U.S. Entry Waiver Services in Winnipeg

U.S. Entry Waiver Services in Winnipeg

For people who live in Winnipeg, one of the most convenient things about this city is easy access to an airport hub. It makes travel around the world much easier, but our central location in the country also makes it easy to just drive south and cross the border into the United States. Manitoba continues to share a large, friendly border with our American neighbors, and this makes it very easy for most Canadians to cross over into the USA.

However, that is not necessarily the case with all Canadians. It is a little stricter these days; a passport is now a required document, whereas, in the past, even a driver’s license was enough to enter America. Canadians that have a criminal record encounter huge obstacles when trying to enter the United States, unless they have a U.S. entry waiver (I-192 or I-194).

The Moral Turpitude Category

Thanks to friendly relations and proximity, millions of Canadians journey to the United States annually. Some do this by driving up to the border, while others go through international airports. What all Canadians experience, regardless of their method of travel, is a brief interaction with the Customs & Border Patrol, or CBP. They have the legal right to conduct a background check on any incoming visitor.

In order to keep movement efficient, they don’t, of course, check every single person. For people with criminal convictions, this may mean that for years there has been no problem crossing over into America. However, even if this has been done before, it is not actually legal. If a Canadian has committed a crime that falls under the American “moral turpitude” category, they are technically not allowed entry into America. Crimes like theft, fraud, weapons and drug-related activities are just a few violations that fall under this category.

A Record Suspension May Not Help

Once a criminal background check has been conducted a conviction found, that person is now permanently barred from entry into the United States. If you continue to attempt travel, hoping that no further background checks will occur, this may lead to more severe punishment if you are caught again.

Even a record suspension or pardon, in this case, can’t help you regain legal entry into the United States. Once a conviction is found, that information is downloaded from the Canadian Police Information Centre, and stored in the CBP database where it will remain. So even if you have your criminal conviction deleted through a record suspension, that conviction is still in the CBP database, and, as far as the CBP is concerned, still valid.

The US Entry Waiver Solution

For people with criminal convictions and no need to travel frequently to America, a record suspension, if it is acquired before attempting to travel, may be the perfect solution. However, record suspensions take time to process, and if you have ongoing personal or professional commitments that require travel to the USA, this simply won’t work.

A U.S. entry waiver (I-192 or I-194), on the other hand, can get you across the border, regardless of whether you have a criminal conviction or not. This is a complex process that requires cross-agency interaction and many different documents. However, once that entry waiver has been secured, you can enter the United States with 100% legal authority, and no anxieties about whether today will be the day the CBP decides to run a background check. If you need a U.S. entry waiver, Pardons Canada can help. Talk to us today; we know what to do.