By Ediliza Sindayen
Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans, February 3, 2013. An epic matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens, with a half time show featuring a reunion by Destiny’s Child. Myles Wilkinson, a Vancouver Island man who beat out millions of competitors to win a fantasy football leagues grand prize of tickets to Super Bowl XLVII, should have been there to experience the once-in-a-lifetime event. However, due to a past criminal conviction, Mr. Wilkinson was denied entry to the US and had to miss the Super Bowl. Myles Wilkinson was convicted of possession of marijuana in 1981 and promptly paid the $50 fine to which he was sentenced. Unfortunately, Mr. Wilkinson still paid the price for this conviction 32 years later. Instead of experiencing the Super Bowl live, Mr. Wilkinson had to settle for the consolation prize: entrance to a private Super Bowl watch party at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver.
How Often Does this Happen?
While it may seem like this situation is unique, it is not. There are many Canadians that experience being denied entry to the US on a daily basis due to past criminal convictions when trying to cross the border from Canada to the USA. The United States is not a country to which you can travel with a criminal record, and Canadian citizens with criminal records are discouraged from traveling to the US until they receive a Record Suspension (formerly known as a Pardon). With a Record Suspension, the United States will be unable to look up your previous criminal record, and will therefore have no cause to deny you entry.
If the United States does somehow learn of your record however, such as by having attempting to cross prior to obtaining your Record Suspension, a Canadian citizen may still be denied entry to the US. In this situation a Canadian with a criminal record must apply for a US Entry Waiver if they want to travel to the US in the future. Due to more stringent border crossing regulations, more Canadian citizens with criminal convictions (or in some cases merely charges for which they were not convicted) are being denied entry to the US.
If you have a drug-related (or any other) offence in Canada, we encourage you to contact our offices to discuss the possibility of obtaining a Record Suspension (formerly known as a Pardon) and/or if you have ever been denied entry to the US to discuss the possibility of obtaining a US Entry Waiver.
Read the Story
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2013/02/03/bc-superbowl-fan-denied-us-entry.html