



After some discussion the CO agreed to speak to her superior and came back to say that in view of the timescale for waivers they would not cancel my existing waiver but made it very clear this was not normal

I think I was very lucky as I seemed to establish a good rapport with the CO during the interview and that this helped. I may not have been so lucky with a different CO!



Just be aware

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

mine was 12th May 2026 and had an email yesterday to say “Based on the factors described above, we will be recommending you for a waiver of your ineligibility. If the consular supervisor agrees with this recommendation and DHS decides to grant your waiver, you will be issued a limited-validity visa. The current waiting period for these two agencies to consider your case is approximately 6-8 months.  However, this is not always guaranteed”

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hi Emma_hay Did you mean 12th May 2025? And did you only get an email yesterday (7 Apr 2026) to say that they'll recommend, and the current waiting period is 6-8 months? In which case you could be looking at a total wait time of 17-19 months.

jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Yes correct, sorry I meant 12/05/2025. I can’t believe that after 11 months I’ve only just been sent an email to say they are recommending it but I was told at the interview that it was being sent for a recommendation so I wrongly assumed the whole process for both agencies was 9-12 months.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

If you're happy for me to do so I will add an entry to the spreadsheet for you? Is this your first application?

jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

[QUOTE=joolsjools;13343901]If you're happy for me to do so I will add an entry to the spreadsheet for you? Is this your first application?

jools[/QUOTE

Yes please so it’s my first application. Attended London 12th May 2025, received the above email yesterday. Historical conviction 20 years ago.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

They usually recommend the waiver on the day of your interview; perhaps there's been an update to the process. I am waiting around 13 months; I hope to hear something soon.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

I received this from an immigration lawyer for the us also if it helps anyone


“The US Embassy in London went through a criminal conviction/ waiver analysis crisis in May 2025. I am sure that cases were put aside to be reviewed later, and they may have been left in limbo. A lot of odd things started to happen. The Secretary of State (Foreign Minister for the US) Marco Rubio put out a message in early May 2025 that basically all brushes with law enforcement (not even convictions) would mean visa denials. So this message at this late stage indicates a wait but also a continued waiver recommendation from the US Embassy in London. You may have to wait but you had a confirmed waiver recommendation yesterday, which is terrific. Alternative would be a denial.”

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

I’ve been looking at this thread for a while now and thought others would be interested.

started application 28th Dec 2024

interview in London 5th March 2025


First waiver

Email today giving me 30 days to send in passport for further adjudication

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

that’s what I was led to believe as well, that it had been recommended on the day ! I hope so too honestly fingers crossed

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hi Mollyn and welcome. That's really fantastic news. I'll add an entry for you in the sheet if you don't object.

Was this your first waiver. Do keep us posted on the outcome.

All the best,

jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hello everyone I've been following this forum for a long time and it has helped me a lot with the exchange of experiences you all share. Thank you. Today I finally received the email requesting my passport, I'm so happy. Thank you!

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Great news. Keep us posted on progress.

Jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Jools. Happy to be added to spreadsheet. First waiver application. Will keep posted

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

nice one! Your interview was the day after mine so hopefully I hear something soon. Just frustrating that there seems to be no order in how they are processed

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hi all, wanted to update on my situation - I think I was one of the last people on the forum to still be waiting to hear as my interview was back on 28 Oct 2024. I finally got my email yesterday asking me to submit my passport (although the online portal has still not been updated with any movement on my case). I printed off my document and took it and my passport to Mailbox in Holborn this morning (I just handed them over and didn’t have to pay anything FYI). I was told the passport should be back there in about two weeks, although it might be sooner. I’m not counting my chickens just yet as I know some people have still been rejected at this late stage but fingers crossed. Will update when I hear back. Good luck to those who are still waiting

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

That is absolutely incredible news after 528 days. So happy for you. Let's hope that Ninjabreadman, Terrier1982 and benjobrown hear something soon also, if they have not already done so.

All the best and keep us posted on the outcome.

jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hi I too have been following this thread. This is my second waiver after a 5 year one in 2018

Interview 18/03/2025 in Belfast
email for passport 08/04/2026
passport to mailbox 09/04/2026

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Wow - floodgates appear to have opened :-) Congrats on getting the email, holding thumbs for you. Do keep us posted on the outcome. I'll add an entry to the sheet for you if you don't object.

jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

I did the same thing for my last application. I previously had a 5 year C1/D which I need for work and my most recent one issued in 2024 was only for 2 years, so I applied for a new one last year, 1 year after it was issued, giving it 1 year for the waiver process for the new one so I would hopefully not be without a visa and work for any significant amount of time when my current visa expires later this year.

I had researched this beforehand and read on the embassy website that it was possible to apply for a new visa before the current one expired.

At the interview they were initially confused as to why I was applying so early but I just explained that the waiver process would take approx 12 months and I required the visa for work so wanted to avoid a gap without one.

I can see them cancelling your existing visa if the new one will be issued straight away (without a waver requirement) but in our case I think they were incorrect in saying initially that they would have to cancel your current one.

Good luck anyway!

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Has anyone ever contacted the US Embassy regarding an update on their application? It’s been 391 days since my interview and the case has not been updated since the day of it

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Yes, you should contact them so they can check the process and update you if there any progress.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

I just wanted to know if anyone has had any success in contacting them? Are they even going to bother looking in to it?

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

You can contact London, but (if they respond) don't be surprised if they just tell you it's being processed and that's all they know - they don't have anything to do with it once it's been handed over to DHS/ARO.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

thanks for the reply

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hello. Despite being asked to send in the passport, my husband’s visa has today been refused on ground 214(b). It’s just so frustrating. We waited 14 months for a request for passport which we sent together with the required information. Why then refuse on the grounds of 214(b)? Surely the interview officer would have been in a better position to do this? Also why go to the trouble of asking for the passport and extra information if they were going to refuse on these grounds? Sorry I’m ranting but just so frustrating!!

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

I'm so sorry. What kind of visa was it? I'd just assumed from your username it was an EB immigrant visa ('green card') but obviously not given the refusal reason.

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Thanks. I think that rant helped. It was a B1/B2 tourist visa

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

was it the first or is this a renewal?

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

1st application

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

I am so sorry to hear this. It is really disappointing, but in line with similar reports both here and in the media over the last several months.

jools

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Hansburn Mollyn bimbango50 Just check if yours status is still showing as refused or has there been any update since you sent the passport? Thanks

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

My status on the portal changed to approved on Tuesday after I sent my passport on Friday last week but it says it still needs to go through another approval layer so not guaranteed yet. What about you?

Re: Nonimmigrant Visa Waiver of Ineligibility Application
 

Thanks for reply. Mine has not changed yet, still as refused.