RCCL, Canada, DUI's- memo

[RareBird]

rare bird ITENIARY's the ships and the planes have to send one to the country you are entering.

 

canada gets a pax list in advance? are there really reports of them pulling people off cruise ships???:eek:

[Fran Harp]

lived the whole thing still not allowed into canada! they are also looking at misdemeanor charges for pot,theft,shoplifting ect. ect. i paid 200.00 and sent in police,fbi,finger prints,three signed letters from mayor,clergyman,police man, copy passport,two pass port pictures,copy driver lic.,copy of completed favorable treatment papers, to detroit consulate and the answer DENIED so if you have anything on your record you better check with canadian web site and check it out beforehand or you may be denied good luck!

 

Lest people get the notion that this is only one-way....there are plenty of Canadians who have been denied entry to the US for less than that. It's never guaranteed in any country, nor should it be.

 

Fran in Toronto

[Fran Harp]

canada gets a pax list in advance? are there really reports of them pulling people off cruise ships???:eek:

 

The US is insisting on passenger lists. Canada didn't start this one. But if we have to share our passenger information with the US, seems to me it's only fair to do it the other way as well. And as for dragging people off cruise ships, I am not aware that's happened.

 

Perhaps, however, you missed the thread by Firefighterhoop (American), who was banned from RCCL. He was finally able to work it out with RCCL but could not share any of the information. My guess is that he was confused with someone else and the name came up on a security list in the US. He is not allowed to tell.

 

You have a Patriot Act now, and it has removed many of your rights under the constitution. You can be banned from travel and never know why, removed from a ship and not know why, and you may be totally innocent but they don't have to tell you anything. We Canadians are not all thrilled that our government is being pressured to do the same. But yes, all our passenger information is being shared, and so is yours.

 

 

Fran in Toronto

[vickiw0318]

I keep responding to these forums. It is quite possible that they do not check on everybody. (I am flying into Calgary in just a few weeks and will report back on current practices.) However, I have a very good friend who flew into to Calagary a few years (2004) back on business (for just a few days in his company's Calgary office). He and his two co-workers were pulled aside and computer checks were run. He does have a past DUI and was officially denied entry. Because he kept calm and cool, he was allowed to purchase a temporary resident permit and told about the rehabilitation process. They even noted on his record that he was a really nice guy! He's not eligible yet. In the meantime, there is a stamp on his passport that will alert any Canadian official of this. I have flown in there during the same time frame and was not checked.

 

A whole group of us flew into Montreal in 2002. They were doing random checks at that airport. One of our fellow travelers was chosen (it looked like they were counting and choosing every 50th person or something like that) and pulled into a separate room where she was throughly grilled and every thing she brought with her was inspected. At that time, another in our group did have a DUI on her record, but was passed through because she didn't happen to be the random selectee.

 

By the way, he has subsequently cruised to Alaska out of Seattle. He did not try to get off the ship at the one Canadian port.

 

Yes, they do deny entry to people who are just visiting.

[jimbug]

They can (and will) deny your entrance to Canada as a visitor if you meet one of the inadmissible criteria (and yes, minor offenses in the U.S. that happened 20 years ago can get you on that inadmissible list). No, Canadian immigration doesn't check your record every single time you enter Canada. It really just depends on the time and place you enter, but if you've spent lots of hard-earned money on vacation, I would not chance being denied entry. If you have something on your record, you have some options:

 

1) Find out in advance if you are inadmissible. Canada's immigration web site has a form that you can fill out and send in. It's called the rehabilitation form, and it is actually for people who are inadmissible and want to apply for admissible status. However, this is quite expensive, and to save $$, there is a box you can mark 'for information only' on the top of the form, and there is no fee associated. An immigration officer will review your information and let you know if you are admissible or not, and if not, will advise you of the next step you should take to seek admissible status.

 

2) Chance your luck at the border. Some people get checked, some people do not. I personally know of someone (my co worker's brother!) who was recently denied entrance to Canada by car at a North Dakota border crossing for a bad check charge back in 1994. There are also reports of immigration officials declaring you 'rehabilitated' on the spot and requiring you to pay $200CAD ($265 US) to enter as a visitor. They are allowed to forgive one offense only, and may or may not be willing to forgive your offense at the time you attempt to enter.

