[pct-l] crossing into canada

[Bob Vance]

got this info from the seattle times.it`s only a couple of months old.


Getting right with Canada
There are three ways to get admitted into Canada once you've 
been convicted of a DUI. But you have to be prepared for lots of hassles, 
paperwork, fees and months of waiting for the Canadian bureaucracy to process 
your application.
1. If the completion of your DUI sentence is less than 5 
years old, the only way to get into Canada is with a temporary resident permit, 
which costs $200 Canadian. (Having had your DUI knocked down from a gross 
misdemeanor to negligent or reckless driving can still prevent you from going to 
Canada.)
You'll need to show the reason for your visit is "urgent," said Peter Lilius, 
immigration program manager for the Canadian Consulate in Seattle.
A ski trip to Whistler is not deemed urgent. Think more along the lines of 
having an ill relative in Canada or an important business meeting you need to 
attend.
Even then, being admitted is not guaranteed.
The officers at the port of entry, said Lilius, "have the discretion."
Before driving to the border, you can click on the Seattle Canadian Consulate 
Web site at www.canadainternational.gc.ca/seattle.
You can download an application for a temporary visit and either mail it in 
or bring it in person.
"Processing times may be lengthy," says the consulate.
The Web site also contains frequently asked questions about visiting that 
country.
2. If you completed your DUI sentence more than five years 
ago, you can apply for Approval of Rehabilitation. The nonrefundable fee is 
either $200 or $1,000 (Canadian), depending on the seriousness of your 
crime.
The Canadians want proof "that you have a stable lifestyle and that it is 
unlikely that you will be involved in any further criminal activity."
It involves considerable paperwork. You will need to provide your FBI file. 
You will need to provide a "police certificate" of criminal history, if any, 
from every state in which you lived more than six months since age 18. You will 
need to explain each offense. You will have to provide dates and all your home 
addresses and places of employment since age 18.
Processing time can take a year or more.
But, if you're approved, then you'll no longer have problems at the border 
because of your past.
3. If you have had only one DUI, and sentencing was 
completed more than 10 years ago, you can drive to the border with basically the 
paperwork for the Approval of Rehabilitation.
A border officer can approve you on the spot, at no charge, and that past DUI 
will no longer be a problem when crossing the border.
Again, it's at the officer's discretion.
There also are law firms that specialize in helping you 
through the process.
David Andersson, a Canadian citizen who can practice law both in the U.S. and 
Canada, works with the law firm of Chang & Boos, which has offices in 
Bellingham.
Expect to pay $3,000 to $5,000 for them to handle the paperwork, which 
includes having someone from the firm accompany you to meet with Canadian border 
officials. Expect it to take three to six weeks from the start of paperwork to 
meeting with border officials.
Andersson says his firm handles only 10 to 15 such cases a year, a tenth of 
what it could do.
"I call it my drunk American practice," he says.