Exclusion from Canada due to an offense on the record such as a DUI can have grim consequences. Rather than being denied a day of sight-seeing or the next fun vacation in Canada, an exclusion could be a much bigger problem should it materialize out of the blue for the business person that scheduled an important meeting with his or her Canadian partners.
The problem here is that many travelers are not aware of how strict Canadian immigration law really is. They might not even have thought that their DUI from decades back in the United States would pose any problem. The fact that people might have been allowed into the country previously despite a DUI on their record is pretty meaningless. In recent times, background checks at the border have become a lot stricter. Quite often, this can result in situations where travelers encounter exclusions to Canada entirely unexpected.
Let us assume that Canadian border officials told you you cannot enter Canada due to a DUI on your record. Once the surprise and anger subsided, this is the time where action needs to follow. You will now know your criminal record causes a problem going to Canada and the problem needs to be solved. This is also the time where a competent immigration lawyer should be consulted since he can help to get you into Canada, despite the DUI entry on your criminal record. Tip: An immigration lawyer in the United States that is located in a state close to Canada will have more experience than a lawyer farther from Canada.
DUI – A Felony Offense in Canada
The Canadian Immigration Act states what offenses will be reason for exclusion.Those are mostly drug and alcohol offenses and DUI and DWI offenses are amongst them. DUI and DWI are considered felonies in Canada that make a person inadmissible.
Aside from DUI and DWI offenses, the Immigration Act lists other severe offenses which will make admission to the country impossible. On the list are also misdemeanor drug possession, shoplifting and domestic violence. Those will be reasons to be denied entry as well.
Unlike as is the case with minor offenses that often only require a simplified application at the Canadian border, any of those more severe offenses require to be well prepared to get finally admitted. To turn the exclusion to Canada into a successful admission to Canada despite those offenses, a skilled immigration lawyer should be consulted. The immigration lawyer will know about all the steps required to get into Canada despite severe convictions such as DUI.
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