New Rules for Entry Into Canada Change Little

In reviewing the comments from sportsman on my website (http://www.sportsmanlawyers.com)  I have heard it all.  

There have been comments from thankful folks that can cross the border to hunt the Canadian Rockies due to an application for rehabilitation, to sad stories of honeymooners staying on the US side of Niagra falls because of a prior misdemeanor.  

However, there has been recent talk in the papers that getting  into Canada is now much easier (http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/152115605.html)  The Canadian government has stated that they are easing entrance restrictions.  

This may not be the case.

I just received this note on my website:

On  Monday evening (May 21, 2012) my girlfriend and I were both denied entry to Canada at Vancouver airport. The reasons for both of us being denied entry were said to be because of old criminal convictions.

Unfortunately, access is still at the desecration of the border patrol.  At Chaudhary  Law Office, PLLC we continue to urge you to clear up any prior legal entanglements before heading north for business or pleasure.

You can save yourselves a lot of money and inconvenience.

For more information, contact us at Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC.  We serve anyone in the US. 

Contact Us From Anywhere in the U.S.
(952)525-2285 ♦ satveer@chaudharylawoffice.com

http://www.sportsmanlawyers.com/

http://www.chaudharylawoffice.com/

Free consultation

Satveer Chaudhary is the founding lawyer of Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC.  In practice over 10 years Chaudhary brings 14 years of legislative experience as a State Senator and Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives to each and every case

Satveer S. Chaudhary is a lifelong sportsman and former wildlife and conservation policy- maker. As an attorney, he represents hunting and fishing organizations, businesses, individual hunters and anglers, and serves on the board of Safari Club International. He has worked in a variety of capacities with National Association of Sportsmen Caucuses, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever. He knows the law because he helped make it.

The information provided is offered for informational purposes only. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice. Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC does not seek to represent you based upon your review of this brochure. You should not make legal hiring decisions based merely upon brochures, advertising or other promotional materials.

More About What Chaudhary Law Office Can Do Four You

Contact Us From Anywhere in the U.S.

(952)525-2285 ♦ satveer@chaudharylawoffice.com

www.sportsmanlawyers.com

www.chaudharylawoffice.com

Free consultation

Satveer Chaudhary is the founding lawyer of Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC.  In practice over 10 years Chaudhary brings 14 years of legislative experience as a State Senator and Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives to each and every case

Satveer S. Chaudhary is a lifelong sportsman and former wildlife and conservation policy- maker. As an attorney, he represents hunting and fishing organizations, businesses, individual hunters and anglers, and serves on the board of Safari Club International. He has worked in a variety of capacities with National Association of Sportsmen Caucuses, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever. He knows the law because he helped make it.

The information provided is offered for informational purposes only. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice. Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC does not seek to represent you based upon your review of this brochure. You should not make legal hiring decisions based merely upon brochures, advertising or other promotional materials.

About Chaudhary Law Offices www.sportsmanlawyer.com

Contact Us From Anywhere in the U.S.

(952)525-2285 ♦ satveer@chaudharylawoffice.com

www.sportsmanlawyers.com

www.chaudharylawoffice.com

Free consultation

Satveer Chaudhary is the founding lawyer of Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC.  In practice over 10 years Chaudhary brings 14 years of legislative experience as a State Senator and Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives to each and every case

Satveer S. Chaudhary is a lifelong sportsman and former wildlife and conservation policy- maker. As an attorney, he represents hunting and fishing organizations, businesses, individual hunters and anglers, and serves on the board of Safari Club International. He has worked in a variety of capacities with National Association of Sportsmen Caucuses, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever. He knows the law because he helped make it.

The information provided is offered for informational purposes only. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice. Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC does not seek to represent you based upon your review of this brochure. You should not make legal hiring decisions based merely upon brochures, advertising or other promotional materials.

Canada Traveler Information: DWI or DUI Driving or Other Misdemeanor Convictions

Are you considering taking a trip to Canada? Looking forward to a honeymoon in British Columbia?  Hunting elk in Alberta? Visiting your cousin in Toronto?  Well, if you have been convicted of DWI or DUI, or many other misdemeanor convictions within the last ten years, make sure you take care of the issue before you try to cross the border.  Any type of impaired driving offense is considered the equivalent to the Canadian Criminal Code offense of impaired driving, and Canadian law considers impaired driving (driving with a blood alcohol concentration above .08) to be a serious offense. In fact even a first offense conviction of impaired driving results in a criminal record, a minimum $1000 fine, and a driving prohibition for a minimum of one year.

Routine screening upon entry into Canada includes the question, “Have you ever been convicted of a crime?”  If you have been convicted of impaired driving, or other offenses you may feel are minor, you may be denied entrance.  More importantly, if you're entering from the United States, as part of post-911 security measures, border agents may already have access to criminal records. If you lie or forget about a conviction, you may be barred from entry into Canada for many years.  

A person with a conviction may be deemed rehabilitated and be eligible for entry after a certain period of time,   depending on the offense.  This period may be as short as 5 years or as long as 10 years. 

