Denied Entry to Canada for a Past Criminal Record?
No matter where you travel in the world you will go through a security check at the port of entry by an immigration officer to ensure you have no criminal record on file. Many travellers are declined entry into Canada due to their past criminal history. The immigration officers at the port of entry do daily security checks to ensure anyone entering Canada will not be security risk to Canadian citizens. Most travellers are harmless but to assure the safety of Canadian citizens immigration officers cannot take the risk of allowing travellers to enter Canada even though their offence occurred over 30 years ago. It can be very frustrating for not knowing an offence you had in past may potentially deny you entry into Canada. Prior to your travellers it is recommended to consult with an immigration expert such Akrami & Associates of what steps you need take to be allowed entry into Canada. If you have a past criminal record and like to overcome your inadmissibility for temporary purposes you apply for Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) if you like to overcome your inadmissibility for good you may be eligible for the permanent document known as Criminal Rehabilitation. For the purposes of this blog will focus only on the permanent document, please refer to TRP blogs for overcoming your offence for temporary purposes.
What is Criminal Rehabilitation?
Criminal Rehabilitation is a process of overcoming your past criminal inadmissibility on permanent basis. If you have had a past offence on record such as a DUI, Felony, Misdemeanor, Assault Charge that can be over 20 years ago you can expect a turnaround at the border if you come in unprepared. The Canadian government realizes that everyone makes mistakes and therefore has options for travellers to overcome their inadmissibility either through applying for the temporary document or permanent document. If you don’t have an urgent travel date then it is recommended to apply for Criminal Rehabilitation because these applications take approximately 8 to 12 months to get processed. Once your application is approved you can travel with ease to Canada as long as you do no reoffend.
Who is Eligible to Apply for Criminal Rehabilitation?
There are many different situations that will determine your eligibility for Criminal Rehabilitation for example whether or not your crime occurred inside or outside of Canada, whether your charges were withdrawn/dismissed, absolute or conditional charges or if you were granted a pardon. Another factor to take into consideration is if you are/were a juvenile when you committed the crime. How long ago your offence(s) occurred and how many offences you have/ had on record also determines your eligibility to apply for Criminal Rehabilitation. You may potentially be considered Deemed Rehabilitated if at least ten years have passed since the completion of the sentence imposed on you or since you committed the offence that was punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of less than ten years. If you were convicted of an offence in which two or more offences show on your record you may be eligible for rehabilitation if at least five years have passed since the completion of the sentence that was imposed on you. Also, you have to keep in mind that just because you are considered Deemed Rehabilitated does not mean the immigration officer at the port of entry has no right to refuse you. We get a lot of calls on daily in which clients have had only a small misdemeanor that was well over 20 years ago and were still denied entry into Canada. So no matter how small or big your offence on record and no matter how long ago it was you can potentially be still denied entry into Canada. Therefore, consult with an immigration expert such as Akrami & Associates to avoid being denied entry into Canada.
How to Apply for Criminal Rehabilitation?
The Criminal Rehabilitation application form can be quite overwhelming to fill out for the average person who does not have extensive knowledge regarding the subject area of the law and criminal rehabilitation as a whole. When completing a Criminal Rehabilitation form you are asked questions about your offences on record, the dates that the offences took place, where the offence was committed, what was imposed on you, what you served and completed for you offence on record and much more. When an immigration officer reviews your application they look at to see if you have a clean record since your previous conviction, if you are able to demonstrate remorse and regret, how you have changed since the time the offence took place, how well you have complied with the sentence that was imposed on you and reasons for your travel to Canada. To have a successful outcome with a Criminal Rehabilitation application it is recommended to hire an immigration expert so that they can compile a strong case for your entry into Canada. Akrami & Associates has assisted many clients successfully with their entry into Canada and we help you too.
Contact Akrami & Associates Today
If you have an urgent travel date or just simply want overcome your inadmissibility then contact Akrami & Associates today. Attempting to submit your own application is not recommended as many fail to provide the supporting documents to support their case for entry. These applications are lengthy and overwhelming if you are not familiar with the Canadian Criminal Code. It is good to have an experienced professional to help you and help facilitate the process for you and have the best possible outcome for your application. When you hire Akrami & Associates we will be with you every step of the way. You will be given a document checklist to follow on what documents to compile and where to get them from. Once we have obtained all your documents we will fill out the forms for you and prepare a submission letter explaining why you should be allowed entry into Canada. We will be with you until we get decision on your application. Akrami & Associates has helped many clients with their entry into Canada and we can help you too. Do not delay and pick up the phone and call us today at 416-477-2545 for an assessment. With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!