Entering Canada with DWI or DUI
If you have been convicted for Drinking Under the Influence (DUI), then you may be denied access to Canada due to criminal inadmissibility. There are several options that may be applicable to you.
1. You have only been convicted once, the sentence was not a jail term, and it is the only conviction on your record
- If this is your situation, then you will be able to make your application at a Port of Entry, free from the processing fee, but only once
- If you have already used this method, you will have to obtain a temporary resident permit the regular way (which can still be at the port of entry, but you will have to pay the processing fee)
- This is an immediate entry if you are successful
2. You have applied for rehabilitation
- Generally you will be eligible to apply for rehabilitation five years after the end of your imposed sentence
- For example, if you were convicted for two months on October 2, 2013, you will not be eligible to apply for rehabilitation until December 13, 2018
3. You are deemed rehabilitated
- Depending upon the seriousness of your conviction, you may be deemed rehabilitated
- Summary convictions = five years
- Indictable convictions = at least ten years
4. Obtain a Temporary Resident Permit
- The application for a temporary resident permit can be made prior to your entry to Canada and will take about one year
- If you make an application at a Port of Entry, if successful, you will be allowed entrance immediately
It is important to note that, in order to apply for rehabilitation, you must first have an approved record suspension (pardon).
If you have further concerns regarding your DUI conviction, what you can do about it, and how long it will take until you can enter Canada again, please contact Akrami & Associates and let a legal representative help you.