Before the pandemic, an estimated number of 15 million U.S tourists visited Canada each year.
U.S tourism to Canada had been stopped since March last year because of the pandemic but on August 9th, Canada has reopened its doors to U.S citizens and permanent residents, who are fully vaccinated.
Although Canada is an open country, it has enforced strict rules on its borders. You can be inadmissible to Canada if you are criminally convicted.
But Canadian government does recognize those with a criminal record who are capable of being re-established. A lot of times the benefits to Canada’s economy welcome such individuals to outweigh the minimal risk that they are likely to impose. If by any chance you are a U.S tourist with a criminal record on you, it is encouraged that you plan to avoid surprises at the Canadian border.
We have listed 3 ways in which you can overcome inadmissibility to Canada.
Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)
If you have completed the term of your sentence five years, you are eligible to apply for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) to qualify to live in Canada. TRP are basically temporary waivers that allow U.S. tourists to stay in Canada who are otherwise inadmissible to visit the Maple country.TRPs are valid for up to three years.
You will have to provide a legitimate and effective reason to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for successfully obtaining a TRP. You must prove to IRCC that you are no longer a threat to the well-being of Canadian society.
It is very crucial to be ready with a well-prepared submission to be able to successfully obtain a TRP since decision-making in this process may be subjective.
Criminal Rehabilitation
Eligibility to apply for Criminal Rehabilitation depends upon whether you have been convicted more than five years ago but less than 10 years ago.
Once your application is approved, you are eligible to travel to Canada and you do not need to be worried about your previous criminal record. You are free to visit Canada until you don’t get another conviction.
If it has been 10 years or more since the completion of your sentence, you will be allowed o be deemed rehabilitated.
This time frame would permit you to enter Canada until you have a single, non-serious conviction on your record. Besides this, you must also apply for criminal rehabilitation if you have one or more convictions to be able to have a clear record to be allowed to visit Canada.
Legal Opinion Letter
If you are facing a charge but you do not have a conviction, you can obtain a Legal Opinion Letter from a Canadian Immigration lawyer. A charge alone cannot make you inadmissible to Canada. Nonetheless, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officials have tacts to turn individuals with charges away at the Canadian border.
A lawyer can formulate a letter stating why your pending case should not make you inadmissible to Canada.
Staying ahead of the preparation is very crucial. If you take necessary steps from today to affirm your admissibility to Canada, you too can be one of the many millions of U.S. tourists who are humbly welcomed by Canada every year.
