Post: #1

So I got into a legal situation where I no longer have a clean record and I had a trip planned to Montreal in June. I recently found out if you have a record you can't get into Canada without rehabilitation of some sort. Does anyone have any experience on how to get around this? Thank you.

Post: #2

ohhh canada.

I took a train from NYC to Montreal last year for jazzfest.

Was stopped at the border where the mounties (or whatever they call them) asked me about my record. I have 2 DUIs from 12 years ago. They said I should have gotten a letter from my local sheriff (a sheriff NYC? hah, what century do you think this is?) and a bunch of other BS. They treated me (and another 50 year old dude from philly and his wife) like criminals and put us on a greyhound bus back to NYC.

I flew in twice since the DUIs and didn't have a problem so maybe flying is different that a train. Also I went to Toronto and BC previously so maybe just Montreal has a hard on for people that have minor misdemeanors a decade old. If the US gov't (and the 72 other countries i've visited don't give a shit) why should Canada?

Maybe some other forum members can shed some light on the procedures to get in. Personally Im not going to jump through their hoops when there are 194 more interesting countries than Canada.

(05-01-2014 04:33 PM)RussianRootCanal Wrote:  So I got into a legal situation where I no longer have a clean record and I had a trip planned to Montreal in June. I recently found out if you have a record you can't get into Canada without rehabilitation of some sort. Does anyone have any experience on how to get around this? Thank you.

Post: #3

Canadian immigration is screwed up. I'm divorced and any time I travel to the States with my son they never say anything yet when I return back to Canada they always asked to the travel consent letter.
Doesn't make sense.

Post: #4

I'd be interested to hear about experiences with this.

I've a DUI from Australia a few years back. I'm not Australian and have since changed passport. I wasn't finger printed either.

I'd be shocked if it flagged.

Post: #5

@hun73r

You seem pretty ignorant to a country that you have visited multiple times. The US government does the same thing. If you have a record, they don't let you in. Also, it's 2014 and the US still has Sherrifs. I see them everytime I go to the States.
Feel free not to visit Canada if it's so uninteresting.

@OP I would google a pardoning service where you can try to obtain one and cross without issues. It's a bit pricy though.

Post: #6

I go to Toronto every year for Caribana and last year I brought a friend who usually doesn't travel and they told us to pull over. They told myself and my other friend to wait outside and they interrogated the one who doesn't usually travel. Apparently (and unbenounced to me) he had got into a semi gang related incident in April of 2003. It was to be wiped off his record completely as he wasn't directly involved with the brunt of the incident or something but it still popped up on Canada's system. They let him go thru [to Canada] as the cut off point is 10 years. Lucky for him, the 10 year expiration was April of 2013, which when we traveled to Caribana was in August [of 2013]. So basically only 3 months had past so he got lucky.

I dunno if that helps but basically they stated that if it hadn't been 10 years, they would have sent him back home [to New York]. I told him that he's my man and all but I woulda dropped him off at the Buffalo greyhound station and let him know how the trip went when we got back.

Post: #7

Well every country is free to set their own laws. Canada sees DUIs as a big deal.

Medicinal pot is perfectly legal here on a national level. Try taking your medicine to the states and see where it gets you....

Post: #8

They wouldn't let my friend into Canada because he had a DUI on his record in the US.
DUI is a felony is Upper Canadia. Evidently they share citizen data with the US. Who knew :duh:

Post: #9

Try bringing weed into Canada from the US. It's no different.

Don't waste your money on a pardon. The USA will not recognize it. You need to apply for a waiver at the US embassy.

Post: #10

Not to side track, If you're legally allowed to have weed via a perscription, recognized at the national level, why would Canada Customs have an issue with it? I would think its the same as any other perscription drug. The issue in US is its recognized at state level, but not national.

Similarly when coming back and my brother was 20. I'd buy 2 bottle of booze, and then at the border we'd each claim one. They fact that he couldn't legally buy it where he was coming from didn't matter.

Post: #11

I don't know but that's what happens. Check out the Canada border security show on YouTube.

At least once an episode, some American with medical marijuana gets denied at the Washington / B.C. border.

Post: #12

From what I understand you may also write the consulate and ask for permission if you have a DUI or other relatively small offenses before arriving in the country.. I have no experience with this, but that's what I've read and it makes sense to me. I'm sure it would help if you sent them over something like classes you were ordered to complete from court, or therapy. I had to do both for my DUI. Colorado is super harsh when if comes to DUIs and half the people I know that drive have them. It would also probably help if you did get a letter from your sheriff like someone above had mentioned. I know that sounds like a joke if you're from a place like NYC, but if you got your DUI in a small tight knit town like I did, it's totally doable. I'm 90% sure the sheriff in my town would do it for me, but then again I probably live on one of the very few places in the states where cops are actually cool.

Post: #13

Quote:You seem pretty ignorant to a country that you have visited multiple times. The US government does the same thing. If you have a record, they don't let you in. Also, it's 2014 and the US still has Sherrifs. I see them everytime I go to the States.
Feel free not to visit Canada if it's so uninteresting.

kdog

I would say it was ignorance if I had not already visited the country twice since the prior arrests. But because I had, I didn't expect the treatment.

Quote: If you have a record, they don't let you in.

Except when they do. Twice. Did you not read what I wrote at all?

Quote:Feel free not to visit Canada if it's so uninteresting.

I do feel free. As I said, I don't have an interest in visiting Canada. When people say they don't like the US or don't want to visit, it doesn't bother me at all. I was offering my experience to help the OP. Don't be so easily offended.