Are passports needed to travel from Canada into USA???

[deerjohn]

ThERE still seems to be some confusion within my group of fellow fishing buddies as to whats needed to travel to Canada and back?  Some say just birth certificate and photo I.D., and others say that you need an official PASSPORT this year.  HELP!!!  deerjohn

[MrMarty51]

It`s been a couple of years since I`ve been across the border but then all we needed was a drivers license.
My son`s went across the border at port of sweetgrass last August and all they needed then was a drivers license to get into Canada and when they got to the Alaskan border they said they were`nt checked.

[Bean]

You will be OK with a copy(or original) of your birth certificate and your driver's license until June 1, 2009 if you are driving or boating across the border.  After that you'll need to have a passport.

http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2008/nr20080328-2-eng.aspx

[Skipper]

A carload of my buddys got sent away at International Falls, MN because one of them had a pending DUI and some other minor legal problems here in MN.

I don't know how the border agents found out about his legal woes, but they denied them entry to Canada.

You may wish to discuss this with your companions before you make the drive.

[herefishyfishyfishy]

I had heard that a DUI is considering a felony in Canada and that if there is one on your record you will be denied entrance. anybody confirm that? wasnt' sure about the source

[taxid]

A carload of my buddys got sent away at International Falls, MN because one of them had a pending DUI and some other minor legal problems here in MN.

I don't know how the border agents found out about his legal woes, but they denied them entry to Canada.

You may wish to discuss this with your companions before you make the drive.

They have a data base on each and everyone of us if we have committed any kind of crime. I know of two cases where individuals were allowed in with a previous DUI if they were willing to pay a subtantial fee. If they didn't pay the fee the guys on the trip would have had to take the guy back home which of course wasn't a good option so they were stuck paying the fee. One of thes guys had a DUI years ago and is now a born again Christian and minister. Sounds like way to milk people for money if you ask me.

[mrm57]

you're right about the d.u.i. being a felony in canada even tho it may be on your record as a violation or misdameanor here. you can pay for a special permit to cross.i'm wondering about the prior notificaion needed to the canadian authorities when planning on crossing the imaginary line to fish the canadian side.i think it was always on the books but never stringently enforced..not from my experiences anyways...but from a recent newspaper article it sounds like they may start.

[herefishyfishyfishy]

you're right about the d.u.i. being a felony in canada even tho it may be on your record as a violation or misdameanor here. you can pay for a special permit to cross.i'm wondering about the prior notificaion needed to the canadian authorities when planning on crossing the imaginary line to fish the canadian side.i think it was always on the books but never stringently enforced..not from my experiences anyways...but from a recent newspaper article it sounds like they may start.

ugghhh.. I fish the St Mary's near Raber Bay every memorial day and I have a DUI from 1999. We usually go and get our canadian licenses because we tend to float over the imaginary line.. when we say SUBSTANTIAL does anybody have a dollar amount on that.. would be nice to know how bad they are going to stick it to me.

[Ice Dawg]

I believe the fee is $200 and it is an application for some kind of pardon which will eventually cost you over $1,000. If your DUI is over 10 years old you are considered as rehabilitated and should be let into Canada. If it is under 10 years old you may have trouble and either pay to get in or be turned back at the border. If you have more that one DUI, forget getting in if they check. 

ARE YOU CRIMINALLY INADMISSIBLE TO CANADA?

Security and enforcement at the Canada-United States border has heightened in recent years. For this reason, more U.S. citizens with past criminal charges or convictions are refused entry into Canada. Canadians with past criminal charges or convictions seeking entry into the U.S. are denied entry as well. In some cases, Canadian immigration officers at ports of entry can allow a person with a criminal record into Canada; however, approval cannot be guaranteed, and a processing fee must be paid.

Almost all convictions (including DUI, DWI, reckless driving, negligent driving, misdemeanour drug possession, all felonies, domestic violence (assault IV), shoplifting, theft, etc) make a person inadmissible to Canada, regardless of how long ago they occurred. For this reason, it is not recommended that persons with past convictions attempt to enter Canada without first obtaining necessary documents. It is always the final decision of officers at ports of entry to decide whether a person is allowed into Canada.
There are several ways individuals can overcome criminal inadmissibility:

deemed rehabilitation at a Canadian port of entry
approval of rehabilitation through a Canadian Consulate in the United States
temporary resident permit through a Canadian Consulate in the United States
ARE YOU DEEMED REHABILITATED?
Persons are eligible to apply for deemed rehabilitation at a port of entry if the following are true:

There was only one conviction in total or one criminal act
At least ten years have elapsed since all of the sentences for the conviction were completed (payment of all fees, jail time completed, restitution paid, etc.)
The conviction would not be considered serious criminality in Canada (most felony convictions in the United States are considered serious criminality in Canada)
The conviction did not involve any serious property damage, physical harm to any person, or any type of weapon
Deemed rehabilitation is determined at Canadian ports of entry. Please be advised that requesting deemed rehabilitation does not guarantee that the request will be approved. Should a person wish to be considered for deemed rehabilitation, the following documents may be brought to a port of entry during regular business hours (Monday - Friday between 8 am and 5 pm):

a completed application form
United States passport or birth certificate plus photo identification
a copy of court documents for each conviction, and proof that all sentences were completed
a recent FBI criminal record check
recent police certificates  from the state where the conviction(s) occurred and from any state where a person has lived for six(6) months or longer in the last 10 years
If you are not certain that you are deemed rehabilitated or would prefer to know whether you are criminally inadmissible before your planned trip to Canada, you may apply for rehabilitation at the office in Detroit and submit a non-refundable processing fee. If you meet the requirements for deemed rehabilitation, they will send you a letter to that effect. If you do not, they will process your application for approval of rehabilitation. You must apply well in advance of your trip as routine applications can take six months or more to process.

[Skipper]

Jump through a few more hoops to get into the great white north! HA!

Thank you for digging that up for us.

[Ice Dawg]

Canadians will need a passport to come into the states as of 06/01/2009, so we won't be the only ones jumping through hoops. Personally, I don't think the border with our friends to the north is the one we should be worried about. 

[TANK]

I have a friend that fishes with me in Canada. He recently got a misdemeanor. Will he be able to go to Canada without paying a fine as with a felony.

[Ice Dawg]

I have a friend that fishes with me in Canada. He recently got a misdemeanor. Will he be able to go to Canada without paying a fine as with a felony.

Almost all convictions (including DUI, DWI, reckless driving, negligent driving, misdemeanour drug possession, all felonies, domestic violence (assault IV), shoplifting, theft, etc) make a person inadmissible to Canada, regardless of how long ago they occurred. For this reason, it is not recommended that persons with past convictions attempt to enter Canada without first obtaining necessary documents. It is always the final decision of officers at ports of entry to decide whether a person is allowed into Canada

[bearsfan]

The radio up here mentioned that now you are required to have government issue id AND birth certificate     OR    passport.

[bearsfan]

Thanks Ice Dawg for the info