I have a couple of friends coming up from Nebraska to hunt this fall, and one of them has a DWI in his past. Now I know that going south I can get a waiver from the US INS service for this (just bring money)and I had heard about a similar gov't document for coming into Canada. Does anyone know any of the details? I certainly don't want my friend turned back at the border. Thanks. - Dan

I don't know the answer, but I do know that a DUI disappears from your record after a certain number of years depending upon the state. I don't know what the law is in Nebraska but I'd recommend he research his state driving record and the NDR (national driver's registry). I'd suspect that the NDR is where the canadians are getting their information from and the NDR isn't supposed to give out any info over ten years old.

If the canadian border agents asked about a DUI and I knew they couldn't find it I'd tell them no. I wouldn't feel bad about it because it's none of their f**king business.

[ 06-19-2002, 13:05: Message edited by: boltman ]

Let me see if I have this straight. Canada has an open door policy to immigrants - just show up, without documentation and Canada will let anyone from anywhere in. And will then allow said immigrants to use Canada as a spring board to other countries.
Now you are telling me that Canadian border guards will refuse entry to someone from the USA because of a DWI conviction a few years ago.
WTF is going on up there?

A consultant friend that my company uses had a DWI here in the states years ago. Canada considers a DWI a FELONY. After much legal haggling and expense, he was able to get a "permit" to go into Canada, again tears ago. Then he let that expire and the whole process starts over as he wanted to go back recently. Seems Canada frowns on DWIs.

This policy was started several years ago. First the USA would not allow anyone from Canada to enter the US that had been convicted of a crime. Canada simply reciprocated.

JD is correct, I've done this dance with the INS. First you go to the INS and get the forms. Then you go to your local police station with the form and pay to have your prints taken and the form notarized. Then you send the form and prints to the RCMP in Ottawa (the countries capital). Eventually, they send it back with a one page form saying what they have on file for you. DUI's are felony offences here and stay on your record for life unless ypou apply for a pardon, which does no good in this case because the INS won't recognise Canadian pardons. You then take the forms to the INS, give them $280 US (cash only, small bills, I'm not kidding) to take your prints again (those Canadian police are untrustworthy)and stamp your form. The form, assuming it's all filled out properly, is sent to Helena, Montana. If they like the way your paperwork is filled out, they forward your forms to the FBI in Washington DC. After six months (longer now, all the forms are hung up by all this wrangling between gov't agencies)they send your forms back with a stamp. You then go down to the INS office (where ever that might be) and they fill out a piece of paper and stamp it. This gives you permission to enter the country. Unless the next INS agent decides he doesn't like your form, in which case you can't. Oh, and you can avoid the newest delay (no forms processed until August)by coughing up another $1000 US. Oh yeah, free trade is a hoot. So DUI's are OK going south, but pot possesion isn't. Coming north the reverse is true. Boltman, thank you. I will pass that info on to my friend. I still need to find out the name of that form though. - Dan

Unbelievable. We have known Al Queda operatives running loose over here but we can't find them, and hordes of drug runners coming across our southern borders everyday but we wrangle with Canada over drinkers and tokers. Whew, I feel safer now!

Another thing Dan is that you should take this as a wake-up call regarding the kind of people you are associating with. Why are you hanging with a bunch of corn-husking criminals?

I've got a clean record (mostly) and I'd be pleased to head north to bag a big Alberta buck with you.

Dan,

There is a big discussion on this topic going on over at "Hunting Information Systems" forums. Go to www.huntinfo.com and click on "Talk Forums", then click on "Big Game Hunting" and you will see a thread entitled "Getting into Canada". There are over 40 posts with a number of members having "been there, done that." Hope this helps.

Interesting thread. I think some of you need to know that the system works both ways and that there is more to this story than some of you know.

First of all, Canadians can't even take a .22 rimfire rifle to the USA without approval from your BATF (for those living elsewhere in the world, BATF is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, yet another US government agency). The approval process can take up to a year to complete. In order to get an approval, we also need a valid hunting license from the state we are going to visit. I have never heard of getting a license to shoot rats before, but that is how it is! We also have to account for our ammo when we leave the USA! This isn't a post 9/11 over-reaction either...the American law was passed in Congress last summer. Knowing this, I hope you can understand my lack of sympathy when I hear Americans complain that they have to pay $50 and wait 5 minutes at the Candian border to bring their rifle across to go hunting. So much for Canada's tough laws!