You may also apply for individual criminal rehabilitation, 5 years following the original conviction.

Contact Us From Anywhere in the U.S.

(952)525-2285 ♦ satveer@chaudharylawoffice.com

www.sportsmanlawyers.com

www.chaudharylawoffice.com

Free consultation

Satveer Chaudhary is the founding lawyer of Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC.  In practice over 10 years Chaudhary brings 14 years of legislative experience as a State Senator and Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives to each and every case

Satveer S. Chaudhary is a lifelong sportsman and former wildlife and conservation policy- maker. As an attorney, he represents hunting and fishing organizations, businesses, individual hunters and anglers, and serves on the board of Safari Club International. He has worked in a variety of capacities with National Association of Sportsmen Caucuses, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever. He knows the law because he helped make it.

The information provided is offered for informational purposes only. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice. Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC does not seek to represent you based upon your review of this brochure. You should not make legal hiring decisions based merely upon brochures, advertising or other promotional materials.

Temporary Resident Permits: Are They The Answer To Travel To Canada?

Once a Temporary Resident Permit is granted, it must be updated every 6 months to 1 year. However it is not permanent, and there are significant non-refundable processing fees associated with Temporary Resident Permits. Not surprisingly, higher fees correspond to cases involving more serious criminal issues.

However, there are times that the trip of a lifetime presents itself, or you need to travel to Canada on business. In that instance one can apply for Deemed or Streamlined Rehabilitation at the Canadian ports of entry. However, submitting an application for rehabilitation doesn’t guarantee that the request will be approved. Should you wish to apply, you must bring all supporting documents to a port of entry during regular business hours. If you live near Seattle, International Falls, Detroit, or Buffalo this may make sense, but it’s risky to travel a great distance and chance this means of entry.  

If a person somehow enters Canada and decides to retroactively apply for a temporary permit, they may be asked to leave the country. Regardless, if one is caught in Canada and is found to have been inadmissible in the first place, that person risks deportation and future denials of entry. 

Contact Us From Anywhere in the U.S.

(952)525-2285 ♦ satveer@chaudharylawoffice.com

www.sportsmanlawyers.com

www.chaudharylawoffice.com

Free consultation

Satveer Chaudhary is the founding lawyer of Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC.  In practice over 10 years Chaudhary brings 14 years of legislative experience as a State Senator and Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives to each and every case

Satveer S. Chaudhary is a lifelong sportsman and former wildlife and conservation policy- maker. As an attorney, he represents hunting and fishing organizations, businesses, individual hunters and anglers, and serves on the board of Safari Club International. He has worked in a variety of capacities with National Association of Sportsmen Caucuses, NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and Pheasants Forever. He knows the law because he helped make it.

The information provided is offered for informational purposes only. It is not offered as and does not constitute legal advice. Chaudhary Law Office, PLLC does not seek to represent you based upon your review of this brochure. You should not make legal hiring decisions based merely upon brochures, advertising or other promotional materials.

So, Who Can and Cannot Travel To Canada?

WHO CAN ENTER CANADA?

Most people assume that just about anyone can enter Canada. “This cannot be further from the truth,” states immigration lawyer, Satveer Chaudhary of the Chaudhary Law Office in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota.. “Canadian Customs and Immigration Officers have ultimate authority to permit or deny anyone entry to Canada, as is the case with U.S. Customs and Immigration Service. Most attempting to visit Canada don’t, however, have a criminal record and are allowed to enter. Consequently, most of us never think twice.”

WHO CANNOT ENTER CANADA?

What if you’ve been convicted of drunk driving? One common myth is that a person entering Canada with a DWI conviction is only prohibited from driving. This is absolutely not the case. In Canada a DUI is a felony that may be punished by imprisonment for up to 5 years, and therefore under the Canadian Immigration Act, can block your entry into Canada.

Anyone with a conviction in the United States that’s treated as a felony or indictable offense in Canada can be stopped at the border, even if the conviction OR CHARGE is a misdemeanor in the U.S. More surprisingly, should your legal entanglement not be a felony or indictable offense in Canada, Customs and Immigration Officers still have ultimate authority to deny entry to Canada.² Imagine taking your teenager “up north” for their first Canadian fishing trip, and being stopped at the border because 10 years ago you were charged with reckless driving or got a DUI. 

Almost all convictions (including DUI, DWI, reckless driving, negligent driving, misdemeanor drug possession, all felonies, domestic violence, assault, shoplifting, theft, etc. can make a person unable to enter Canada, regardless of when the incident occurred. For this reason, it’s not recommended that persons with past convictions attempt to enter Canada without first obtaining the necessary documents. Remember, it’s always the final decision of officers at ports of entry to decide whether a person should be allowed into Canada. “The Canadian Consulate emphasizes that this entry is discretionary,” Chaudhary continues, “and in the post 9/11 aftermath, officers are more typically exercising their discretion to deny entry than to grant entry.”

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Chaudhary Law Office

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