U.S. Entry Waiver Services in Halifax

U.S. Entry Waiver Services in Halifax

One of the nice things about living in Halifax is the accessibility to travel. While some other parts of Nova Scotia may feel a bit isolated, the airport in Halifax makes travel much easier to accomplish. And of course, for people that don’t mind the drive, heading south and west can eventually get you to the single, largest, friendliest border in the world, shared between the United States and Canada.

For most Canadians, the prospect of traveling to the U.S. is pretty straightforward. While security has become a little stricter in recent years, especially for certain travelers coming from specific countries, most Canadians only need a passport. That is, however, unless you have a criminal record, in which case some real obstacles may come into play. One solution, however, is a U.S. entry waiver, I-192 or I-194.

A Criminal Past

Our proximity to the United States means that millions of Canadians are likely to visit the country every year. We’re one of the few nations that can do this by either plane or car, but regardless of which method you choose, there’s one common experience. You will meet with the American Customs & Border Patrol, the CBP, and they may conduct a background check on you.

Of course, conducting a check on every single traveler would slow down lines, so they don’t do it for everyone. For some this may mean that they never have a check conducted, or they may have spent decades traveling without issue. However, if you have a criminal record, it’s actually illegal for you to travel into the U.S. if that conviction falls into the American category of moral turpitude which includes criminal convictions such as assault, theft or drug-related offences.

A Complex Situation

If you are subject to a background check and the criminal record is found, you are now permanently barred from entry into America. You can try taking your chances, and hoping that your next attempt won’t subject you to another check, but punishments get more severe for people who deliberately defy an entry ban.

Record suspensions won’t help either if your criminal record has already been flagged. Once your record is found, the CBP transfers that information into their own database, where it permanently resides. So even if you do get a record suspension at this point, it does you no good, because the CBP will be using their own information, not the Canadian Police Information Centre’s to confirm your record.

A US Waiver Will Help

Anyone that needs to travel to the United States regularly for work or other obligations will find a criminal record to be a major barrier. A record suspension is a good idea if you have the time available for you to wait before you travel, but this can be a significant waiting period. It won’t work for people with more pressing commitments requiring travel.

This is where a U.S. entry waiver comes in, which can grant you travel rights into the United States regardless of the presence of a criminal record. It’s a complex process requiring international cooperation between different agencies, but Pardons Canada can help. If you want to have complete, legal authority to enter the United States, but you have a criminal record, we can help you to properly apply for and successfully secure a U.S. entry waiver, I-192 or I-194.