Why would a DWI bar a driver from entering Canada?
In general, people are considered to be inadmissible to Canada due to past criminal activity if they were convicted of an offense in Canada or were convicted of an offense outside of Canada that is considered a CRIME in Canada, including a DWI conviction in the U.S. A DWI conviction in the U.S. makes it illegal for anyone to cross the border into Canada for any reason. • What about Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol? That’s not a crime in New York. Although Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol is not a crime in New York State, there is no similar non-criminal provision under the laws of Ontario. As a result, for purposes of gaining entry to Canada from New York State, Driving While Ability Impaired by Alcohol is also considered a crime and may bar entry. • How would Canadian officials know about my conviction? Canadian border authorities have access to the United States’ National Criminal Index at the border. While they do not choose to check this information for every indi
