Immigration

You must be healthy and law-abiding to visit Canada

• you must be in good health, law-abiding and have enough money to support yourself and your dependants during your stay;
• in most cases, you will need a valid passport, proof of identity or other travel documents;
• you must get a special authorization if you are coming to study or work;
• you must have a visitor’s visa to travel to Canada if you are a citizen of one of a number of countries. Find out if you will need a visa before leaving home. (this does not apply to citizens of the United States)
• Before leaving home, you should also get a health insurance plan to pay for any hospital or medical services you may need while in Canada.

The following information is extremely important for visitors to Canada who have a criminal record (Citizenship and Immigration Canada)

• All non-Canadians coming to Canada from other countries must comply with Canadian Immigration rules and regulations regarding legal admission to Canada regardless of intent or reasons for coming to Canada.
• Any person who has a history of criminal arrest, record or conviction (including DUI – Driving Under the Influence) is NOT admissible to Canada unless having first obtained a Minister’s Permit, or a Letter of Rehabilitation from a Canadian Consulate abroad (in their home country) or the nearest Canada Immigration Center (usually found at certain designated Ports of Entry. Any person with a criminal record entering Canada, without one of these documents, WILL BE REFUSED ENTRY. If the person is already in Canada, they can be arrested for illegal entry. Being on probation is regarded as active criminality
• The above mentioned documents must be obtained before the person attempts to enter Canada.
• If you have any questions on how to obtain entry to Canada please contact:

Lucy Perillo
Canada Border Crossing Services
Winnipeg, MB
204-488-6350
Fax 204-975-0394
www.bordercrossing.ca

Application for a Letter of Rehabilitation

A Letter of Rehabilitation is for persons who are inadmissible to Canada because of past criminal activity. Persons with criminal convictions in Canada and no foreign convictions can apply to the National Parole Board for a pardon and do not need to complete this application. Persons who committed criminal activity, or were convicted of criminal offences, outside Canada can apply for a letter of rehabilitation by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration if five years have passed since the end of the criminal activity or the completion of the sentence. Persons who wish to enter Canada but are ineligible for approval of a letter of rehabilitation because not enough time has passed can complete the form and check ‘For Information Only’. An immigration officer will decide if a Minister’s Permit for temporary admission is warranted. Our recommended THA travel consultant can provide assistance to incoming hunters requiring a Letter of Rehabilitation.

Applying for a Ministers Permit

• A statement from you indicating how often, and for what purpose, you are likely to visit Canada in the future;
• A copy of the Court Judgment including the verdict and sentence;
• A copy of the text of the law violated
• Evidence of your rehabilitation. This may be in the form of 3 letters from parole boards, public officials, respected citizens, clergymen, etc. (Note* letters
  from friends or neighbors are NOT acceptable);
• Police certificates (FBI and state authority); Click here to find out how to obtain police certificates
• A full written explanation in your own words concerning the circumstances of the conviction(s);
• 3 recent identical passport photographs;
• A copy of the probation or parole officer’s report on your progress. If the terms of your probation restrict your travel, please provide evidence that the court
  consents to your visit(s) to Canada;
• A completed application (visitor visa form);
• If you have been ordered deported from Canada, full details including the date and place at which the deportation was ordered. If possible, forward a copy
  of the deportation order with the completed application.

Do you have a criminal record? Drunk driving conviction? For more information about entering Canada with a criminal record, please visit www.bordercrossing.ca or contact the Canadian Consulate General’s.

Important tips to make entry into Canada “hassle-free”

• When you arrive in Canada, you will be examined by an immigration official.
• You can help make the immigration interview as short as possible by answering all questions simply and honestly. You should have your passport and
  other documents ready and with you rather than in your luggage
• Your passport or travel documents will be stamped to indicate how long you may stay in Canada.
• Please check to make sure you understand when you will have to leave. If you have any questions about how long you can stay in Canada be sure to ask
  an immigration officer on your arrival or during your stay.
• Customs regulations regarding personal effects, alcohol & tobacco limits, and firearms & ammunition, apply as usual.

Enforcement of the Immigration Act

• If the immigration officer believes that you may not respect your conditions of entry, you may be asked for a substantial cash deposit, or other security, to ensure that you will respect the terms of your entry.
• If you give incomplete or false information and identification, you can be refused admission. If you do not respect your conditions of entry without proper permission, stay longer than authorized, or threaten law and order in Canada, you may be removed from the country.
• Depending on the seriousness of your offence, you could be barred from returning to Canada for varying periods of time.

The law protects you

• Canada’s immigration law protects the people who live in Canada and those who come to visit.
• Canada welcomes everyone who comes for a valid reason, and it keeps out anyone who may threaten the peace and security of the country.
• If upon arrival at a Canadian port of entry you are not allowed into Canada or are asked to leave, you have the right to an impartial hearing.

Canadian Consulate offices (Canadian Office Abroad)

If you are outside Canada and would like information and advice on your visit, contact the nearest Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. In Canada, call or visit your local Canada Immigration Centre. Information and guidance is free of charge.

Canadian Consulate Offices located in the United States