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If I’ve been arrested for a DUI in the states, can I still travel to Canada?

Plane travel

DUI Lawyers in Cincinnati, Ohio

Canada takes a DUI charge very seriously. It’s considered an indictable offense, and these are broken into two more categories: serious and non-serious. Serious offenses can mean more than 10 years in prison. Non-serious offenses involve less than 10 years in prison. Independent of your personal history and state where the offense was committed, a DUI is always a non-serious indictable offense in Canada. The bottom-line is that a DUI charge is treated very differently in Canada.

Your entry into Canada depends mostly upon the immigration officer. They reserve the right to allow or deny entrance into the country to anyone at any time. You may not even be asked about the situation. This means there could definitely be some contradictory cases where people are treated differently, but that does not mean you should plan on getting through with no problems. We suggest having all permits prepared before you try to enter the country. It is better to be safe than sorry.

If your stay will be temporary, you must file an application for a temporary permit to enter the country. If it’s work related, it will probably be approved. If it’s hunting or recreational, it will probably not be approved. The officers are not unreasonable, and if the occasion is something more necessary, like a funeral or wedding, it will probably be approved.

Your offense will likely be overlooked if you try to enter Canada after 10 years of the offense. Once enough time passes without any more faults, and you’ve been an exemplary citizen, you can terminate the offense after just five years.

This can be a very frustrating situation to be in, especially if you’ve gone on your annual fishing trip with your brothers every year for your whole life, and you find out you can’t go for another ten years. We want to assist you in dealing with that. We understand that this is a pretty confusing topic, but we are willing and able to walk you through what could happen.

Contact The Farrish Law Firm, L.P.A. if you have any questions about traveling to Canada after being charged with a DUI in the Cincinnati, Ohio, Northern Kentucky area. We deal with cases like this frequently and can offer sound advice to help you in this sticky situation. Don’t hesitate to call risk free.