There are four primary ways for individuals with a past DUI conviction to enter Canada:

1. Temporary Resident Permit (Consulate)
This permit enables temporary admissibility to Canada. Individuals whose most recent DUI occurred less than five years ago may qualify for a TRP, which is processed at Canadian Visa Offices.

2. Temporary Resident Permit (Port of Entry)
In urgent situations, a TRP can be issued at a Canadian port of entry, such as airports or border crossings staffed by Canadian immigration officials.

3. Criminal Rehabilitation
This process allows individuals to permanently resolve their inadmissibility issues. Those who completed their sentencing more than five years ago may be eligible for Criminal Rehabilitation.

4. Deemed Rehabilitation
If an individual received a single DUI conviction prior to 2018, and more than ten years have passed since completing their sentence, they may be eligible to enter Canada without undergoing the rehabilitation process.

Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)

Under Five Years Since Completion of DUI Sentence
If it has been less than five years since completing the DUI sentence, the individual must apply for a TRP to enter Canada legally. This temporary waiver allows individuals who are otherwise inadmissible to enter the country for up to three years.

To be granted a TRP, applicants must provide a valid reason for their visit, and immigration authorities must not perceive them as a threat to Canadian society. Given the subjective nature of this assessment, it’s crucial to submit a well-prepared and compelling TRP application.

More than Five Years but Less than Ten Years Since Completion of DUI Sentence
If it has been over five years but less than ten since the completion of the sentence, individuals may apply for Criminal Rehabilitation. If approved, they will have a clean slate, allowing them to enter and exit Canada freely, provided they don’t commit further offences and comply with visa requirements.

To qualify for Criminal Rehabilitation, applicants must demonstrate that they have positively changed since their conviction and are unlikely to reoffend. Approval is based on immigration authorities’ subjective assessment, making it essential to prepare an application that aligns with their expectations for a rehabilitated individual.Ten Years or More Since Completion of DUI Sentence
If ten years or more have passed since completing the sentence, individuals could be deemed rehabilitated due to the passage of time and may be admitted to Canada. This is applicable only to those with a single, non-serious conviction.

However, challenges can still arise in this scenario, as border officials have significant discretion in their duties and may refuse entry even if the individual is deemed rehabilitated.

To navigate this potential issue, obtaining a legal opinion letter from an experienced Canadian immigration attorney can be beneficial.