Many people are unaware that if you have a criminal record or have been charged for a criminal offence you can get denied entry at the US border. The Americans do random criminal checks at each border and they continue to increase their dilligence in this regard.
Even if the criminal offence was minor and happened many years ago, you can still be denied entry to the US. It happens every day in the hundreds.
The Americans have recently made the rules even more difficult for Canadians trying to cross the border with a criminal record.
In the following recent article entitled “House passes bill on US-Canada border security” it talks about a new bill that was passed in the US House of Representatives that will beef up security at the borders which will mean more criminal background checks.
Here is a copy of the recent article:
If you have a criminal record or have been charged with a criminal record which was later dismissed, withdrawn, stayed, or discharged, it is imperative that you apply for a pardon, record suspension and/or file destruction in order to be safe to travel to the US.
If you have been denied entry to the US as a result of your criminal background then you will need a US Entry Waiver or I-192 and I-194 in order to return to the US. The US Entry Waiver application is complicated and lengthy but can be completed so that you will be safe to re-enter the US.
