Entering Canada With a Misdemeanor

Augustina Abbey

If you’re planning to go to Canada and you’ve got a criminal historical past, even for minor offenses equivalent to misdemeanors, you can be denied entry into Canada and turned away on the border by immigration authorities.

Luckily, individuals who’ve been denied entry to Canada have a number of methods to beat their previous prison offenses and cross the Canadian border legally.

Read also: The Great Canadian Geography

Causes for Criminal Inadmissibility

Overseas nationals could be refused entry to Canada in the event that they have been convicted of against the law stemming from a misdemeanor arrest or for extra critical crimes, equivalent to felony convictions. It doesn’t matter how the prison offense was dealt with within the foreign nation the place it occurred, Canadian immigration authorities decide the severity of the crime in line with its Canadian equal.

Driving Offenses

Driving offenses are the most common sort of a misdemeanor that impacts an individual’s potential to enter Canada.

Annually, many individuals are turned away on the Canadian border attributable to convictions for driving underneath the affect, together with all different comparable crimes, equivalent to harmful driving or moist reckless driving.

Nonetheless, any sort of misdemeanor prison conviction could make an individual criminally inadmissible to Canada, starting from theft to resisting arrest to possession of a managed substance, in addition to many others.

As a result of an impaired driving conviction in Canada can carry a most sentence of as much as ten years, any quotation in the USA (or every other foreign country) regarding the operation of a motorcar whereas impaired can render somebody criminally inadmissible to Canada.

Overcoming Misdemeanor Convictions

There are a number of methods to ensure that previous misdemeanor convictions don’t stop you from crossing the Canadian border. Discovering the perfect route in your state of affairs is dependent upon:

The quantity and sort of offence(s);
The severity of the offence(s);
When the sentencing for the offence(s) was accomplished.

As soon as these parts are established, they are often in comparison with the implications for the same crime in Canada, so it’s possible you’ll be permitted entry with a legitimate cause.

Overseas nationals can overcome their previous prison offenses to enter Canada utilizing one of many following pathways:

Consulate Utility for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)

A short lived resident allow (TRP) permits a person, whose most up-to-date offence occurred lower than 5 years in the past to change into briefly admissible to Canada. Requests for a TRP are processed at a Canadian Visa Workplace. Port of Entry Utility for a TRP

TRPs will also be issued at a Canadian ports of entry (land, sea, or air) to accommodate last-minute journey plans and emergencies.

Felony Rehabilitation

Via this course of, prison inadmissibility points could be completely resolved. People who accomplished their prison sentence greater than 5 years in the past could also be eligible.

Deemed Rehabilitation

In case your prison conviction and sentencing was resolved greater than ten years in the past, you can be eligible to enter Canada with out going by the rehabilitation course of.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I be deemed rehabilitated by the Canadian Authorities for a past misdemeanor conviction?

You could be deemed rehabilitated in the event you have been convicted of against the law that, if dedicated in Canada, can be equal to an indictable offense punishable by a sentence of lower than ten years, and if the next necessities are met:

Ten years have elapsed because the completion of your sentence;
You haven’t been convicted of any indictable offenses or abstract offenses in Canada within the final ten years, or more than one abstract conviction within the ten years earlier than that; and
You haven’t been convicted exterior Canada of an offence within the final ten years that, if dedicated in Canada, would represent an indictable offence, or of a couple of abstract conviction within the ten years earlier than that.

2. I’ve a pending misdemeanor cost in the USA; how can I increase my chances of being allowed to enter Canada?

Any person who has been charged with a minor crime in the USA however has not but been convicted can achieve entry to Canada with the assistance of a authorized opinion letter.

Drafted by a Canadian immigration lawyer, this letter particulars the circumstances surrounding the individual’s cost, in order that their lawyer can argue on their behalf. The aim of the letter is to clarify the authorized matter, establish dangers and related Canadian legislation, and clarify why the individual must be deemed admissible to Canada.

3. How does Canada learn about my past criminal offenses?

The US and Canada have an info sharing settlement in place. When Canadians try and enter the USA, their passport is linked to their RCMP prison document. This linkage is analogous for these coming into Canada from the USA. Upon entry to Canada, an American is required to current a U.S passport to an immigration officer for screening functions. This individual’s passport has a direct hyperlink to an FBI background document.

4. Can I work in Canada with a past misdemeanor?

If you wish to work in Canada with misdemeanor conviction in your document, you’re prone to run into some inadmissibility points. The Canadian authorities requires and searches prison background info when a person submits a piece allow utility. Usually, a Temporary Resident Permit must be filed to coincide with a piece allow. A extra long-term and everlasting answer is the Criminal Rehabilitation utility, which might guarantee no inadmissibility points in the event you plan on working in Canada sooner or later.

5. Can I apply for Permanent Residency in Canada with a misdemeanor on my criminal document?

Usually, a person who has a previous misdemeanor can be thought of inadmissible to Canada for 10 years after the completion of the sentence. Nonetheless, you could possibly apply for Permanent Residency in Canada upon getting cleared your inadmissibility to Canada through the Criminal Rehabilitation utility. With a view to be eligible to use for Criminal Rehabilitation, it should be not less than 5 years after your completion of sentence.