doonali Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I have a friend that would like to take a trip with me, I've heard a few stories of it being a problem in the past having one on your record getting into Canada? He has a passport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackstraw Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 How long ago was the DUI? More then 10 yrs dont worry about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3R3 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 That was one of a few questions I was specifically asked at the boarder. “Have you been arrested for drunk driving since the last time you were in Canada?” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snobeeler Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 One in our group (the only non drinker lol) was stopped for a DUI that happened 30 years ago. He had to pay $200 to be allowed to continue with us. The $200 was for 1 entry only. This was about 5 years ago so not sure if things have changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vt_bluyamaha54 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) One in our group (the only non drinker lol) was stopped for a DUI that happened 30 years ago. He had to pay $200 to be allowed to continue with us. The $200 was for 1 entry only. This was about 5 years ago so not sure if things have changed. That sounds sketchy. I have never been asked (but have nothing on my record). I think they get allot of information when they scan your passport. I've always felt the questions they ask, they already know the anwers to and are checking for how you react/respond. Edited January 23, 2015 by vt_bluyamaha54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momojohnny Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Seeing your from PA. It all depends on who's on duty. If he is allowed entry for 1 time for $200 It is only good for the time frame you told them you where planing on staying, when asked in the drive up. Better to apply for a permanent one for $200 and get it over with. He will want to go back any way, after he gets "hooked" Google inadmissibility to Canada, you can print out the application and send it in. They shoot your plate before you get to the window and they generally see stuff - know info on you both sides of customs. Including exactly when and how many times you have crossed. Thats why sometimes they ask, when was the last time you where in Canada. Its right on the screen in front of then. Edited January 23, 2015 by momojohnny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doonali Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I guess I just don't understand how he can get on a plane and travel to other countries without being penalized? WTH !!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackstraw Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I've been asked numerous times if I have ever been before a judge. Have always been honest and told them DUI in 94'. Evertime they said ok have a good day. In fact last year I got dragged in and questioned about a stalking charge my wonderful neighbor brought against me for having suveilance cameras on the property line which I put there on the advice of my local police dept. Seemed the neighbor was trying to poison our dogs. It was dismissed but was still on my record. I have paper work now showing it was dismissed. Still got in after I explained the situation, DUI never came up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snobeeler Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) They only know about DUI's if you are pulled in for secondary inspection. Its a risk you take and NEVER EVER lie or you will be sorry you did. The person at the booth does not have this info unless it has been listed under that persons notes from a prior denied entry. bh54, what sounds sketchy to you? doonali, I agree with your statement, seems like overkill entering Canada. Edited January 23, 2015 by Snobeeler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkippyDoo Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) It's not just DUI's either. pretty much any felony that required jail time = no entry into Canada. Assault, domestic dispute, etc. I know a guy in the same situation. He goes to Germany on occasion, and no problems into or out of there. But no Canada. I don't really understand it either, or what the issue was that started all this. I can understand if the legal situation is not yet resolved. I don't get the DUI thing. I have yet to hear an explanation for it. Funny thing is, Canada is another country like the US that will bring in thousands of immigrants. I wonder how many of them had legal issues prior to leaving their home country. Edited January 23, 2015 by SkippyDoo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ct rider Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) snowmobiling and drinking go together is there past experience. Edited January 23, 2015 by ct rider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupe Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 I got a DUI 25 years ago and its never been a problem for me either. Like Jackstraw, I got dragged in a few years ago and questioned and the DUI never came up. I'm still not sure what they were looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana11 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 It does not matter if you have a DUI its not a federal offence as long as you tell them its fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSX800 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 It does not matter if you have a DUI its not a federal offence as long as you tell them its fine DUI is a felony in Canada. Your DUI in the US is considered a felony in Canada. You can take a chance. You may get through, you may get pulled into immigration. If you are pulled in and your DUI is less than 10 years ago, you will likely not be allowed in, and will be flagged in their database. There are a number of ways to gain admittance and google can provide you with a lot of information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doonali Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Seems like some conflicting story's/experience's.. I guess we'll find out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momojohnny Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 (edited) Seems like some conflicting story's/experience's.. I guess we'll find out? Its Black + white and in the 1st paragraph. https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/402/~/entering-the-u.s.