The Pardon vs. Waiver Misconception Entering the United States with certain criminal records requires only a waiver. You do not need a Canadian criminal pardon. It’s a common misconception we see about entering the U.S. with a criminal record. What Does a U.S. Waiver Guarantee? A U.S. waiver guarantees you will not be turned back…
There seems to be a lot of misconceptions online and in the press about crossing the US border with criminal charges or a pardon/record suspension. Some will lead you to believe that a pardon complicates border crossing. We are here to tell you professionally that that simply is not the truth. This article aims to…
When crossing the U.S. border, you can expect to be asked several questions about yourself the reasons for your trip to the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents generally will not ask you directly if you have a criminal record. They will however ask: Have you ever been charged with a criminal…
A pardon (record suspension) does indeed seal your criminal record so that anyone such as an employer will see a clean record check. While the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency technically may also not be abel to see your criminal record, they may still ask you questions such as: Have you ever been fingerprinted/been to court?…
According to a recent CBC article pot confiscation at the Canadian border are up over 50% since legalization. 1) Marijuana is illegal federally in the United States, Canadians cannot bring pot across even if they are travelling a state where it has bee legalized. 2) Americans cannot bring pot into Canada, it must be purchased…
The Government of Canada has announced that they are putting a program together to pardon people with old marijuana possession charges. Many have concerns as to whether they will be able to travel to the United States after they receive a “pot pardon”. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is clear that a pardon is not…
This fun video explores the history and some bizarre facts about the Canada – U.S. border: You have likely read that the 8,891-kilometer Canada-U.S. border is the world’s longest shared border. Here are some lesser known stats about the Canada-U.S. border: Ports of Entry There are 124 ports of entry and oddly enough, two…
U.S. Customs and Border Security (CBP) officers and agents “enforce all applicable U.S. laws, including against illegal immigration, narcotics smuggling and illegal importation.” For the average Canadian travelling south, it’s that last one – illegal importation, that can cause problems. Here are is a basic list of items to be aware of and links to…
The U.S. Customs and Border Security (CBP) take their job very seriously and you should too. Canadians crossing the US border are being scrutinized more closely now than in previous years. According to The Globe and Mail, CBP agents turned away 27,772 people trying to enter the United States from Canada which represents an increase…
Historically, putting off applying for a pardon/record suspension can be costly. Back in 2012 the Conservative government increased wait times to 5 years for summary offenses and 10 years for an indictable offense. If you became eligible to make a pardon application prior to 2012, but didn’t apply for a pardon before the laws changed, you now had to…
