I just can't get overly-dramatic about this...after all, the Canadian law enforcement has "access" to this info, from sea to shining sea. Canadian law enforcement are the ones uploading these details to the database. They have the ability to fix the problem, yet they choose not to so do.
I guess it's only a "privacy breach" if non-Canadian law enforcement has easy access to this stuff?
The Canadians aren't shy about denying access to Canada for Americans for "bullshit" reasons. They'll just as quickly deny a senior citizen in a wheelchair entry if they had a pot bust forty years ago or got arrested at a Vietnam demonstration.
What "shouldn't continue" is all this "bullshit exclusion." On both sides of the border. There should be agreed-upon guidelines that make sense, that are clear and simple, and don't rely on the good mood of the immigration authority at the entry point, or don't rely on the person wanting to get in having to be RICH, so they can hire a lawyer to get a waiver, or to pay for a temporary permit to circumvent the border-crossing bullshit.
http://www.independenttraveler.com/travel-tips/canada/canada-immigration-not-so-groovy
Boomers planning a trip to Canada had better revisit their memories. Let's say you got busted for smoking marijuana in college, which, at least in my time -- the 1960's and 1970's -- was almost as prevalent as that other national pastime. "Getting busted" for it was part of the game. But that bit of youthful indiscretion may come back to haunt you now, in a most surprising manner.
You are considered "unfit" to enter Canada. In the words of the Canadian government, you are "criminally inadmissible." This applies to anyone as well who has been convicted of a DUI, shoplifting, driving dangerously, simple assault ... or anything that can be considered a "misdemeanor" in the United States. It doesn't matter if it was 40-some-odd years ago. It doesn't matter if you've been going to Canada for the last 20 years with no problem. If you have a record, you won't get in now.
It isn't that the laws are any tougher than they have been over the last 40 years; it's the technology that's better.
Canadian immigration officers can plug into your history in the same way that local cops can. This is the result of a post-September 11 agreement between the U.S. and Canada, and it's been very effective.
Even more here:
http://www.ezbordercrossing.com/the-inspection-experience/prior-criminal-offenses/#.U0xXd_ldWSo
Entering Canada with a Temporary Resident Permit
Canada allows you to file for a “Temporary Resident Permit (TRP)” asking for admittance despite your conviction. This is how American athletes get into the country despite DUI’s or other offenses. About 10,000 TRP’s are granted every year and many are to people with less than stellar pasts.
You can file to obtain a TRP at a Canadian visa office or when you arrive at the border. The filing fee is around $200. A Canada Customs and Immigration officer will review the TRP and decide if you will be allowed to enter the country. The permit is then valid for up to one year.
The TRP can take up to 6 months for processing and a personal interview may be required. In theory, you can just head out on your trip and file for the TRP when you reach the border. However, given that the Canadian Customs and Immigration official has complete discretion as to whether to approve your deny your application you may be much better off filing it in advance......Your second option is to prove to Canada or the United States that you have been rehabilitated. This process is complex and it may be necessary to work with an experienced immigration lawyer. You should also expect that it will take at least 6 -12 months obtain the waiver and fees can run you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.....
Money talks...!
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