Please share your experience about Criminal Rehabilitation application in 2017

[Jen1984]

Hey all. Just got approved today. I applied may 1st 2019. Only thing i received after submitting my application was an acknowledgement that they received my app. Otherwise nothing till today when i checked my email.

so when you got approval was there any insight on how to cross the border the first time?

 

[kanon]

Would anyone be able to share any recent success stories on submitting criminal rehab application at the border? If so, which border was it?

I'll share my experience here. I recently became eligible to apply for criminal rehabilitation, and chose the border crossing route. I visited 3 somewhat large border crossing with immigration officers on hand, and all of them advised that they do not review criminal rehabilitation applications.

 

[Jen1984]

WOW, only 5 months, that is fantastic. Congratulations! And thanks so much for updating us, it actually lifts my spirits significantly to see that two fellow applicants were both approved through the NY office recently. My husband applied in August to the same VO (although 3 offenses probably makes things difficult) so we hope that is a good sign for him too. Enjoy your time in Canada!

we submitted my bfs deemed criminal Rehabilitation just over 300 days ago. Ugh

 

[Criminalman]

Would anyone be able to share any recent success stories on submitting criminal rehab application at the border? If so, which border was it?

I'll share my experience here. I recently became eligible to apply for criminal rehabilitation, and chose the border crossing route. I visited 3 somewhat large border crossing with immigration officers on hand, and all of them advised that they do not review criminal rehabilitation applications.

I tried to as well and was denied. They told me to mail it. Though i have read that people were successful at the border previously. So idk what to tell you

 

[seppen fridge]

Would anyone be able to share any recent success stories on submitting criminal rehab application at the border? If so, which border was it?

I'll share my experience here. I recently became eligible to apply for criminal rehabilitation, and chose the border crossing route. I visited 3 somewhat large border crossing with immigration officers on hand, and all of them advised that they do not review criminal rehabilitation applications.

Which border crossings did you try? There are a couple that are roughly 2.5 hours away from me that I could try but don't want to waste my time if they turned you down. The two are Port Huron and Detroit.

 

[carissa2019]

Hi everyone! I just just my approval letter yesterday! Yay!!! Here’s the timeline of how everything played out for me:
I drive with my fiancée from Minnesota to the border crossing in northeast Maine in June of 2019. I was informed that they wouldn’t let me into Canada because of my criminal history. I have previously travelled to Canada many times by air for work and to visit my fiancée so this was quite the surprise. It was 5 years since I was released from probation. I was able to get my criminal history expunged in August. I drove home alone and immediately hired a Canadian immigration lawyer based in St. John NB in early August to assist me in this process. She submitted an application for rehabilitation along with an application for a temporary resident permit (sadly, my fiancé’s father passed away in July so the TRP would allow me to visit for a short time for a memorial service in August).
She received confirmation that the application was received at the New York IRCC office on 8/15/2019 and they told her at that time that applications were taking 6-8 months to process. On 11/29/2019 I was asked to pay an additional $800 fee because my lawyer sent just $200 with the initial application. I paid that day and sent my lawyer confirmation of payment. Finally yesterday morning I received an email from my lawyer dated that day 3/2/2020 informing me that I am free to travel to Canada. It took 6 1/2 months for my application even though the last post updating timeframes on the NY IRCC Facebook page said that they are currently processing rehab applications received in April 2019.
I hope you all get good news soon! This thread was very helpful for me, thank you!

 

[Dman1977]

Hello all-

New to the forum. I figured I’d submit my experience so we can keep this blog going and keep up to date on timelines.

Sept 2012- DUI (.15 bac) WA state

Jan 15, 2013 - Sentencing Date- DUI reduced to Negligent Driving, 2 years unsupervised probation, 90 day drivers license suspension.

Jan 15, 2015 case closed and Negligent Driving conviction entered.

Jan 15, 2020- eligible for CR.

Jan 25, 2020- sent completed CR package to NY IRCC (Canadian consulate)

Feb 13, 2020- received e mailed confirmation that my package was received, given my application and UCI number, and told 6-12 months processing times.

Now the wait begins. I’m really hoping the current Covid19 scare doesn’t slow the process (Although I wonder if not as many people are traveling, not as many visas are being issued as usual, and perhaps there is more time to process CRs, thus shortening the wait).

I’ll keep all advised on the timeline and as I get info. I’ve been lurking in this site for a few years and you all have given me great advice, some hope that this process can work, and confirmed that I really don’t need an expensive lawyer to process my CR application.

