U.S. Entry Waiver Services in Montreal
One of the great things about living in Montreal – and in Canada in general – is the multi-cultural approach that we have as a society. It’s gone so well, in fact, that we have very amicable relations with many other nations, especially our neighbor to the south, the United States of America (USA). In fact, the level of trust between our countries is so great that, in the past, Canadians could travel to America without needing any official documentation, except maybe a driver’s license.
Today, of course, America’s travel policies are more security conscious. For most Canadians, that only creates the minor obstacle of making sure you have a valid passport. For others, however, the presence of a criminal record in Canada can mean never being allowed to enter the USA again, unless you have a U.S. Entry Waiver (I-192 or I-194).
The Moral Turpitude Condition
As you might imagine, with the vast number of Canadians that visit the U.S. every day, the Customs & Border Patrol – CBP – at airports and at the border itself do not conduct a background check on each and every Canadian traveling through. However, legally, they have the power to do so with any traveler should they decide there is a need for it.
This often means that people with criminal records in Canada may have traveled back and forth between the two countries for years, without issue. Then, one day, a random CBP officer decides to run a background check, and if a criminal conviction is present, and it falls under the American interpretation of “moral turpitude” – such as theft, or drug dealing – that traveler is now permanently barred from entry into the USA. Should that same traveler attempt to enter America again, and get caught, subsequent punishments become more and more severe.
