Pardons Canada – How to get a US Waiver if a pardon is already granted

Visitor:  I have been fingerprinted twice. Both times in my hometown of Campbell River, BC.  The first time was in 1986 when I was drinking and driving a motor vehicle.  I applied for and was granted a pardon some years later, but that was opened up again in around 2004 when I had a relationship with an underage girl. The police put it down as obtaining prostitution under 18 for 4 counts and one count of sexual assault. The lawyer said he could get me off but it would be $25,000, so I plead guilty because I had actually broken the law. The punishment for these charges is that I had a 7 p.m. curfew for 6 months. And probation if I remember correctly for 18 months.

The crimes were actually committed way back in 1999 but the charges and convictions were taken care of around 2004.  I have just received a pardon for all my charges in Canada and now I am wondering about getting an admissibility Waver for the United States because a couple years ago I got stopped at the airport trying to enter the US and was denied entry  (although I had traveled across the border many times in a car unknowingly, but they didn’t realize).

 Apparently a Canadian pardon it’s not recognized in the US because once they have it on their file it stays there. Ultimately I would like to get the record wiped clean from the entire database, but a waiver to enter the United States for now would be desirable.  The United States border officer also fingerprinted me at the airport.  

Pardons Canada: You will need a US Entry Waiver (I-194) to return to the US since your were fingerprinted at the US border and denied entry a few years ago. It should not be an issue to get your US waiver approved as you have been out of trouble with the police for some time. However, because of the nature of your sexual assault offence, it could get denied or you may require to get a doctor’s certificate proving that you have rehabilitated.

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.