 

3) US Direct. If you are on a cruise departing from or arriving in Vancouver, there is an option called US Direct that allows you to get from airport to cruise ship without ever technically entering Canada. If your cruise departs from Vancouver, your flight must be the same day as your cruise ship departure, and you must have pre-purchased bus transfers from the cruise line, and your bags must be pre-tagged with cruise line tags. When you arrive in YVR airport, you do not go through Canadian immigration; rather, you follow the US Direct signs where they will bus you directly to the ship. Something similar is available if your cruise ends in Vancouver, as well.

 

4) If your cruise ends in Vancouver (or any other Canadian port), and you do not do US Direct, you can chance your luck a little more easily at the border. First of all, you should realize that you probably shouldn't have any post-cruise stays planned in Canada, just in case. But, if in fact Canada does deny you entrance at the end of your cruise, they will simply require you to go directly to the airport without stopping elsewhere. No big deal, as that's probably where you were headed anyway. If they do let you through, then you have the opportunity to make post-cruise plans, I suppose.

 

I just hope that people realize that this is real and it is serious. You can lose out on your hard-earned vacation because of something minor in your past. Take precautions before attempting to enter Canada.

[MariTenor1]

Wish it was that hard to get into the US

 

Amen to that!

[Hypo]

Soooo..... If a Canadian citizen has an old DUI on their record, and comes to the United States for vacation, they probably won't be stopped and denied entrance to the US. So what happens when said Canadian tries to go home? Is the US stuck with them unless they are "rehabilitated"?

 

Hypo

[jimbug]

Soooo..... If a Canadian citizen has an old DUI on their record, and comes to the United States for vacation, they probably won't be stopped and denied entrance to the US. So what happens when said Canadian tries to go home? Is the US stuck with them unless they are "rehabilitated"?

 

Hypo

 

 

You can get back in to whatever country you are a citizen of.

[Autumnrose]

This topic seems to be coming up a lot lately and this has me a little confused. About 4 years ago management at my agency told us about this and that we needed to advise clients traveling to Canada that if they have a DUI they may be denied entry. So to me this is nothing new. Has something changed recently? Or have they just started to check more people?

[RBOrrell]

This topic has been hashed out in this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=502013

 

Please read it carefully if you have any concerns.

 

As already stated, the US Government has given the Canadian Government access to their criminal database - thank you. For years, Canadians have been denied access to the US for various reasons - some minor, others not so. We can now do the same. DUI or DWI is a more serious crime here than in the US. The Canadian government has determined that persons convicted of these crimes are not wanted here and will be turned back. Your passport will be scanned, and the officer will see whatever information your government has. The officer will have the decision of letting you in or not. Being admitted to Canada is not a right of a US citizen but a privileage.

 

This process will eventually happen at auto border locations like Windsor/Detroit, Fort Erie/Buffalo as the passport will also be required to enter.

 

Remember the changes to Canadian immigration policies are a direct result of the initiatives of G. W. Bush's administration.

 

Also, in reading the other threads on this topic. There are a lot of people with DUI/DWI convictions in the US. I can honestly say that do not know anyone here that has been caught. Not that I am a tea-totaling person either. Seems that we take it very seriously here.

[CaptData]

The Canadian legal system states that DUI & DWI are criminal offences under the Criminal Code of Canada. It is the same with theft, assult ect... While drugs are also in this catogory there are some who wish do decrimilize MJ. The American system has some drugs as mistomeaners but in Canada they will land you in jail because there is no difference between crack cocain and MJ in any amount.

[Sally Forth]

here a quick quote

 

"People say, 'I've been going to Canada for 20 years and never had a problem,' '' Lesperance says. "It's classic. I say, 'Well, you've been getting away with it for 20 years.' '' A prior record has always made it difficult to cross the border. What you probably didn't know was that, as the Canadian Consulate's Web site says, "Driving while under the influence of alcohol is regarded as an extremely serious offense in Canada.'' read the web site post then you just may agree with what i have to say. check it out before you go!!

This came about because of a cooperative agreement with US Homeland Security on sharing databases. Before that, the Canadian border people had no idea what your record was in the US and no way to check other than pulling you over and doing an investigation.

 

I guess what really bothers me about this is that there are a lot of celebrities from the entertainment and sports worlds who have records and cross the border all the time for games or to shoot movies. Nobody seems to stop them.

