Unfortunately, getting to Canada with a DUI isn’t as easy as simply showing up at the international border with a valid United States driver’s license. If you don’t have any intent to driving while in this country, a DUI can also keep you from getting access to Canada’s social services, such as health care and social programs, as well as the ability to work in Canada. Therefore, if you’ve been charged with a DUI, or perhaps even with several DUI-related charges, it’s especially important to consult with an experienced Canadian DUI lawyer to learn what your options are.
As one of seven criminal conviction records, a DUI can impact your ability to work in Canada. Canada immigration laws allow the Government of Canada to consider a DUI as immigrating crime, which bars Canadian citizenship and requires that you be removed from the country after your sentence has been completed. In most cases, you can be removed from the country after you serve five years of incarceration or five years of supervised release (such as deferred adjudication), but these terms differ from country to country. Additionally, even if you’re not removed from Canada by a criminal conviction, a DUI can remain on your record for 10 years, making it nearly impossible to apply for Canadian citizenship.
However, even if you are not a Canadian citizen, a DUI can still impact your ability to travel to Canada. If you have a criminal record, even a traffic accident, in the US, can lead to an arrest in Canada. For example, if you were arrested for drunk driving in Florida and got hit by a car in Ontario, you might be arrested in Canada and held in jail until you can make bail. Your criminal record in the US may trigger an arrest for Canada, as well. This is because the laws for Canada and the US are very different. For example, in Canada, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while intoxicated, whereas in the US, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated is not against the law.
Because of the differences between the laws of the two countries, it can be difficult to know what the immigration authorities in either the US or Canada will consider when considering your application to enter either country. Therefore, you need the help of an experienced Canadian DUI lawyer. A DUI attorney can help you protect your rights while traveling to Canada. An experienced attorney can also make sure that your entry into Canada is lawful and does not face serious consequences.
Criminal records in the United States are not as comprehensive as Canadian records. US criminal history records only include felony convictions; however, they do include lesser crimes. The Canadian records, on the other hand, go further by revealing multiple felony convictions and even more minor offenses. Because the Canadian criminal system has been established for much longer than the US one, it is considered much more stable and reliable. Because of this, there is less chance that you will have to deal with a deportation order or other undesirable consequence when you are charged with a DUI offense.
In addition, many Americans do not realize that there are many other choices for their international connections beyond the United States. Canada is a large neighbor with many things to offer. Therefore, if you want to travel to Canada with a DUI, there are many alternatives. Many Americans who are facing up charges prefer to remain in the United States and work with their DUI attorney to attempt to avoid any serious repercussions. However, many others do choose to travel north to Canada and get away from their current situation. Because the alternative presents so many challenges, many people do choose to enter Canada via a Border Crossing Agreement.
A Border Crossing Agreement is an agreement that the American accused of a DUI in Canada will enter into if they are traveling north to Canada. An agreement like this allows you to cross the border between the two countries without having to remove your visa status. In many cases, this can make your DUI more forgiven because the admissibility of your plea is increased. In addition to the agreement itself, many American accused of DUI will also be required to surrender their passport upon arrival so they can stay in Canada as long as they need to.
Although most people are aware of drunk-driving laws in Canada, many do not know that they can still be removed from the country for DUI charges. Because most drunk driving convictions carry sentences of one year or more in jail, many offenders choose to remove themselves from the country rather than face lengthy prison terms. As an example, if an individual has three DUI convictions within 10 years of each other, their case may be eligible for removal. However, it should be noted that the decision to remove someone’s citizenship is not an easy one. The crime involved in DUI can be considered a criminal offense under Canadian law. Therefore, if the Canadian government feels that the offender is a danger to the public or a danger to themselves, they can have their citizenship removed.