Will Canada allow entry from a US citizen with a Felony 5?

Question

My husband's co-worker told him that his brother here from the US had been going to Canada for 18 years to fish. Last year he got a passport and used it to get into Canada. They declined him stating he had a felony conviction of a DUI onhis record and wasn't allowed there. Is this really true? I have a felony 5 on my record (lowest felony) and I am concerned I can't go on my honeymoon to Niagra Falls (Canada side) because of it. Can anyone help me with this dilema?

Answer 1

Yes, it is...same applies for the U.S., the U.K. and a growing number of other countries.

Answer 2

yes its true you can be denied entry if you have a felony conviction

Answer 3

9/11 changed everything. In ye olden dayes, you could practically breeze across the border, engaging in some friendly banter with the jolly border guard as he waves you through with a smile and no cavity search. Nowadays, in the name of protecting the homeland, the 80 year old grandmother from Port Huron gets grilled like a flame-broiled whopper over whether she has the proper identification and if she's carrying drugs, a nuclear arsenal or undeclared fruit in her trunk. It's darkly comical that in the name of fairness and security, nobody escapes the hyper-vigilant Terminator-style automatons at Canada Customs and Revenue. (Our two favourite departments, united at last!)  

Your passport, when scanned, will bring up every little criminal indiscretion in your past. I've heard tales of people turned away by US Customs because of a single drug possession charge from the 1960s. People who, for the past 30+ years, have been able to traipse across the border freely as walking between Ontario and Quebec, are today being thrown out for minor past indiscretions. It will come up, you will be turned away. My advice is to get a nice hotel in Niagara Falls, NY. And bring some binoculars.

Try to enjoy your honeymoon, at least ... ? Remember, it's not where you go, it's who you go with!