 

Something else.... if you have a common name like Joe Smith, make sure you always book your air travel with your full name, including middle name. My husband has a common name and used to get pulled out of line by US Immigration all the time because there are so many felons with his name.

 

Viv

[realtreebar]

yes this has been hashed over BUT some people still need to know what they can expect. if you have no record ever then go ahead a make plans. but if you have a dwi,theft,assult,drug, charge! then just call them or go to the web site before spending thousands of dollars, before you go. and then you don't take the chance of getting reviewed because will already know.

[Ephraim]

I really find it hard to believe that a Canadian Mounty is going to be asking every disembarking passenger off every ship visiting a port for the day if they've ever had a DUI. I think the rules you are referring to do not apply to cruise ship passengers visiting Canadian ports.

 

Mounties (short for Royal Canadian Mounted Police) are the national police force, like the US FBI. They are not the Border Service. The Border Service represents Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Canada Customs, Canada Revenue Agency, Agriculture Canada and Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

 

The rules apply to everyone! There are no exceptions. The only thing that is different is that if you are a cruise ship passenger for the day, you will simply be asked not to leave the ship for the day. They don't have to interview anyone, the ship provides a list of everyone, their birth dates and a copy of their legal documentation. The exact same way that it is done for the US and every other country.

[realtreebar]

Ephraim

 

thanks for the clarification some people want to belive they can not do this but all i wanted people to know is check on things so you don't get held or denied.

[Coralc]

I don't know about others...since we have been and are back....but since we were within the penalty phase of our cruise booking..I certainly wasn't going to fill out an informational request to let Canada know who I was and when I was arriving. :rolleyes: I know now what to do to correct it for any future visits. For those that are booked, do your research. It will be a risk this season. I plan to have it corrected on this side of the boarder, which also takes a certain amount of time and money. :)

[CruznTom]

I Emailed the Canadian consulate in Seattle and got this response within a day. (Amazing compared to US bureaucracy)

*

From: The Kayes

Sent: June 3, 2007 7:20 PM

To: SEATL ( G)

Cc:

Subject: Cruise ship passengers admissibility into Canada

 

There have been many discussions lately on "Cruise Critic" (which is the largest internet information site on cruising) about inadmissibility into Canada for passengers on Canada/Alaska cruises. Potential cruisers are now worried if they will lose their cruise purchase cost if they are not allowed into Canada due to a past DUI or other misdemeanor up to 25 years ago or do they have to go through the process of official rehabilitation. Any light you could shed on this situation would be extremely appreciated as many want to know before they purchase a cruise whether they will get to go or end up losing all their money.

*

Here is a link to a recent thread on Cruise Critic I know it is safe, or if you have any doubts go to cruisecritic.com and then to the Royal Caribbean boards.

*

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=10363853#post10363853

*

 

Mr. Kaye, Basically in a nutshell: A foreign national (someone who is not a citizen of Canada) is inadmissible to Canada for what Canada considers criminality not what is considered criminality in that person's home country (so yes, this does apply to U.S. citizens). A foreign national is also required to advise us of any criminality when entering Canada. It is not just DUI's that render a person inadmissible to Canada. Such things include but are not limited to: theft, assault, DV (Domestic Violence charges), fraud, NSF checks, DUI, negligent driving, careless and reckless driving, forgery, failure to appear, failure to comply with court order, and in the U.S. felonies. A person is eligible to apply for Approval of Rehabilitation five years from the date that ALL sentencing is complete, that includes probation. That person must have approval prior to trying to enter Canada. That means that the file must be processed and they must have received approval. It is not automatic that someone is given approval and not everyone is approved. There are specific offences that are eligible for Deemed Rehabilitation after 10 years from the date that ALL sentencing is complete. Again, this is not guaranteed and only certain offences are eligible. If you have more than one offence, you would not be eligible for Deemed Rehabiliation. The foreign national may apply for Approval of Rehabilitation if they have more than one offence. They should obtain ALL the required documentation and apply at a Canadian Consulate near them.

Criminality renders a foreign national inadmissible to Canada. They are considered inadmissible until they apply and are approved to reenter Canada.

[vickiw0318]

It would be interesting to hear what the Seattle office has to say about the US Direct programs like the one at the Vancouver, BC airport, i.e., is there a possibility that one can be pulled aside if one is not effectively entering Canada.

[jimbug]

I think that U.S. Direct is designed for just that - to get everyone into Canada directly on or off their cruise and bypassing immigration. Someone shuold e-mail the Seattle Canadian immigration office and see what they say.