As for the DUI situation, we have one set of laws up here...not 50 different sets of state laws plus some extra federal ones thrown in for good measure, like you have in the USA. At least when we travel from one province to the next, we know what the laws are. As for a DUI being a felony...we have different classes of crimes (generally, crimes with less than a maximum of two years in jail, and those over two years) but they are all "criminal code" crimes nonetheless. Drunk drivers are the biggest cause of fatal car accidents in Canada (amounting to thousands of needless deaths every year) and we tend to frown on such behavior.

On the other side of the fence, we got an eye opening example of your border crossing laws recently during the winter olympics at Salt Lake City. Our 1998 gold medal olympic ski boarder from Vancouver was refused entry into the USA when he attempted to travel to the olympics at Salt Lake. The reason....get this....he admitted smoking pot during a TV interview! Remember, he wasn't convicted of any crime, he simply admitted doing what many teenagers do these days, smoked a joint.

Last week, an American entered Canada at a crossing in Ontario and proceeded to murder his ex-fiance and four of her family members (including her 6 year old daughter) with a smuggled handgun. This creap had a lengthy criminal record in the USA and had several restraining orders against him because of his violent behavior. Well, the heightened border security didn't save those people so I guess our border security isn't as good as we'd like! Don't be surprised if the security gets even tighter now.

Also, to address the issue a few brought up about another hot topic...yes, we do have liberal immigration laws here....yet another sign of an open democracy and the need for immigration in an aging society. I don't totally agree with the way it is done here but it won't change anytime soon. Yes, apparently there are terrorists living in Canada. There are in fact, terrorists living in most all western countries, including the USA. Remember, 16 of the 19 terrorists from Sept 11 were nationals from your so-called friend in the middle east, Saudi Arabia. All of them were living in the USA before the attack and all entered through your border crossings. Also remember that your government agencies screwed up royally in the tracking of these criminals but that is another issue.

Perhaps you now have a better understanding of the situation from the Canadian perspective.

Forrest, consider yourself invited. As for my cornhusker friends, what can I say, I spent a lot of time working for the Union Pacific/Southern Pacific and the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroads. One goes where the work is (and I'm certainly no saint), but this border crossing stuff is BS. Regular citizens of both countries, Ok we're not perfect, get hassled over all this picayune stuff, and murderers and terrorists just breeze right through. Kind of reminds me of gun control. Only honest people will register and go through the BS, the criminals just buy what they want and do what they want. Hence the word criminal. To commit crimes. Man. beaureaucrats are thick. - Dan

Thanks Juneau. (my step brother lives there, by the way). That's just the type of info I was looking for. - Dan

Guys,

Sorry to say, but I had a DWI many years ago myself. I've also traveled to Canada many times without any trouble. Never been asked, never volunteered. I would say go and just shut up. I don't think there's any real chance anyone will give a fig if you got in your car after a couple drinks years ago.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

I'm with Dogtagger.....I travel frequently to Canada and have never seen evidence of a background check procedure that goes any further than checking your passport and your landing card. Thus, don't understand what the fuss is all about.

With respect with the comments questioning Canada's immigration policies.....who are we Americans to criticize?? Have any of you ever dealt with the INS? We happen to live in a country with an "estimated" entry of illegal aliens of over one million per year!! In fact....our "elite" govt agencies dont even have an accurate idea of how many illegals we have!

Don't get me wrong....I dont think that what Canada does is good with regards to its immigration policy but, its their business to run their country as they deem appropriate. It's our business to protect our borders.....something that is simply not done...so, how can we pretend to preach to other countries.

Thank you CGM. I agree.

It is nice to see that some Americans are reasonable, understanding and respectful of others.

Wow....the NRA actually responded to a post of mine!!! I am sure you can understand my disappointment that Mr. Heston himself didn't respond though.

John, since you seem to know so much about this new American law, perhaps you could advise what action the NRA took to try to stop its' passing and implementation. The reason I ask this question is that the "rumor mill" up here has it that the NRA supported this new law as a way of getting back at Canada for passing its' gun control law a few years ago. Is that so? Please remember that thousands of Canadian gun owners support the NRA and that bad gun laws are bad for all shooters, no matter where they reside. This new law simply adds hassles to legitimate competative shooters and hunters. Perhaps that is the intention!

Thanks for taking the time to address this issue John.

I found what I needed for my cornhusker buddy, thank you gents. As to the ever escalating gov't BS, I also just found out that the US government will now require an "end user certificate" for all Ruger Mini 14's and 30's shipped to Canada, which because of the way firearms distribution works here, effectively bans them to Canadians. Thanks George. - Dan