Fishing in the USA

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Are you allowed to travel to the USA with a criminal record?Wouldn't mind doing some fishing in the states in the winter. Would they even sell me a plane ticket? Would I be checked at the airport and turned back when I arrive??

[BITEME]

Depends what the charge is

[Guest Johnny Bass]

So its a 50/50 risk at the discrepancy of the border guard? They are not major but not minor either.

[Gerritt]

Like stated above it would depend on the charge and the mood of the customs official.

 

G

[timmeh]

I'm not positive on this but i'm pretty sure it's not at the guards discrepancy at all. For certain charges you are just not allowed into the country period, but i don't know which one are okay and which aren't. You should check with your local police station, or travel agent. They should be able to tell you right away whether you can go or not.

Edited November 3, 2008 by timmeh

[Raf]

no, you cannot travel to the US with a criminal record. if you need to travel, you can apply for an exemption or apply for a pardon to remove your criminal record.. the latter takes lots of time and some money.

 

a DUI is a criminal record btw.

 

also, if flying out of pearson, you clear US customs & immigration before you even set foot in the airplane.

Edited November 3, 2008 by Raf

[Guest Johnny Bass]

I see. So is there any way to call in advance to see if you will be allowed entry?

 

More than likely I will wait for a pardon but how do you apply for an exemption? Is that like a waiver?

 

Basically you are saying if I can get through the US customs at pearson its all good.

[Gerritt]

this might answer your question...

 

http://www.pardons.org/content.phtml?page=08

 

It is illegal to attempt to enter the U.S.A. with a criminal record, unless you have appropriate immigration status or you have a U.S.A. Entry Waiver.

[bassman]

A pardon is only good in Canada.

US Customs still keeps records of any convictions regardless of a Canadian Pardon.

 

As previously mentioned, check with US Customs prior to your trip. If the crime was minor they will probably make you sign some paperwork before you enter the US.

 

Good luck.

[Bitsmith2k]

A pardon is only good in Canada.

US Customs still keeps records of any convictions regardless of a Canadian Pardon.

 

As previously mentioned, check with US Customs prior to your trip. If the crime was minor they will probably make you sign some paperwork before you enter the US.

 

Good luck.

 

 

you can travel to the states if you've been pardoned..

[Raf]

A pardon is only good in Canada.

US Customs still keeps records of any convictions regardless of a Canadian Pardon.

 

yes and no.. the way it's been explained to me: if you try to cross prior to getting your pardon, when US customs connects to your RCMP file and find a criminal record, it will go into the US system. however, if you get your pardon first, when they check the canadian file nothing will be there and US customs will never know of your prior convictions/pardons.

Edited November 3, 2008 by Raf

[Streamerguy]

you can travel to the states if you've been pardoned..

 

Ahhhh i don't think my buddy would agree with you on that one!!!

 

He got his "pardon" and when he got pulled over down south they told him that pardon didn't mean squat!!

 

He spent 2 days in jail till his company bailed him out,he was a transport truck driver deliverying potatoes

 

I wouldn't trust it JB,plenty of fishing in CANADA

 

Streamerguy

[Greencoachdog]

You won't get into the U.S by air without a passport nowadays, if your conviction keeps you from getting a passport you won't be allowed to enter.

[Clampet]

Then how do so many American crooks make into Canada Eh?

[Greencoachdog]

Then how do so many American crooks make into Canada Eh?

 

They don't even check my papers driving into Canada!!!

 

... but last time I was up I was served up a nice ration of crap when I tried to cross back over into the states!!!... like where am I gonna be from with this accent?... Yemen???

[Clampet]

They don't even check my papers driving into Canada!!!

 

... but last time I was up I was served up a nice ration of crap when I tried to cross back over into the states!!!... like where am I gonna be from with this accent?... Yemen???

 

And those were yer own folks?

[Greencoachdog]

And those were yer own folks?

 

Yup!...U.S Department of Homeland Security.

[irishfield]

They got him out... they'z was tryin to keep it that way ! LOL

[Clampet]

They got him out... they'z was tryin to keep it that way ! LOL

[Whopper]

They got him out... they'z was tryin to keep it that way ! LOL

 

Had the same experience Glen when returning home with my son a couple years ago.

 

We fish a lot in Canadian waters and around the border at Lake Erie and last year we were hastled a few time by the border patrol, this year we never seen them once all year. The patrol stayed right down the street from my buddy's place and never seen there either

Edited November 4, 2008 by Whopper

[Billy Bob]

I live right near the boarder and have NEVER had a problem coming and going into either country. But now come July 1st we will need either a passport or a enhanced driver's license which is what I will be getting soon.

[pikehunter]

Knew a guy about 10 years ago, tried crossing at Detroit one day, didn't get through, rejected by the customs agent. His criminal charge was something to do with drugs. He never said to me what the charge had been but he was found guilty of it many years before so whatever it was the Yanks didn't want him on their land.

 

Better get everything all cleared before you make arrangements to go, no point in booking anything only to be rejected.

Edited November 4, 2008 by pikehunter

[mattyk]

i have been living here in the US for the past five years. Never had a problem. This year i had this one border guard who didn't like the topic of my dissertation and said that it was a stupid idea and why where they going to give me a phd for studying emergency response. He asked me about 20 question about my school work and thought i was making all this stuff up, and then he finally let me go. Oh i don't think that he liked my red sox cap either, he said they were a lousy team.

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Thanks for the info. I think I will pass on visiting the States. Maybe go fishing in Venezuela.

[bassfighter]

Once you get stopped and interrogated once, it will happen almost again in the future or everytime.

 

The border keeps a record of anyone they feel under suspicion, I know couple of guys who were stopped everytime they cross over the border, I think they have some minor record, either drinking and driving or other minor record. He was in fact an American, but married to a Canadian.

 

I was stopped once after crossing the border, went to the whirlpool US side, came back in the afternoon ,and custom officer spent more than an hour checking our vehicle and our fishing stuff. They were asking us where is the fish that we caught, and we said we did not catch any. That was a waste of our time, and the attitude that they gave us.

 

The best less suspicious way to travel to US is with a Family, they are less suspicious if one travels with own family with kids.

 

Making few proper phone calls would clear other doubts. The goal is to face your worries now or you will eventually have to face it in the future.

 

The border wants to have proof that those who traveled across have a clean record of coming back as well. I travel to the US quite so often, and they have a record of my travel, therefore ,it is a good thing to have history of clean travel record. I never violated or got suspisious of bringing unnecessary goods to US or to CA, and many time I traveled with my wife and kids. It was always smooth sailing for me when I cross the border, except for that one occasion .

 

US has amazing shopping, and site to see, I would make an effort to try to get your potential priviledge back or at least enquire, rather than just wildly guessing out of fear. Your first trip should be with your family, if I were you.

 

Good luck!

Edited November 4, 2008 by bassfighter