Can a Person with a Recent Criminal Offence Travel to the U.S.?
The Americans are getting even stricter at the US border as we are receiving a flood of calls from people being turned away at the US border because of old criminal charges. Even if the criminal charges were dismissed, withdrawn, stayed, conditional or absolute discharge, it is raising red flags at the border.
A US Entry Waiver is only needed if you have been denied entry to the US. If this is the case, an application to DHS (Department of Homeland Security) needs to be made to allow for re-entry to the US. This application is commonly known as a I-194. It is a complicated application and requires a lot of time and expertise to complete.
If you have not been denied entry to the US, you may be safe to travel once your charges are removed with a Pardon or File Destruction. Every file is different, so make sure you email or call us before crossing the US Border.
To give you an idea how strict the Americans have become, here is a story of a client we recently helped to obtain a US Entry Waiver or i-194:
The client had a 25 yr. old theft charge. He assumed it was already out of the system (this is a common mistake people make assuming their criminal record has been removed just because of time).
He was on his way to Costa Rica with his wife and 2 children. There was a stop over in Houston where you must clear US Customs in order to continue on to Costa Rica. In Houston, the American customs agent found the old theft charge and denied him entry to the US. This meant that he was not able to continue on to Costa Rica. His family was devastated and he was completely embarassed to say the least.
Now this person needs a US Entry Waiver or I-194 to re-enter the US. Even worse, his spirits were extremely low because of the incident in Houston and his children and wife were denied a pleasure trip to a foreign country with their father.
If you have any questions regarding this topic or about Pardons and US Entry Waivers email us at [email protected] or call 1-877-929-6011.
Pardons Canada undertakes all necessary steps and procedures for removing your criminal record, including: Pardons/Record Suspensions, Purges, Photograph & Fingerprint Destruction, and U.S. Entry Waivers.