 

[kkhopeful]

Hi everyone! I just just my approval letter yesterday! Yay!!! Here’s the timeline of how everything played out for me:
I drive with my fiancée from Minnesota to the border crossing in northeast Maine in June of 2019. I was informed that they wouldn’t let me into Canada because of my criminal history. I have previously travelled to Canada many times by air for work and to visit my fiancée so this was quite the surprise. It was 5 years since I was released from probation. I was able to get my criminal history expunged in August. I drove home alone and immediately hired a Canadian immigration lawyer based in St. John NB in early August to assist me in this process. She submitted an application for rehabilitation along with an application for a temporary resident permit (sadly, my fiancé’s father passed away in July so the TRP would allow me to visit for a short time for a memorial service in August).
She received confirmation that the application was received at the New York IRCC office on 8/15/2019 and they told her at that time that applications were taking 6-8 months to process. On 11/29/2019 I was asked to pay an additional $800 fee because my lawyer sent just $200 with the initial application. I paid that day and sent my lawyer confirmation of payment. Finally yesterday morning I received an email from my lawyer dated that day 3/2/2020 informing me that I am free to travel to Canada. It took 6 1/2 months for my application even though the last post updating timeframes on the NY IRCC Facebook page said that they are currently processing rehab applications received in April 2019.
I hope you all get good news soon! This thread was very helpful for me, thank you!

Congratulations!!! I really appreciate you sharing your experience. It's heartening to see that others are getting through. Enjoy your travels!

 

[StellaArtois]

Just added my husband's case to the tracker and am joining this thread now. Not sure how I never found it sooner; I've been searching for fellow CR applicants since there's not many of us!

I am a Canadian citizen living in Canada, and my husband is a US citizen living in the US. We've known each other since 2009, been married since June 2018. My husband's convictions are as follows:

Oct 1999 Marijuana Possession (less than 1g) - fined $650
Nov 2000 - Marijuana Possession (less than 1g), Possession of Weapon/Burglary Tool (baseball bat in car) - sentenced to jail 10 days
Nov 2003 Domestic Assault (put his hand on ex-wife's shoulder, no injury) - sentenced to jail 2 days
Jan 2004 Domestic Assault (hugged his ex-wife, no injury) -sentenced to jail 10 days, $100 fine, no unsupervised contact (divorce finalized April 2004)

As per our lawyer, we only paid the $200 for "criminality" (not serious), and she said if they want more money then they'll ask.

We mailed in both PR (outland family class, no dependents) and CR together, so it initially went to the Sydney VO in May 2019, but our case has since been moved to Mississauga, then to LA, then to NY (since LA stopped processing PR cases in October 2019).

We're not really sure when our CR application officially started being processed, since we haven't received any communications about the CR specifically, but we received a letter dated July 13, 2019 that our application package was received/opened on May 24, 2019.
The PR application has been moving along since then (detailed timeline in my signature), and is basically all done up to the eligibility and background check.
No word on CR yet, but from what I'm reading in this thread, if PR and CR are submitted together, they might not bother to send a letter for when CR specifically has been approved.

I see a few other cases in this thread that submitted CR at a similar time or after us who have received a decision. I guess ours is probably taking longer because of the number of charges, and because we submitted it with a PR application.

In any case, all the best to everyone!

 

[StellaArtois]

I just wasnt sure if there was a rule of the thumb say you have a certain amount of convictions which means you are barred from entering canada end of conversion you know?

I haven't heard anything about a certain number of convictions that will bar entry into Canada, but I sure hope it's not 4 because that's how many my husband has :x Did you end up submitting CR application?

 

[JDBCA]

Does anyone know if IMM 1444 E forms are currently being processed at the New York IRCC office? They have not posted a "Weekly Update" on their Facebook page in a few weeks which makes me curious if they have temporarily stopped due to COVID-19.

 

[seppen fridge]

I just sent my paperwork off to NYC this morning from Michigan. Hoping they're still doing these.

Earlier in a different thread I mentioned how I was having a hard time finding paperwork on an old, old case. I drove to the jurisdiction, 2 hours away, on March 12th and visited the probation office unannounced. I was able to get a letter from their chief probation officer stating that my probation expired after a year and I wasn't under their supervision, so I have complete paperwork for both of my convictions. I did that just in the nick of time, as basically life stopped in the US within the next week.

Tomorrow is my 5-year anniversary of the date of the letter that said I was done with probation from my second case, so they'll get it either tomorrow or Monday, and hoping for the best.

I added my case to the tracker.

 

[lalakin]

Hi, if the CR is approved, does it mean the PR application (PNP scheme) will not be affected by the previous criminal record?

 

[scylla]

Hi, if the CR is approved, does it mean the PR application (PNP scheme) will not be affected by the previous criminal record?

Yes - that's right.

 

[Devilsree]

Hi everyone.
I applied for PR on May 2019. My file was moved to NDVO after my eligibility was passed and officers remarks are these from the notes.

“PA has provided a UK PCC that lists several criminal charges and indicated that PA failed to appear for his sentence. There doesn’t appear to be any subsequent developments with regards to criminality in UK and file transferred to NDVO for further assessment of PA criminality

I have a small accident case in UK (happened in 2013), just a small hit in parking place which was not under DUI.
My UK PCC reflects the charges as
1) driving vehicle on road with our due care and attention.
2)failing to report accident
3)failing to give name and address
4)using vehicle when uninsured
5)driving otherwise than in accordance with a license.

I have never received any charges or notice to attend court when I was in UK and eventually I left the country as my visa was expiring and thereafter I have been to Aus.
I have written an LOE staying the factors that why I missed the court sentencing.

would I be needing a CR now? Or the officer ask for one or will it be going to a straight rejection under Criminal Inadmissability??