Convicted of a Minnesota DWI - Denied Entry into Canada?

If an individual is convicted of Minnesota DWI, an experienced Minnesota Drunk Driving, Criminal Defense Attorney can help fill out forms necessary to circumvent the general rule to exclude certain people from entry - click here) to submit to the Canadian government to get a waiver or “pardon” from the ban to entry in Canada.  

If you are not granted a waiver or “pardon” then you may not enter Canada for five-years after the completion of your sentence (not five-years after you were sentenced). That means five-years after you get off probation!  

You will need to bring certified copies of your court papers with you to the border to prove that you have completed all the conditions of your sentence including fines, alcohol classes, probation, etc.  A person barred from Canada because of a c criminal convictions can also apply for a Temporary Resident Permit.  

All of these forms of relief (a pardon, temporary resident permit, etc.) require high application fees and a long waiting period to see if they are approved or not.  

Given the complexity, long waiting periods, and application fees and attorneys fees involved in trying to get relief from a ban on traveling to Canada because of a DWI conviction in Minnesota or elsewhere in the U.S.,the best thing to do is to hire an experienced Minnesota DWI Defense Attorney to help you keep a criminal conviction off of your record and preserve your ability to go to Canada whenever you want.

You probably have a lot of questions --- feel free to The Rolloff Law Office (now!) to discuss your case: (612) 234-1165.

Canada and Drunk Driving

Have any plans of traveling to Canada? Well, you'd might want to reconsider if you have been convicted of a DWI.

Much like other nations, the government of Canada excludes certain non-citizens from entering the country if they have been assigned to something called the Inadmissible Class. How does one become "inadmissible?" Well, one way is by having had been convicted of a criminal offense - like a DWI.

Believe it or not,Canada regards DWI as an extremely serious offense and if you have a prior conviction for Drunk Driving on your record - you may qualify as a member of the Inadmissible Class and will not be allowed to enter Canada freely.

Granted, there is a silver lining to this cloud - the Inadmissible status can be amended. A person deemed Inadmissible may be rehabilitated and be eligible for entry after a certain period has expired - from the completion of the criminal sentence imposed. Depending on the offense, this period may be as short as 5 years or as long as 10 years.

It might also be possible to get a temporary resident permit to enter Canada - prior to rehabilitation, but this is up to the passport control officer's discretion and requires a fee.  The temporary resident permit is meant to allow entry for exceptional circumstances, which would include reasons of national interest or on strong humanitarian or compassionate grounds.

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Another consequences of being convicted of a DWI - No Canada for you. If you've been arrested for a DWI, you have to be aware of your rights - and the consequences you could face. If you have questions, contact an experienced, Minnesota DWI and Drunk Driving Attorney, today.