Planning to visit Canada?

[kengr]

You may not be able to. Even if you've done so in the past...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/23/NEVIUS.TMP

Thanks to data mining by DHS and other agencies, Canadian customs wil know of *any* criminal record. Including misdeamenors 30 years ago. And they won't let you in.

Comments

[netdancer.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to see how this is a bad thing. I want to *be* a Canadian, and I can certainly understand why they don't want other countries to dump people with records on them. You're looking a little reactionary here; not *all* government action is bad.

Check the Canadian take on it. Crimes you commited as a kid will probably be ignored unless we're talking outright murder. Petty crimes like speeding, jaywalking? That doesn't matter. What matters is major crimes. DUI/DWI? Nope, not getting in. Weapons used in assaults? Canada probably doesn't want you then either.

And if you care to push the issue you -can- file paperwork stating that you've been reformed for some things, and get a wavier. (I imagine this would be more true of 'soft' crimes like drug busts.)

They seem to be VERY down on drunk driving offenses. This is a good thing.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/guides/5312E6.html
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/conviction.html
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/faq-inadmissibility.html

[kengr]

Well, surprising folks making visits, especially when it's stuff like that 30 year old shoplifting charge is a bit much.

I can understand being tight on immigrants. But looks like they are going more than a bit overboard on tourists.

This is a risk of computers that most people haven't run into. It's way too easy dig up stuff that should have been long forgotten.