Many people believe that if you have a criminal record then you cannot travel to the US and that you need a US Waiver. This is not true. You really only need a US Waiver if you have been denied entry to the US.
If you have never been denied entry to the US then you can obtain a pardon or record suspension and then you should be safe to travel. If you were fingerprinted by the police and the charges were later withdrawn or dismissed or discharged, you should obtain a file destruction to confirm that the police and RCMP have removed the prints. This will allow you to be safe to travel as the Americans will not see the prints on the CPIC database which is the database that they look at when doing criminal checks at the border.
If you have been denied entry to the US then you need a US Waiver also knows as an I-192. This application when approved will give you advance permission to enter the US without being denied entry. The application process can be lengthy and costly and you don’t want to make any mistakes or the Americans will deny the application. Pardons Canada will help to do all the necessary paperwork to ensure that the Americans will accept the US Waiver application on your behalf.
Here is a recent thank you letter from a person we helped to remove a theft conviction. This person would have been denied entry to the US if they tried to travel with the theft conviction but because they now have received a pardon, they are safe to visit their family in the US without the fear and expense of being denied entry to the US:
