How to Enter Canada From U.S. With a DUI Conviction
A person who has a DUI conviction in the U.S. must submit documents to the Canadian Government showing that he will not present a danger to Canadian citizens when he enters that country. Depending on the applicant's status, he either needs to apply for criminal rehabilitation or for a temporary residence permit, provide the necessary documentation and pay the associated fees.
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Things You'll Need
- Application for Temporary Residence Permit:
- Photocopies of the identification page(s) of the applicant's passport
- 2 passport photographs taken within the past six months
- FBI certificate
- State police and local police certificates from all locations where the applicant has resided for six months since reaching the age of 18
- 3 letters of reference
- Copy of the conviction certificate or court docket showing the sentence imposed
- Copy of the statute(s) under which the applicant was convicted
- Applicant's description of the offense
- Letter from the applicant's employer
- Proof of restoration of driving privileges and of the date of restoration
- Proof of payment of fines, discharge from probation and satisfaction of community service
- Application for Criminal Rehabilitation:
- Proof of restoration of full driving privileges and of the date of restoration
- Certified check or bank draft to cover fees
Instructions
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Determine whether you need an Application for Criminal Rehabilitation or an Application for Temporary Residence. According to Immigration Canada, a person can apply for a certificate of criminal rehabilitation if five or more years have passed since the end of the applicant's sentence. If five years or more have not passed, the applicant must apply for admission via the temporary residence permit.
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Fill out the appropriate application. Applications with any documentation missing, or with any questions left unanswered will not be accepted. Additionally, applications must be hand printed in block print, or typed.
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Gather the necessary supporting documentation. Note that for a Temporary Residence Permit, the employer's letter must contain a job description, salary and length of employment. Additionally, the letters of reference must come from upstanding members of the community such as teachers, business people or clergy.
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Get a bank draft or certified check to pay the appropriate fees. As of March 2010, the application fee for either application is U.S. $185.
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Tips & Warnings
Hiring an immigration lawyer in the United States or Canada may make the process of getting the proper documentation filed easier, and may be worth the money.
Do not wait until the last minute to decide to get documentation to permit Canada travel. The process is time consuming and may require writing multiple letters and talking to many different government agencies.
Do not lie to the border authorities. A person caught lying about a potential barrier to entry may be barred from entry for many years, even if he otherwise would have been eligible for entry into Canada.
References
- Photo Credit Canada image by Kob from Fotolia.com
