Arrived at the Port of Entry
When you are traveling to Canada with inadmissibility, it can be very overwhelming to face and answer all questions that an immigration officer asks you. You may be aware that you can be approved or denied at the port of entry. If you are approved, congratulations! If you are refused, then it is better for you to understand why you receive a refusal and learn how to prepare for other solutions to overcome your criminal inadmissibility. In this blog, you will learn about how to increase your chance of getting your Temporary Resident Permit approved at the Canadian port of entry, as well as major reasons why you can be refused at the Canadian port of entry.
Questions Asked at the Port of Entry
When you are at the port of entry, you may encounter immigration officers who are vigilant about who enters Canada and their intentions for entry into Canada. Of course, there is a slight chance that you will not be pulled aside to have an “interview” with the officer. However, when you do get pulled aside, it is important for you to calm down and answer all the questions diligently and politely.
If you have a criminal record and are attempting to enter Canada at the port of entry, it is very important to know what questions the Immigration officer may ask. When you are well-prepared for questions that may come up to you at the port of entry, you may have an increased chance to be admitted to Canada. In other words, if you do not know how to answer the questions properly, your chance of getting denied is very high.
In order to help you better prepare, we have listed some of the common questions you may get from an Immigration officer at the port of entry:
– The main purpose of your travel to Canada
– The length of your stay in Canada
– What offence is on your criminal record
– The severity of your offence(s)
– The date(s) on which your offence(s) occurred
– The date(s) on which you served your sentence(s)
– Whether you have completed your sentence
Increase Your Chance of Getting Approved at the Port of Entry
Based on the questions mentioned above, it is extremely important that, you answer all the questions correctly and politely. You will need to demonstrate your remorse, regret, and personal growth after the offense to the officer as well. Please note, the purpose of having a Temporary Resident Permit is that, you are acknowledging your criminal inadmissibility and trying to overcome it. As a result, you do not have to mention anything about how you were wrongfully convicted when you are answering the questions.
Since you may have an urgent travel date coming up, you have no time to wait for a decision from the consulate. As a result, you are applying for a Temporary Resident Permit at the port of entry. The Temporary Resident Permit is a temporary solution, and it is only valid for a period of time, based on the discretion of the Immigration officer. That being said, the permit can then be valid for either one day or up to three years. The decision is evaluated based on the foreign national’s need to enter Canada. You may also mention you are also applying for Criminal Rehabilitation or for Temporary Resident Permit at the consulate. This will show the officer that you are genuine about overcoming your inadmissibility.
When the officer is asking you about your purpose for entering Canada, you answer will affect your chance of getting approved. If your purpose is for leisure, then your chance may slightly decrease. However, if you have a specific event such as, a wedding, a funeral, a baby shower, a class reunion, and so forth, you chance will increase. On the other hand, if you are coming to Canada for business reasons, you chance of getting admitted will increase significantly as well. Moreover, if you can show your business agenda, employment letter, or a letter stating the importance of your presence for the business trip from your employer, your chance of getting approved is very high. To conclude, the decision is evaluated based on the foreign national’s need to enter Canada.
Contact Akrami & Associates
It is essential that you have taken all the aforementioned information into consideration if you are attempting to enter Canada through the port of entry with inadmissibility issues. If you would like to apply for a Temporary Resident Permit, it is essential to note that this type of application is difficult to pursue on your own. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you seek out professional and experienced help prior to submitting the application. Akrami & Associates work and have experience with many different immigration matters. We have helped many of our clients create strong Temporary Resident Permit applications. Please feel free to contact Akrami & Associates at 416-477-2545 for more information, or if you would like to book a consultation with an immigration professional for more advice.
At Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!