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Posts: 31
| So I have been to Canada 5 times since 2004. And never had a problem only one time an agent questioned my DUI from 1986 and after telling me I was a criminal let us go through. Now my buddy just told me that if you have a DUI you are barred from Canada is this true? Booked a trip two months ago now I am worried about getting a crossed. Yeah I made a mistake as a teenager but really? |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | Yes I've herd of guy's being turned back over past DUI's, assault charges, road rage to name a few. |
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Posts: 8785
| I think you can file for (i.e. write a check) rehabilitation somehow. I'd look into it before I took the chance of being turned around at the border. |
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Posts: 1415
Location: Brighton CO. | I believe there's been past posts on this subject in years past if you look back maybe you'll find something. |
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Posts: 1270
Location: E. Tenn | https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-402?language=en_US |
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| I would certainly take the steps listed in the "help" post, but if you were a teenager and have a clean record since, might you get that expunged entirely? I know in Michigan, I had several potential employment candidates whose records showed crimes as teenagers, petty theft, that after being informed the bank could not hire, they were able to get record of the crime expunged as youthful offender. Don't know if there is a time limit, etc., but that is something I would be checking.
Canada, like most of the rest of the world, sees DUI as a serious offense. In WI, the first DUI is not even a misdemeanor. |
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Posts: 1745
| blackhawk - 1/11/2023 8:13 PM
So I have been to Canada 5 times since 2004. And never had a problem only one time an agent questioned my DUI from 1986 and after telling me I was a criminal let us go through. Now my buddy just told me that if you have a DUI you are barred from Canada is this true? Booked a trip two months ago now I am worried about getting a crossed. Yeah I made a mistake as a teenager but really?
Since you crossed 5 times since 2004 with no problems just pretend your buddy never told you anything. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Just tell the boarder agent that you are good buddies with Joe and Hunter |
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Posts: 761
| ^^This^^, while handing over a" full" unmarked envelope. Kdawg |
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Posts: 43
| So about 7 years ago, my brother-in-law and myself, crossed at I Falls. I was involved in an incident when I was a freshman in college back in 1986 where I received a disorderly conduct charge. This charge was taken off my record after I served a year of probation which was completed. To add to that, my brother-in-law had a DUI in 1992. Neither of us have had any other legal issues except minor traffic tickets. And we have never had any issues crossing the border ever up until the incident that occurred roughly 7 years ago and that had to be 30 plus times of crossing the border. As we waited in line, we ended up getting in the right lane which seemed the quickest one to us. We got to the border agent when it was our turn to go, and he asked us the normal list of questions. Where you from? Where you going? How long are you staying? Do you have any firearms? How much tobacco do you have? Any alcohol? And as he was looking at his computer, he asked us both the following strange question, "Have you ever been arrested?" Brother-in-Law said yes to a DUI. I said no. The agent then asked if we have ever been to the Immigration Office. We said no. He then said to pull into the parking slot over there under the overhang and take this yellow tag he then handed to us, into the Immigration office. We were like WTF! But you do what they say, and it was just yes sir and no sir. We walked into Immigration and waited. I certainly was sure they were going to talk about the DUI. However, after a half hour of waiting they called my name. Again, I thought WTF. A gal about 30 years old asked me to come back with her and we went into a back interrogation room. I quickly realized that even though I had no record apparently, they could still see in their computer my incident from 1986 - which was like 28 years prior. I was wondering how they even had that information. Either way she had me rehash what had happened so many years previously. It was certainly not a highlight from my life, but I cannot take back what had happened so I explained everything as well as I could. The immigration officer was very nice, and we talked for some time - just about regulations and basic life. She was at one end of the table, and I was at the other end. And she stated that while I was wrong in my actions and did not have a record in the U.S., Canada has no statute of limitations. She said that in Ontario courts of law, I am guilty of my actions, and that does not go off any record there. She said that even some of the officers she works with have had prior convictions in the past. But she looked at me and stated that after 10 years, you are considered rehabilitated and slid both passports to me. She said I was free to enter Ontario as long as our declaration of goods was accepted by the border guards that were now going to check us. Yes, we had to go through the search of the truck and boat! But, after the search we were free to go muskie fishing. It took about an hour and half to 2 hours out of my time, but we made it across, and it turned out O.K. And I think it also may have been a blessing as we both must be in their computer system as having gone through immigration. So now when they have checked our passports it only takes a few seconds to cross. So, everything I learned from this is that if you have been convicted of a crime that is considered a punishable offense in Canada, you may not be admitted into the country if you have not had 10 years pass since that offense was committed. I have heard that is the case for DUI and possibly other things as well. I have also heard that you may be able to pay and get admitted in prior to 10 years if you fill out some paperwork. I am not sure what that entails but it could be worth looking in to. So sorry for rambling but I think Blackhawk should be just fine going across the border this year. Just make sure you are honest with the border patrol person you are talking to as they may already have the answer to the question they are asking you. Best of luck!
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Posts: 220
| So if you were ever arrested for having under 30 grams of cannabis on you in the states you can cross into Canada as that is not a crime up there ? Lol |
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| musky1969 - 1/13/2023 4:45 PM
So if you were ever arrested for having under 30 grams of cannabis on you in the states you can cross into Canada as that is not a crime up there ? Lol
In Michigan you can possess 70 grams of cannabis. And the issue with DUI is that it is a crime. You can possess a liter of whisky in both USA and Canada, just can't drink it and drive. |
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