CanadaTravel Scene

Think it's simple to get into Canada? For most U.S. citizens, it's like a walk in the park. But for a growing number of Americans with just generally minor law infractions at least by U.S. standards it isn't easy now. And you may be turned around at the border and abruptly sent home.

Canada, although officials have never said so publicly, apparently only recently has stiffened its border checks and Americans with past law violations ranging from a host of minor crimes to drunken driving are finding it increasingly difficult or impossible to gain entry. And that can happen even if a person is just briefly passing through Canadian immigration to board a cruise ship to Alaska.

There have been a couple of incidents recently that deserve attention from travelers. A central Minnesota tour group landed in Vancouver to board a cruise ship to Alaska. While going through immigration, the husband of the group leader was turned away when Canadian officials confronted him about a drunken-driving conviction an offense that was eight years old.

In another, actress Lindsay Lohan was interrogated a few weeks ago by immigration officials in Canada who considered banning her from the country because of her drunken driving convictions. The actress had landed in Montreal for a scheduled nightclub appearance, but was hauled into a back room at the airport by border staff after her 2007 arrests for driving under the influence appeared on a computer database.

According to Us Weekly magazine, because of her DUI they didn't want to let her into the country at first. The customs people gave her a real hard time.She was finally allowed into the country after a one-hour interrogation.

According to lawyers and others, for more than 40 years has had a law on the books that prohibits unfit persons from entering the country. A person can be barred for virtually any past criminal offense, including drunken-driving, shoplifting, driving dangerously and other nonviolent offenses. The reason for such drastic action is that while many of these offenses are considered minor misdemeanors in the United States, they are serious felonies in Canada.
Enforcement changed

For years, though, persons who might have been deemed criminally inadmissible passed freely through border checks without incident. Since 9/11 though, all countries the United States included more strictly enforce immigration rules. Additionally, Canada now has nearly 100 percent access to American criminal databases. That access apparently prompted the change to a tougher Canadian admission policy.

Discretion on the part of border agents now apparently is largely a thing of the past. Notes the publication Cruise Critic, it doesn't matter if it a violation was 40-some-odd years ago. It doesn't matter if you've been going to Canada for the past 20 years with no problem. If you have a record, you won't get in now.

While Cruise Critic's analysis isn't totally accepted by the U.S. travel industry, the policy can significantly affect cruisers. It's bad news, Cruise Critic reports. If you're turned away at the border because you're criminally inadmissible, you won't be seeing a refund on your cruise fare. Even if you have insurance.

Erik Elvejord, a spokesperson for Holland America Line, which operates Alaska cruises departing from Vancouver and Canada/New England voyages from Montreal, said, if a guest is denied entry into a country because of current requirements, it's unfortunate, but we don't provide refunds for it.

Cruise Critic continues: It isn't that the laws are any tougher than they have been over the last 40 years, it's the technology that's better. Canadian immigration officers can plug into your history in the same way that local cops can. This is the result of a post-9/11 agreement between the United States and Canada and it's been very effective. Entering Canada for a U.S. citizen used to be a snap. Until now.

There are some basics for entry into Canada for U.S. citizens who have a criminal record, according to Web sites of lawyers who deal with immigration laws. For instance, entering Canada with a Plain Crime background DWI, disturbing the peace, assault without bodily harm, etc. is allowed if 10 years have passed after the crime was committed and probation served. A person also can apply for a criminal rehabilitation waiver before entry, but there is a lengthy process involved and it carries a fee of approximately $200.Further information is available from Canadian consulate offices and a Web site for coming to Canada www.cic.ge.ca.

Some cruise lines, meanwhile, have come up with a way of bypassing Canadian immigration on voyages that begin in Vancouver, at least. It's called the U.S. Direct program and has been implemented in cooperation with U.S. officials, Canadian officials and the Vancouver International Airport.

Eligible cruisers U.S. citizens with proof of citizenship who have arrived in Vancouver on a direct flight from the United States can bypass immigration as long as they have purchased the cruise line's bus transfer or air/sea package. They must follow cruise-in-transit signs to the U.S. Direct transfer point and then be whisked directly to the ship. Luggage is transferred by the ship's crew. Cruisers are warned: "Do not proceed down the escalators for entry into Canada.

Travel agents taking notice

Vacationers, cruisers and others arriving in Canada even if they are ultimately heading for Alaska now are being given warnings by travel agencies here about border crossing policies.AA Minnesota/Iowa's travel office in Rochester for several months has required clients to sign a waiver that informs them of Canada's immigration policies and that costs are not refundable.
We hate to require these things but the client has to be informed of these policies ahead of time, local AAA agent Donna Hoehne said.

The Post Bulletin is sponsoring a trip and cruise to Canada and Alaska in the first part of August. Forty two people have signed up, and all of them have been informed by local Bursch Travel manager BJ Peterson of the stepped up Canadian policies.
Canadian tourism off

Whatever the reason, and many in the U.S. travel industry point to the more rigid immigration practices, travel to Canada has dropped sharply in recent years. Americans took nearly 44 million trips to Canada in 2000, according to official government statistics. There was a sharp dropoff after 9/11, as one would expect since all travel was affected, but the numbers are still declining.

In 2004, for instance, the number of U.S. citizens crossing the border to our neighbors to the north totaled 34.6 million, and last year there was a continuing decrease to 22.6 million about half of what it was in 2000.A Detroit attorney familiar with Canadian policies was quoted in USA Today as saying that one reason for the drop in visitors is concern among some Americans that Canada will stop them because of their past.

A Canada Border Services spokesperson was also quoted as saying there has been no change in the line of questioning asked by his agents. And, he added, the number of Americans turned away is small. In fiscal 2006, fewer than 6,000 people were denied entry, he said. The spokesperson told USA Today that his agency's aim is to ensure the safety of Canadians.
That's the reality of a post-9/11 world. When people are coming to the country they have to know that there are regulations.