ETA APPLICATION YET TO BE APPROVED - SUBMITTED WITH POLICE CERTIFICATE April 21s

[chloesam2930]

My partner, daughter and I are booked on a flight to Toronto on july 13th 2016. flights were booked in December 2015 and we were not aware of ETA requirement. My daughter's and my ETA was approved within a few minutes. My partner declared a criminal record and therefore we had to submit a police certificate straight away. Despite me sending numerous case specific enquiries, expressing our distress, due to the lack of decision on his ETA; The reply emails from immigration are always the same- "in progress". We are due to travel in 18 days time and still no decision. what makes it worse, I cannot seem to be able to speak to an actual person about the application. I am at my wits end, just don't know what to do next. The conviction was in 1999, we don't know why it is taking so long, they have not asked for any further information. Does anyone have any similar experience or any suggestions on how to get some answers. I have to tell my daughter we may not be able to travel. we were going to Canada because my son is on a rugby tour with his school. Any ideas/solutions greatly received. I'm at breaking point !!

 

[scylla]

There's really nothing you can do but wait.

What was the conviction for? What was the penalty / fine and when did he complete or pay that?

 

[chloesam2930]

It was a grevious bodily harm charge - custodial sentence and served 10weeks in 1999

 

[originalsauce]

i was in a similar position, i had to contact them through this part of the CIC website:
cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp

they then come back to me after 3-4 days advising i was not eligible for a ETA due a criminal record... so would defo contact them asap.

 

[carobbermuda]

My husband had a conviction in the US - his sentence ended in 1982. We applied for and received a Criminal Rehabilitation Certificate from Canada some years ago as we were applying for permanent residency (no luck yet). At the end of May he applied for an ETA and gave his certificate number but a month and a half later, the application is still in progress. I checked on it after a month, via the online form, and we received an answer saying they are still processing it and to wait and to not fly to Canada until we do.

I came on here to find out if anybody knew about how long they were taking with this. If my husband has already been previously cleared, has travelled to Canada many times since as we have children in University there, and now they are taking this long to give him an ETA...I am not feeling good about this.

I'm interested in everyone else's experience.
Thanks

 

[notacrook]

Yeah, I applied for an eTA.

Usually the question includes clauses like "...in the last 5 years?" or "...that led to a conviction?" or "...for a crime of serious damage to property, or drugs related charges?" etc...

I was arrested simply to enter a police station and confess to some damage to property back in 2007. I was even charged based on that but I was *not* convicted in the end.
Even still, it's impossible to enter Canada by air at this present time without a full national police check going back till I was 18 in every state I've ever lived in, AND a court transcript! I mean, yeah, ok, I stuffed up at one point in my life 10 years ago... But now I'm still being treated like the worst criminal on earth.

I am sure that if I was to submit all the documents they have requested it would be no problem. The problem is that my plane was supposed to leave in 12 days and processing a national police check takes 20 days.

With no other alternative to plead my case I will probably have to cancel my travel plans (a one week holiday to visit a friend!).

Absolutely insane. You can get arrested for any number of things like defending trees, or even unpaid parking fines! All things considered, though, Canada must be the safest place on earth...

 

[notacrook]

Actually, no, I have something else to add...

On top of all of this, my charge 10 years ago was dropped partially because I was actually found to have been suffering acute PTSD at the time. Being forced to dig up all of those emotions I had long since dealt with, being forced to seek a police check etc, that has really brought all of that terrible time back to me...

So no, I will not sail quietly into the night. For all the people who found themselves in unfortunate circumstances, for those who suffered additional stress and punishment being treated like a criminal long after the issue had been resolved, and for all those who have been rebuffed because of this overbearing, highly invasive policy: F-YOU, CANADA.