Getting into Canada with DWI

[addison4ya_28]

Anyone had any experience with this? I have inherited Canada as part of my territory for my job and I have just learned of the problems travelers are having entering with convictions on their records. I am seriously freaking out because it would be suck to have to explain this to my bosses. How often do they ask?

 

[The Rookie]

"Anyone with a criminal record (including even misdemeanors or Driving While Impaired (DWI)) charges may be barred from entering Canada and must qualify for a special waiver well in advance of any planned travel for further processing, which may take some time. "Linky

 

[Smurfette]

I thought you had to tell bosses of prior convictions? Maybe that's just because I'm a teacher though.

 

[Fried JJ Pickles]

In reply to:

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[PhatAtUT]

this just happened to the little brother of a friend of mine. he and another brother flew into seattle and planned a golfing trip to vancouver. the guy is 23 and had a dwi in college and they denied him entry.

 

[parkerco]

I don't have a record but I've travelled to Canada a couple of times and just showed a passport at customs. I don't remember being asked any questions or filling anything out other than the standard "why are you here" and "when will you leave". If you were applying for some sort of work visa to stay a while it might be a problem, but I doubt they'll ask at immigration for a short visit.

Of course, judging by phat's post which i had not seen, maybe the passoprt scan they do at immigration is hooked up to some database that has a list of all convictions.

 

[Bob in Houston]

If you are a hockey fan, you may recall that Bob Probert racked up a DWI and had to avoid road trips to Canada because of it for a good while.

Aaah, just sneak across the border. You're just trying to work. No human being is illegal.

 

[BattleshipTexas]

Canada is weird.

 

[BA93]

surprised they don't start building a wall to keep us out

 

[hornimal]

I have an acquaintance that does work for a large brewer that was recently brought out by an international brewer. for a couple of years he had long assignmentsin upstate new york. on some weekends instead of going home to see his family he would drive to montreal to tool around.

on his fifth trip back he was stopped on the canadian side of the border and instructed to go to a secondary inspection. it was there that they told him they saw that he had a DWI on his record and was barred from entering the country. he hasn't been back since.

 

[taco]

I used to travel to calgary and edmonton for work in the 90's. They were pretty hardcore on checking you out, especially if you said you were doing anything IT or computer related. I learned not to say that was the reason. They definitely have some major databases, they knew the managers names of our branches up there, etc and would quiz me on that kind of stuff. I didn't have any offenses either. It reminded me of going to England or something, those two countries are definitely serious

 

[Horn-N-LA]

Well change your name to ahmed, become a terrorist and you can get in no problem.

 

[FlyinHorn]

We've had a pilot and flight attendants told to turn around and get back on the outbound flight in YYC and YVR. They're not shitting about this.

 

[kmac30]

my dwi is 10 yrs old. last summer i went to canada and didn't even think about it. we were on a private jet, so customs officers just boarded and talked to us, looked at our passports, no scanning though. i didn't have any problems, but i wonder if it would have been different if they scanned?

i can't believe it shows up on scanning passport. while i was on probation for dwi, i got a pi (yes, i was in college and a dumbass). they were in 2 different counties and there is/was no db linking anything together. i didn't get in any further trouble, thankfully. so i can't imagine Texas counties aren't hooked up but they submit info for passports?

 

[toughandcool]

All the more reason to make sure and expunge or seal eligible criminal offenses.

 

[Summerof79]

If you were the President or Vice President they give you a waiver according to Bush and Cheney....

 

[l00p]

That'd be neato if our country did that. How many of you would be turned back and have to go live in Mexico? You damned immigrants!

 

[rhorn27]

You're definitely going to have a problem. My brother-in-law ran into this issue frequently with a DWI that is 10-12 years old. He basically can't go to Canada because of it.

 

[Kawaiicat7]

So this is WAY late to respond but - I can tell u I got a DWI back in January and was told Canada wont let u in for 5 years.
Which made me super sad (my lawyer didnt comprehend) - bc my mom and I adore Quebec City.
Sigh ;(