felony record am i allowed to cruise?

[kingsgirl]

I know this thread is really old, but I thought I would post a comment anyways.

 

A lot of the initial conversation was about US citizens with records getting into Canada. I wanted to tell you the Canadians who even have so much as a police report filed about a mental health check or suicide attempt, etc. can be and HAVE been denied entry into the US.

 

Sometimes I think things have just gotten way out of hand in the name of "protection".

[Coralc]

I know this is a very old thread. I just wanted to update everyone on an Alaska cruise ending in Vancouver.

 

I had a DWI 21 years ago that I am not proud of, and after reading some frightening posts I was more than a little anxious for my Seward to Vancouver Alaska cruise. Short answer I was worried over nothing.

 

We filled out our cruise documents with our passport info. No problems. The night before we arrived in Vancouver filled out the Canada customs declaration. The next morning I was expecting a call to the principals office. Nothing. Got off the ship and was dreading a customs agents' question. Nothing. We collected our luggage. Nothing. Last stop handed the declaration form to a customs agent. Nothing. They didn't even look at my passport.

 

We spent a beautiful day touring Vancouver and went on our way.

 

Was my experience typical? I don't know, but if it's over ten years ago I wouldn't worry.

 

Thanks for letting us know that it wasn't a problem. :) It is a worrisome situation to be in.

[DEEDIA]

Read a lot of if entering Canada, are they only strict with American Citizens, we flew to Vancouver and sailed down to San Diego, no one on our side of the world mentioned anything about convictions (felonies). Its only the US we have to contact before visiting ie Paying for Visa.

[workingonlytocruise]

The rules for entering Canada are rather plain. If you have a conviction no matter what for, DUI included you are excluded. If you manage to get through without being caught you are lucky. But telling people not to worry they will get in is a foolish thing to do.

 

It is the law here. Plain and simple. Some border guards are not as diligent when checking so some sneak in. Most are diligent and with the IT as it is, most are going to get caught. If you're on your way out of the country having got off a ship in Vancouver, there really isn't a whole lot they can do except escort you to the airport but if you are coming in, you're taking your chances.

[steveru621]

The rules for entering Canada are rather plain. If you have a conviction no matter what for, DUI included you are excluded. If you manage to get through without being caught you are lucky. But telling people not to worry they will get in is a foolish thing to do.

 

It is the law here. Plain and simple. Some border guards are not as diligent when checking so some sneak in. Most are diligent and with the IT as it is, most are going to get caught. If you're on your way out of the country having got off a ship in Vancouver, there really isn't a whole lot they can do except escort you to the airport but if you are coming in, you're taking your chances.

 

You are wrong! It certainly is not plain and simple. Your admittance is up to Border Patrol, but your laws were changed to allow for a ten year rehabilitation interval. Not as diligent? How can I border guard be diligent when I never spoke one word to any Border Patrol agent. You are talking about a process you know nothing about.

 

Calling me foolish for relaying my experience is insulting.

[workingonlytocruise]

I will stand by what I've said - you were darn lucky to be allowed in. Our laws are what they are and you did what to prove otherwise. You were not eligible to come into Canada however the border security had the discretion to allow you, it wasn't your right and telling others to blow this off is foolish.

 

 

Entering Canada with a Criminal Record

 

On March 1, 2012 Canada issued a new policy which may allow U.S. travelers into the country despite having a criminal conviction on their record. The policy was implemented as part of Canada‘s “Tourism Facilitation Action Plan” (TFAP).

 

Under the new policy, U.S. citizens traveling to Canada MAY be allowed across the border if:

•They have only a SINGLE criminal conviction on their record and;

•They were not sentenced to any jail time for that conviction

 

This does not mean they are guaranteed entry. The Canada Customs officer still has complete discretion to allow, or deny, entry to anybody.

 

Although the intent of this policy (OB 389) was to be to allow easier one-time entry to travelers with “minor” offenses the laws regarding admissibility have not changed – only the fee. As best we can tell, this policy has not resulted in easier entry to Canada for those with minor offenses. As they state in their application statement: “To be eligible for a temporary resident permit, your need to enter or stay in Canada must outweigh the health or safety risks to Canadian society, as determined by an immigration or a border services officer. Even if the reason you are inadmissible seems minor, you must demonstrate that your visit is justified.”

 

Procedure to Obtain the Temporary Resident Permit

 

To cross the border under OB 389 you will need to fill out a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) at a Canadian visa office or when you arrive at the border. The normal $200 TRP fee will be waived for this one time. A Canada Customs and Immigration officer will review the TRP and any other information you provide. They will then decide if you will be allowed to enter the country. This special TRP is valid as a one-time pass issued for a specific period of time. It will expire when the traveller leaves Canada.

 

We have heard reports that most people are denied approval for a TRP when applying at the border when trying to cross. This makes a certain amount of sense to us as border officials may not feel they have all of the information they need and may not be willing to take the time to research all aspects of your offense. It is more likely that you will have success if you apply through a Canadian Consulate.

 

Because this is a “once-in-a-lifetime” waiver, you will need go through the normal process of applying and paying for a TRP or a Rehabilitation Document for later border crossings. The same is true if you do not qualify under OB 389.

 

Reason for OB 389

 

Many tourists or business travelers from the United States are stopped by Canada Customs and denied entry to the country because they have a prior criminal conviction on their record – even if it occurred decades ago. The biggest surprise is that you cannot get into Canada with any type of alcohol related driving offense. Thousands of travelers are turned away every year at airports, ferry crossings, and land border crossings for DWI or DUI convictions.

 

OB 389 was driven by Canadian tourist industry complaints about lost American tourist dollars. This is a temporary rule that is supposed to be replaced by a permanent rule in the future.

nto this country but you got lucky and were allowed. End of story.

Edited June 2, 2014 by workingonlytocruise

[cruisnseas]

Not only do they get information from HLS but they also do their own checks. Everytime I sail I get a notation under "special services" on my invoice. One day I asked about it and was told (by several people) it means I have the same/similar name as someone else and it prompted additional research by their security teams. :eek:

[constantcruiser]

What would happen if you were doing an Alaskan cruise that departed from and returned to Seattle? Many of those itineraries stop in Vancouver or Victoria. If you had a DUI in the US., would you be able to sail on that itinerary at all? Or perhaps just confined to the ship in Canadian ports?

[SamFritz]

Our tour company will not attempt to bring someone across the US/Canada border at Niagara Falls if they tell us that they have had a DUI at any time in their past. I have seen bus loads of tourists turned away because one passenger on the bus tried to get by without saying anything about their arrest history,

 

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