Applying for a TRP at border - Inadmisisble

[DUIInsideCanada]

Good morning everyone, i hope someone can please help me with some questions!

I am a UK citizen and inadmissible to Canada. I commited DUI in Canada in late 2017. I was not convicted till early 2020 (court backlogs), but i was found guilty. I can apply for a pardon in Feb 2025, i left Canada immediately after my conviction of my own accord. No deportation order, no removal - I knew i would be inadmissible and would need a pardon down the road so decided to do the right thing and leave immediately, and so i did.

I have a Canadian partner together since 2016. We are getting married in Vermont in September - small ceremony, only 6 people, no family. I have a TRP application in to London VO, received Dec 2021, and it is still in processing. No word or clue on when or if we will get an answer. Since we will be so close to the border me and my partner have decided to go to the border after we are married to attempt to apply for a TRP there. I would like to enter Canada for 1 week to see family and spend time with them to celebrate our wedding, since they cant / arent coming to the ceremony.

The issue is - My last ETA to Canada is still Valid. My last work permit which i left in the middle of ran to expiry 14 months after i left, it was not cancelled. This leaves me to believe that IRCC / CBSA are not yet aware or updated that i am inadmissible.

My questions:
- As my last ETA was not cancelled, is still valid / the work permit ran to expiry, will CBSA be able to see i am inadmissible because of the TRP application i have in at London VO?
- If no (because its not been updated in the system) and they just let me through without further questioning - will i get in trouble? I know at the border they dont necessarily ask about inadmissibility as part of their routine questioning. I dont want to jeopardise my future for the sake of one visit.
- If they do see it / i declare it and i am sent to secondary, what is the likelihood in your opinion or experience that they will let me in? I have older family members (through my fiance) who are not in good health, and a new nephew i have never met so celebrating our nuptials with them is important to us. I dont know if IRCC will see it that way though.

I have a flight already booked out from the US 1 week later, i could change the flight out of Canada and i WOULD leave. Im not trying to stay in Canada. I know i cant.

I appreciate any thoughts /opinions and experiences.
Thank you!

 

[scylla]

Good morning everyone, i hope someone can please help me with some questions!

I am a UK citizen and inadmissible to Canada. I commited DUI in Canada in late 2017. I was not convicted till early 2020 (court backlogs), but i was found guilty. I can apply for a pardon in Feb 2025, i left Canada immediately after my conviction of my own accord. No deportation order, no removal - I knew i would be inadmissible and would need a pardon down the road so decided to do the right thing and leave immediately, and so i did.

I have a Canadian partner together since 2016. We are getting married in Vermont in September - small ceremony, only 6 people, no family. I have a TRP application in to London VO, received Dec 2021, and it is still in processing. No word or clue on when or if we will get an answer. Since we will be so close to the border me and my partner have decided to go to the border after we are married to attempt to apply for a TRP there. I would like to enter Canada for 1 week to see family and spend time with them to celebrate our wedding, since they cant / arent coming to the ceremony.

The issue is - My last ETA to Canada is still Valid. My last work permit which i left in the middle of ran to expiry 14 months after i left, it was not cancelled. This leaves me to believe that IRCC / CBSA are not yet aware or updated that i am inadmissible.

My questions:
- As my last ETA was not cancelled, is still valid / the work permit ran to expiry, will CBSA be able to see i am inadmissible because of the TRP application i have in at London VO?
- If no (because its not been updated in the system) and they just let me through without further questioning - will i get in trouble? I know at the border they dont necessarily ask about inadmissibility as part of their routine questioning. I dont want to jeopardise my future for the sake of one visit.
- If they do see it / i declare it and i am sent to secondary, what is the likelihood in your opinion or experience that they will let me in? I have older family members (through my fiance) who are not in good health, and a new nephew i have never met so celebrating our nuptials with them is important to us. I dont know if IRCC will see it that way though.

I have a flight already booked out from the US 1 week later, i could change the flight out of Canada and i WOULD leave. Im not trying to stay in Canada. I know i cant.

I appreciate any thoughts /opinions and experiences.
Thank you!

I guess is depends on how safe you want to play it. If you want to play it super safe, then fly to the US and apply for the TRP at the border.

If you decide to go ahead with your plans to fly to Canada, the first question is whether you will be allowed to board the flight to Canada. There's no way any of us can answer that and you would have to see what happens when you arrive at the airport.

If they let you board and you are able to fly to Canada, when you get to CBSA, I would assume they will be able to see the DUI conviction. What happens here is a total dice roll. You know you are inadmissible and should not have used the eTA to fly to Canada. If you encounter a CBSA agent who really doesn't like what you've done, they could send you back on the first flight home or even issue a 1 year exclusion order. It's also possible they could process the TRP on the spot and let you in. IMO it's risky to simply enter Canada on your valid eTA without addressing the fact you are inadmissible. (assuming it's really still valid, sometimes they show as valid in the system but people find they aren't once they arrive at the airport). If you simply enter on the eTA without the inadmissibility being addressed, it's possible this could impact your TRP application. IRCC may see you entered while inadmissible and deny the application.

So in short, if you want to play the safe route, stick with your current plans. If you are fine with taking a risk which could potentially have further negative impacts on top of your current situation then you can roll the dice and try flying to Canada.

 

[DUIInsideCanada]

Oh i have no intention of flying to Canada! My flight is to Boston US, and we would go to the border from US - Can.

My questions are about what will happen at the land border, i wouldn't ever use the ETA in this situation!

 

[scylla]

Oh i have no intention of flying to Canada! My flight is to Boston US, and we would go to the border from US - Can.

My questions are about what will happen at the land border, i wouldn't ever use the ETA in this situation!

A good part of my post still applies. CBSA should be able to see the DUI. If for some reason they don't, I think it's risky to enter Canada without dealing with the inadmissibility and getting a TRP. This could cause problems with the TRP application you have in progress. Ultimately you know very well that you are currently inadmissible to Canada.

 

[DUIInsideCanada]

Brilliant, that was my thinking as well but it was raised to me that i may well just be waived through and that posed all these questions. So thank you for confirming my thoughts.

I will arrive at the border and ask to be processed for a TRP.. and i just hope they see the reason is a good one and that i am not a risk, and let me in. If they dont, at least i tried and i was honest.

Thank you