Yes, you can go to Canada with a felony — but you need the right paperwork first. Our immigration lawyers find the fastest, strongest path to approval so you cross the border with confidence, not anxiety.
HOW IT WORKS
We review your felony conviction — the charge, the date, the sentence completion — and determine the equivalent offence under Canadian law. From there, we confirm whether you're inadmissible and identify the strongest pathway for your situation.
Our lawyers assist with the preparation of your application — whether it's a TRP, Criminal Rehabilitation, or a Legal Opinion Letter — which includes collection of all required documents and a tailored legal submission designed to maximize your chances of approval and avoid costly delays or refusals.
Once approved, you can travel to Canada — for work, family, a cruise, or pleasure — without the anxiety of being turned away at the border. No more explaining your record to officers at the port of entry.
YOUR OPTIONS
Canada doesn't issue a "felony waiver" — but there are three proven legal pathways that clear you for entry. The right one depends on when your conviction occurred, whether your sentence is complete, and how often you plan to travel.
Best if you need to travel soon
A TRP is the fastest path into Canada. It authorizes entry for a specific purpose and period, even if you remain criminally inadmissible.
Best if you travel often — permanent fix
Criminal Rehabilitation permanently clears your inadmissibility. Once approved, you can cross the Canadian border for life without needing a permit for every trip.
Best for pending charges, expunged or pardoned records
A Legal Opinion Letter is a lawyer-prepared document that explains your situation to border officers, reducing the risk of refusal without requiring a formal application.
Any foreign offence committed outside Canada — including a U.S. felony — can make you criminally inadmissible if it has a Canadian legal equivalent. Most U.S. felonies have Canadian equivalents classified as indictable or hybrid offences, which means a single felony conviction is usually enough to trigger refusal at the border.
Canadian immigration law doesn't use the terms "felony" or "misdemeanor." Instead, offences are classified as summary, indictable, or hybrid. For immigration purposes, hybrid offences are always treated as indictable — which is why even a U.S. misdemeanor or a reduced felony can still make you inadmissible under Canadian law.
The good news: nearly every felony case has a legal path forward. The key is choosing the right one and preparing a submission strong enough to win approval the first time.
CANADIAN LAW
Canada categorizes criminal offences into three types. For immigration purposes, the classification of your U.S. felony's Canadian equivalent determines whether you are inadmissible — and which solution you'll need.
Less serious offences, punishable by a maximum of two years in jail. A single summary offence generally will not make you inadmissible to Canada.
Similar to a felony in the United States. Serious crimes punishable by up to life imprisonment in Canada. A single indictable offence — including most U.S. felony equivalents — can make you inadmissible.
Can be prosecuted as either summary or indictable. However, for immigration purposes, hybrid offences are always treated as indictable — which is why even reduced or misdemeanor charges can still trigger inadmissibility.
Drug offences (trafficking, possession, cultivation), fraud (identity theft, embezzlement, wire fraud, grand theft, forgery), assault and battery, and impaired driving (DUI, DWI, OWI, DWAI) all commonly translate to indictable Canadian offences.
With over 23 years of experience, Canadim is one of Canada's leading immigration law firms. Our dedicated legal team has helped thousands of individuals with felony convictions overcome criminal inadmissibility and cross the Canadian border — including complex cases involving drug offences, fraud, assault, repeat convictions, and pending charges.
We prepare every felony case with the rigour it deserves. After a thorough review of your record and travel goals, we build a strategic, personalized submission designed to maximize your chances of approval and avoid the delays, refusals, or border embarrassment that come with a weak or incomplete application.
"Canadim is a great law firm consisting of an organized, helpful and professional team. They take their time to check all details of your case with you and will give you the best options to achieve your objectives. You will have constant communications with them, while reviewing your documents, which helps creating a flawless application. I had the opportunity to work with Jasmine, a very nice and professional member of the team, who was always available to answer my questions during the process. I would recommend this firm to anyone, without a doubt. I would like to thank Canadim, and specifically Jasmine, for all their support."
"First of all, I want to thank Canadim for all the help you have done to me. All their staff are very accommodating and approachable. They are patient and always answer all my questions and guided me step by step whenever I have problems or don't know what to do. They are always there to help throughout the processing. Thank you all for your tremendous help. I'm so grateful and thankful! I highly recommend Canadim. You're the best! God bless you always and may you continue helping people."
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, but not without the proper paperwork. A felony conviction usually makes you criminally inadmissible to Canada because most U.S. felonies have Canadian equivalents classified as indictable or hybrid offences. Attempting to cross without a TRP, Criminal Rehabilitation, or a Legal Opinion Letter almost always results in refusal at the border.
The United States and Canada share criminal history information for immigration screening. When you present your passport, CBSA officers can access U.S. criminal databases — including the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) — and review your full record in real time. Even older or sealed records can be visible.
No — Canada does not issue a "waiver." The term is used informally in the U.S. but has no legal meaning in Canadian immigration law. The three official solutions are a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP), Criminal Rehabilitation, or a Legal Opinion Letter. Each serves a different situation, and our lawyers will identify the right one for your case.
Not safely, unless you have pre-approval. If you arrive at a land border with a felony on record and no supporting documentation, CBSA officers will assess your admissibility and most often refuse entry. For urgent trips, a Temporary Resident Permit can sometimes be obtained at the port of entry — but approval is discretionary and is rarely granted for discretionary travel like vacation.
Not without proper documentation. Most Alaska cruises from the U.S. dock in British Columbia, and even a brief stop requires clearing Canadian admissibility. The same applies to driving through Canada to Alaska, or to a flight layover. If you're found inadmissible, you may be refused boarding, removed from the ship, or sent back at your own expense — with no refund from the cruise line.
A U.S. expungement or pardon does not automatically clear your Canadian inadmissibility. CBSA officers can still see expunged and sealed records, and they make the final call based on Canadian law — not U.S. law. Carry all supporting court documents, and for important travel, obtain a Legal Opinion Letter to explain your situation to the border officer and reduce the risk of refusal.
It depends on which application you pursue. For a TRP, you can apply at any time — even before five years have passed — as long as you can demonstrate a valid reason for the need to travel. For Criminal Rehabilitation, you must wait at least five years from the date you completed your most recent sentence, including any jail time, probation, fines, and community service.
A pending charge without a conviction technically doesn't make you inadmissible — but the CBSA officer has full discretion and can still refuse you. A well-prepared Legal Opinion Letter explaining the status of your case and the low risk of conviction can make a meaningful difference at the border.
Generally, no. Deemed rehabilitation is only available for a single non-serious offence (punishable by less than 10 years in Canada) after 10 years have passed since sentence completion. Most felonies translate to serious criminality under Canadian law, which means Criminal Rehabilitation or a TRP is required.
It's not legally required, but felony applications involve complex legal analysis — identifying the equivalent Canadian offence, documenting rehabilitation, and assembling a complete evidentiary package. Small errors or missing documents commonly cause delays or refusals — and in some cases, misrepresentation can lead to a permanent ban from Canada. An experienced immigration lawyer improves the quality of your application and your chances of approval.
Have a felony and need to enter Canada? Our legal team will carefully assess your situation and recommend the strongest path to approval — whether that's a TRP, Criminal Rehabilitation, or a Legal Opinion Letter.
Schedule a free confidential consultation — same business day response.