FAQ

Those who are attempting to enter Canada with a DUI, and have been arrested or convicted of Driving Under the Influence, may be criminally inadmissible to Canada. Canada immigration authorities do not look at the manner in which your conviction was processes in the USA. You are considered Criminally Inadmissible to Canada under Canadian Immigration law if you have any indictment relating to the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.

During the assessment of your admissibility, it does not matter if it was a misdemeanor or a felony DUI, you may still be criminally inadmissible to Canada. A Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) can give someone who is inadmissible to Canada, the opportunity to travel to Canada with a DUI.

If you have received a Departure Order, you have 30 days to leave the country and you must obtain a certificate of departure before leaving. If you don’t complete these 2 things, the Departure Order will automatically become a Deportation order. Complying with the rules of a Departure Order is necessary if you want to be able to reapply to return to Canada. A standard immigration screening process is the next necessary step. Receiving a pardon before reapply to come back into Canada is recommended if you have been convicted of a crime since your Departure Order.

An Exclusion Order prevents a person from returning to Canada for a set period of time. Typically exclusion orders last one year, however, Exclusion Orders can be extended to 2 years if you have misrepresented yourself during the immigration process. After the completion of the Exclusion Order duration, you can re-enter Canada. If, for any reason, you need to return to Canada before the completion of your Exclusion Order duration, you will need written authorization from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

A Deportation Order prevents a person from ever returning to Canada without first obtaining written authorization from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or becoming a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.

If a foreign national has a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP), Canadian Pardon or Record Suspension, Youth and Contraventions Act record, Rehabilitation certificate, or has been “Deemed Rehabilitation,” they can legally enter Canada with a criminal record. Contact Pardon Canada toll free: 1-866-922-8159, to learn more about your options.

You can be considered ineligible to claim refugee status if you have committed serious, non-political offenses. In order to determine whether you are eligible or not to claim refugee status, an immigration hearing would need to be held.

A refugee can be asked to leave Canada because of a criminal record depending on various factors include how serious the crime committed is. You can potentially help immigration approvals by applying for a pardon because it shows your commitment towards living a crime-free life. Citizenship and Immigration Canada will allow people to stay in Canada until the pardon is approved. Call toll free:1-866-922-8159 to see if you qualify today!

Not only can you be considered ineligible for permanent residence status, but anyone included in your ‘family application’ can also be determined ineligible.

If Citizenship and Immigration Canada knew about your criminal record prior to granting you permanent residence status, there should not be a problem. However, a criminal record can stop you from applying for citizenship, and even have your permanent resident status revoked. There is also the potential that your criminal record could lead to your removal from Canada. When you applied for permanent resident status, if you withheld or did not disclose the fact of your criminal record, this could hard your immigration application and/or status.