[cruzrpup]

Re: Entry into Canada and US DIRECT option...

 

Canadian immigration officials will see your record history on their database through your passport, and you absolutely CAN be denied access into Canada. Even the "US Direct" transfer option that some cruise ships offer will catch your record and you will be denied entry.

"Any person who is entering Canada, even if he/she is not going to stay in Canada - even if he or she lands on a Canadian runway, walks through the airport and through customs with the intention of stepping onto another plane to leave Canada for a different country, they can still be denied entry into Canada. If a Canadian officer at customs / immigration determines that a foreign national is criminally inadmissible to Canada, they could send that individual back to the U.S. on another flight or vessel."

And: "However, if less than 5 years have elapsed since the completion of the sentences, we could not accomodate travel to Canada for tourism purposes. The person would, in that case, only be eligible for a Temporary Resident Permit. We only issue these in cases of urgency - such as family members being sick in Canada, needing to enter Canada for work purposes, etc, not for tourism."

The above quote is from an email back to me from Immigration Section

Canadian Consulate General, Seattle

 

I strongly suggest you check out your own particular situation, and do not rely on board members opinions, as they may be inaccurate. Also, if in any doubt, have a record check done to see what comes up; you may find, as my traveling companion did, that something she thought had been expunged from her record was indeed not.

[realtreebar]

Re: Entry into Canada and US DIRECT option...

 

Canadian immigration officials will see your record history on their database through your passport, and you absolutely CAN be denied access into Canada. Even the "US Direct" transfer option that some cruise ships offer will catch your record and you will be denied entry.

"Any person who is entering Canada, even if he/she is not going to stay in Canada - even if he or she lands on a Canadian runway, walks through the airport and through customs with the intention of stepping onto another plane to leave Canada for a different country, they can still be denied entry into Canada. If a Canadian officer at customs / immigration determines that a foreign national is criminally inadmissible to Canada, they could send that individual back to the U.S. on another flight or vessel."

And: "However, if less than 5 years have elapsed since the completion of the sentences, we could not accomodate travel to Canada for tourism purposes. The person would, in that case, only be eligible for a Temporary Resident Permit. We only issue these in cases of urgency - such as family members being sick in Canada, needing to enter Canada for work purposes, etc, not for tourism."

The above quote is from an email back to me from Immigration Section

Canadian Consulate General, Seattle

 

I strongly suggest you check out your own particular situation, and do not rely on board members opinions, as they may be inaccurate. Also, if in any doubt, have a record check done to see what comes up; you may find, as my traveling companion did, that something she thought had been expunged from her record was indeed not.

EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN TELLING EVERYONE THANKS FOR THE REPORT!

[leavnofingerprints]

If the term "may" was used, it means just that. Of course no border is going to go into a background check on everyone. That's just not feasible. If however, you have raised their suspicion in another area, or if you are fortunate enough to be picked for a random check, you "may" be in trouble. There is a huge difference between "may" and "shall or will". All travellers should know the difference.

 

LNF

[zantedeschia]

If the term "may" was used, it means just that. Of course no border is going to go into a background check on everyone.

 

They don't have to. Last weekend I went to Laredo and crossed the border. On the way back in, Homeland Security pulled my companion aside and questioned him for 10 minutes because of something in his background.

 

It came up when they scanned his passport. If you have something criminal in your past, it might be on your passport.

[leavnofingerprints]

They don't have to. Last weekend I went to Laredo and crossed the border. On the way back in, Homeland Security pulled my companion aside and questioned him for 10 minutes because of something in his background.

 

It came up when they scanned his passport. If you have something criminal in your past, it might be on your passport.

 

That may well be but don't forget, as of today you don't require a passport to drive across the Canadian border. It's only required when you arrive via ship or airline. If you don't provide a passport, there's nothing to scan.

 

LNF

[RBOrrell]

That may well be but don't forget, as of today you don't require a passport to drive across the Canadian border. It's only required when you arrive via ship or airline. If you don't provide a passport, there's nothing to scan.

 

LNF

 

The information is not on your passport but the passport serves as a mechanism to access the database. When you present your ID to the people at the border (Passport, Driver License, Birth Certificate) - and you must present something! - they all function the same way and they have access to the database. Not having a passport is no way to hide something.