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I was unaware of Canada's policy regarding U.S. citizens with DUI convictions after I received such a conviction in 2004 in the state of Georgia. After fulfilling all obligations and sentences that resulted from my conviction (my one and only conviction), I planned a trip to Toronto during the summer of 2005, but was turned away at the Windsor, Ontario border after being detained there by border agents, who became suspicious when I told them I was traveling to Toronto to visit a friend, but couldn't provide the friends address (I was meeting the friend at my hotel in Toronto and honestly didn't know their address, as I had never been to Toronto before). My car was searched thoroughly, and I was ushered into the office for further questioning.
Immediately, they pulled up my DUI from the year before, and sent me back across the bridge to Detroit.
So now it's 2010, and I still want to visit Toronto. I've heard I may be able to cross if I apply for some sort of rehabilitation permit, as my conviction is now over 5 years old? If so, where do I do this at? The information I'm finding online is confusing at best. I'm also aware of the passport requirements that have gone into effect in the past year.
This post is not in any way intended to criticize Canadian policy on the topic at hand. I fully realize I must live with the decision I made that night in 2004, it's just that living in Michigan and not being able to cross into Canada occasionally is a bummer, as I really want to experience what Canada has to offer.
From reading the CIC site, if you're offense is older than 5 years and you have no other criminal past, you should be permitted to enter under the "deemed rehabilitated" category.
Of course, this being a government web site, they cover their butts very nicely by saying that the only way to certain is to actually show up at the border, explain your circumstances and wait for the judgement of the Customs agent.
Thanks, cornerguy, that was helpful. The CIC said I should contact the consulate to see where I stand before attempting to enter again, so I e-mailed the one in Detroit tonight.
Hope I can get in........this trip to Toronto's been on hold for 5 years!
Thanks, cornerguy, that was helpful. The CIC said I should contact the consulate to see where I stand before attempting to enter again, so I e-mailed the one in Detroit tonight.
Hope I can get in........this trip to Toronto's been on hold for 5 years!
You're welcome........hope things work out and you get your trip.
Thanks, cornerguy, that was helpful. The CIC said I should contact the consulate to see where I stand before attempting to enter again, so I e-mailed the one in Detroit tonight.
Hope I can get in........this trip to Toronto's been on hold for 5 years!
Were you convicted of the DUI? It is very typical in the US for a first offense to be adjudicated as probation before judgment. In other words no conviction if you keep your nose clean for a period of time. Try to think back to that moment that you were face to face with the border agent and you might realize that they fooled you into admitting to your DUI.
Several years ago my friends and I were taken aside at the border trying to go to Montreal. We looked suspicious because we were driving a panel van that looked like we were hiding something. Anyways, they took us inside and had us stand at a counter where a woman was on the other side at a computer taking our IDs. She went down the line asking us if we had ever been arrested for a DUI. I had been arrested 4 years prior in Maryland (Coming out of a wedding reception ) but I didn't believe that they could have this info. I simply said no. She then went to my friend standing next to me who had a DUI from many years prior and he answered yes. We were not allowed to enter.
But here's where the story gets interesting. Another younger woman brought us outside to show us the u-turn road which pointed us back to New York. As she was showing us with gestures she was telling us verbally to simply try another border crossing. 45 minutes later we were in Canada.
Moral of the story: Don't admit to a thing. The worst they can do is not allow you in.
Last edited by Mr. Joshua; 01-26-2010 at 07:22 AM..
Were you convicted of the DUI? It is very typical in the US for a first offense to be adjudicated as probation before judgment. In other words no conviction if you keep your nose clean for a period of time. Try to think back to that moment that you were face to face with the border agent and you might realize that they fooled you into admitting to your DUI.
Several years ago my friends and I were taken aside at the border trying to go to Montreal. We looked suspicious because we were driving a panel van that looked like we were hiding something. Anyways, they took us inside and had us stand at a counter where a woman was on the other side at a computer taking our IDs. She went down the line asking us if we had ever been arrested for a DUI. I had been arrested 4 years prior in Maryland (Coming out of a wedding reception ) but I didn't believe that they could have this info. I simply said no. She then went to my friend standing next to me who had a DUI from many years prior and he answered yes. We were not allowed to enter.
But here's where the story gets interesting. Another younger woman brought us outside to show us the u-turn road which pointed us back to New York. As she was showing us with gestures she was telling us verbally to simply try another border crossing. 45 minutes later we were in Canada.
Moral of the story: Don't admit to a thing. The worst they can do is not allow you in.
Not exactly sure what constitutes a conviction, but I was fined, sentenced to community service and also counseling, all of which I completed. No, I didn't admit to anything at any point when I tried to enter Canada. Like I said, they got suspicious when they asked me the address of the friend I was meeting and I didn't have it (because I literally didn't know it). I had never been to this persons home and they were meeting me at my hotel in Toronto.
After that, they made me get out of my car, and inspected it thoroughly. After THAT, I too was taken inside, where someone pulled up my DUI on a computer. They gave me a paper detailing Canada's policy on DUI offenders and made me do the u-turn back to Detroit. I gotta say, the border agents at the Windsor crossing that morning were pretty nasty. One female agent took me aside and made casual conversation (trying to catch any contradictive statements I guess) while a couple of her male counterparts combed through my car. I was just walking around a bit while I talked with her as I tried to pass the time, when suddenly she goes "I need you to back up, sir", like I was trying to get close so I could jump her or something! I was dumbstruck!
Anyway, I'm just trying to get all my ducks in a row so I don't have to go through that again. The CIC website said that I should contact a consulate to find out my status for admission, but when I did all I got was a generic reply listing all the methods to which I could apply for rehabilitated status, or something like that. I finished all of my requirements resulting from my conviction over 5 years ago, so if that isn't good enough I won't be going anytime soon.
You will need to follow the process above and pay the fee to be deemed rehabilitated -- my sister lives in the US and has had a DUI and even though hers occured seven years ago, she still had to go through this process to be able to cross the border.
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) but I didn't believe that they could have this info. I simply said no. She then went to my friend standing next to me who had a DUI from many years prior and he answered yes. We were not allowed to enter.
