With the start of 2022, the government has reopened the gate for tourists in Canada.
During covid-19, the government restricted tourists entering Canada in march 2020. With the relief of the pandemic in mid-2021, the government allowed only fully vaccinated tourists to enter the country.
The government is trying to make it much easier for the tourists to visit the country as the pre-arrival covid test is not needed for the fully vaccinated tourists from the start of April.
Visitors with a criminal record can Prepare for entry into Canada.
While planning for the trip to Canada, the most important thing is to prepare in advance if you have a criminal record.
This is because all tourists have to report to the Canada Border Services Agency officers when they arrive in the country. The CBSA officers make sure that the tourists act in accordance with the Canadian immigration law and their entry to the country is acceptable or not.
The officers would not allow you to enter the country if they got suspicious about something or get to know your criminal background.
While planning to visit Canada, Americans should consider that CBSA officers can easily access American citizens’ records as their passports are linked with their FBI ground.
Ways to visit Canada with your Criminal record
Apart from the security measures, Canada is willing to welcome tourists to the country. For this, the government is suggesting ways so that persons with criminal records can get over it and visit the country.
The reasoning for this is based on the Canadian belief that certain violations do not always pose a risk to others, and individuals can be rehabilitated, and they must get a chance to be better.
Solutions suggested by the Canadian government are as follows:
Canadian government gives three different ways to enter Canada if you have any criminal background.
- TRP
- Criminal Rehabilitation Application
- Contact Canadian immigration lawyer
1. Temporary Resident Permit.
Using the TRP solution, you can justify presenting your reasons to the government why the government should excuse your criminal record temporarily. TRP is also used by individuals willing to visit Canada temporarily for humane reasons and work opportunities.
2. Criminal Rehabilitation
The second solution, Criminal Rehabilitation by the government, is more suitable for you to solve this criminal background issue forever. If you apply under this program, the government can help you permanently resolve your criminal inadmissibility to the country. Once the government agrees with your Criminal Rehabilitation application and you will not commit any crime again, no one will stop you from visiting the country.
The candidate can apply for this criminal rehabilitation only after completing five years of your punishment. The government will evaluate your crime with its Canadian coequal offense, and you have to pay rehabilitation fees to the Canadian government. For a non-serious crime, the government charges $200 CAD, and you have to pay $1,000 CAD for a serious crime.
You could be considered rehabilitated if you were condemned for non-serious criminality ten years ago. In that case, you don’t need to submit any criminal rehabilitation application prior to visiting Canada as, under Canadian law, you will be automatically considered to be rehabilitated.
However, for peacefulness, you can consult a Canadian immigration lawyer before planning a trip to Canada who can provide a legal opinion letter to visit the country.
3. The legal opinion letter
The third solution suggested by the government is getting a legal opinion letter from the Canadian immigration lawyer. The letter will help you bypass the CBSA officer’s misinterpretation when you are scanned at the border. In the legal opinion letter, he will mention details of your crime, scan it according to Canadian laws, and present the reasons to allow you to enter the country. The officers will analyze the letter and easily allow you to visit Canada.
An individual can use the legal opinion letter’s opportunity when:
1. Rehabilitation-eligible individuals.
2. Those who were falsely accused and weren’t convicted.
3. The person convicted for the crime is not equivalent to any crime under Canadian law.