-and-canada-with-dui-offenses And here more importantly http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/information/inadmissibility/index.asp If you are honest, polite, respectfully ect. They can admit you if they want, but they can send you home. Read on and follow the links. I have a friend who went to the formula one races in Montreal 18 yrs in a row with an old DUI and crossed. But on the 19th time. Nope, sent home. I am only piping up on this thread because going back to Pa would be, you know what for all involved. Edited January 23, 2015 by momojohnny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerider Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 My guess is their screen is like what police use and only goes back ten years on driving offenses. They can go back further but it takes more typing and searching. That is why some get into Canada with an older OUI. And yes, I have always heard OUI's in Canada are considered a felony, thus Canada is a no go and other countries are okay because they are not felonies in other countries. I also imagine they can get your criminal record but it is on another computer program, takes more typing, and this is often hard to read and figure out in the format that is used. I don't know much about passports, but I would guess??? they wouldn't give you a passport if you had a felony record, thus you show your passport they assume you are crime/felony free. The criminal record doesn't show most driving offenses, except OUI. The separate driving offense history (the ten year one or the compete one also would show OUI's. The criminal offense one would list every criminal offense, big or small. Since most OUI's in the US are not felonies, you still can get a passport. That would be my guess. When you pull up to a border crossing, they know every date and place you have crossed. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vt_bluyamaha54 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 They only know about DUI's if you are pulled in for secondary inspection. Its a risk you take and NEVER EVER lie or you will be sorry you did. The person at the booth does not have this info unless it has been listed under that persons notes from a prior denied entry. bh54, what sounds sketchy to you? doonali, I agree with your statement, seems like overkill entering Canada. It seemed "sketchy" to me that he was processed under the Inadmissability clause for a 30yo infraction. Seems like some conflicting story's/experience's.. I guess we'll find out? Not really. Bottom line is they have no obligation to admit anyone that has done something that catches their attention. x2 on Momojohnny's comment: "only piping up on this thread because going back to Pa would be, you know what for all involved". Yes it would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowfarmer Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 What They Know About You The United States and Canada are now sharing a great deal of information about their citizens. They are expanding that policy and are making your information available to a growing number of foreign governments as well. Some information is shared with non-government companies in order to combat things like insurance fraud. What the Border Patrol Sees on their Screen At many border crossings, the process starts with license plate readers that can automatically flag persons for additional inspection. The license plate readers, along with radio frequency identification technology, scan vehicles passing through border checkpoints. The readers check that information against law enforcement data on cars being sought by police agencies. Every time you cross a border your name, date of birth, citizenship, address, mode of travel, purpose of travel and value of goods purchased abroad, is collected to form a passage history. Computers analyze passage histories to pinpoint people who have suspicious travel patterns. These individuals may be earmarked for closer scrutiny by customs officials and law enforcement agents on subsequent trips. If you are pulled over for a secondary inspection or search even more information is collected and put into the database. This includes the reason for the additional screening, the results of the search, interview notes, details of any action taken, and the names of your travel companions. Below are some of the things the U.S. and Canadian Border Patrol may be able to see if you are pulled in for a secondary inspection: Criminal history. This may also include health records that involve contact with with the police – such as suicide attempts Family members and relatives Delinquent Tax status Current Job History of when/where/what times you have crossed borders – including state ports where there are border checks Privacy Issues You should be aware that as a general rule courts do not grant you the same protections for information regarding your border crossings that they do for other types of personal information. The government is given more latitude in the collection and use of private information as crossing a border is not considered a constitutional right. When Canadian information is pulled into the U.S. database, or vice versa, it is not subject to the privacy laws of the originating country, but rather the policy of the country now holding the information. Some of this information can also make it’s way into the private sector. For example, the U.S. scans license plates at many ports and the record of your passage is retained in various government databases. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), a not-for-profit organization funded by insurance companies, is given access to that information for the stated purpose of detecting stolen vehicles or insurance fraud. You should also realize that there is nothing that prevents a border patrol officer from doing a basic Internet search on you or your passengers during a secondary inspection. Think twice about what you put up on your social networking site and how it might look to a police officer without much of a sense of humor. Of course, that is always good advice – whether crossing a border or just looking for a job. Scamming the System One important note: if you are denied entry into the country, the worst thing you can do is to attempt entry at a different border crossing on the same day, thinking you have a fresh chance with a new customs agent. Denied admissions are updated in a centralized database and are accessible immediately at every port of entry. This could jeopardize your ability to enter the country for the rest of your life. Obtaining a Copy of Your File Information Both the U.S. and Canada have a way for you to obtain a copy of the information that the government has collected about you. To get your information from the U.S. see our page on the Freedom of Information Act. To ask Canada for your files see our page on the Privacy Act. Given that the two countries are swapping information, it is possible that parts of your files from both countries could in in the records you receive. However, getting this information is not as easy as it sounds so expect it to take some time and energy. Click an icon below to print, email, or share this page with friends, family, or colleagues: Share on email Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on google_plusone_share Share on linkedin Share on stumbleupon More Sharing Services Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revct1 Posted January 23, 2015 Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Thanks Snowfarmer. Very informational. Jack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doonali Posted January 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2015 Thank you. It clearly answers my question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momojohnny Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 Another example and my last. 4 yrs ago a friend of mine with another member from this site crossed on sleds in New England . My friend had to buy a one time entry for 200 bucks. His offence was as a juvenile @ 16yrs old, now mid 50's. As I stated, you maybe allowed one time $200 admittance for the time you or group originally told customs you where planning staying. The Canadian customs supervisor who interviewed my friend thought his situation has being a juvenile and offence so trivial, but under the letter of the Canadian law NOT allowed. Not only let him in.... But gave him a document to carry on him and enter data into data base system. That he was allowed to come back and cross into Canada for the entire sledding season. It can go either way. He had cross into Canada 30 times being a little kid hockey coach 20 yrs earlier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikerider Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 It is a tough balancing act for sure. First, you have to consider there are hundreds of thousands(probably millions) of wanted people, people with warrants out for them, just in the U.S. Just in the little state of Maine, there are tens of thousands of people whose right to drive is suspended. (some are out of staters who are suspended in Maine). And the average person may have no idea how large the mentally ill population is. People with severe mental health issues are rarely treated for more than a few hours and sent home because treatment centers are always full. Some are ticking time bombs. Most end up in the emergency room at the hospital when in crisis, talked to by a crisis counselor and sent home. The ER is swamped with these people every day. Some are violent. So yes, I guess everyone at the border has to be checked thoroughly to prevent some from entering. At least til there is a better system. I have had a couple cases of Canadians on their way to Maine to harm someone. One call to Customs and a life was probably saved. That is all it took to deny access. Customs is notified with a special alert for a fleeing suspect and have caught many at the border. Just not sure where to draw the line. mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailblazer Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 This is what it all sums up to guys, no bs no debating and no long paragraphs of stories. Here's what it is....THE LAW!!!! There's a penalty to pay for DUI! Time served is time learned!! Don't do it again!!! https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/402/~/entering-the-u.s.-and-canada-with-dui-offenses http://bordercrossing.ca/dui-canada-border-crossing.cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snownyet Posted January 24, 2015 Report Share Posted January 24, 2015 When these border agents scan your passport or enhanced license they can see your entire history. I can understand the possibility of decades old offenses not showing up but any information gathered by the US government on its citizens is shared with border agents. They cooperate to the level that a border agent is deputized in the adjacent country to allow legal pursuit if necessary. While some say its black and white, its really not. Yes a DUI is reason to be denied entry into canada, but border agents are also given the leeway to excuse or ignore it and allow passage if they so choose. Dont expect that with a DUI within 5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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