Calgary · Pardons
Waivers & Record Suspensions
Life After Conviction
Record Suspension (Pardons) And U.S. Waivers
Any criminal conviction has the potential to negatively affect your life long after the trial is over. It may affect your ability to get a job, volunteer, be around family or travel. However, for most people, a conviction is not supposed to be a life sentence.
My name is Rick Muenz, a Calgary criminal defence lawyer. My firm, Muenz Law Office, works closely with The Pardon Group; an association that specifically provides support and guidance for obtaining record suspensions in Calgary. Together, we will help you in your pursuit to avoid the long-term consequences of a criminal conviction.
How we defend it
Record Suspensions and U.S. Waivers
Together, The Pardon Group and Muenz Law Office have helped hundreds of people leave behind the stigma and obstacles posed by their criminal records. Our main collaborative services involve:
Record Suspensions
Formerly known as a pardon, a record suspension seals your record from the public. This can be invaluable for many purposes, including getting a job and volunteering.
U.S. Waivers
In order to be allowed into the United States when you have a conviction, you must get a waiver. Otherwise you risk being turned back if your conviction is discovered at the border.
We Address Every Concern You Have
We answer a number of questions from clients unsure about how the law applies to them, such as:
When will I be eligible for a record suspension for this charge?
- Do I need a lawyer to represent me when getting a record suspension?
- If I get a record suspension, do I have to tell a potential employer that I once had a conviction?
- What if I’m on the sex offender registry? Will that affect my chances for a record suspension?
- If my crime was minor shoplifting, should I tell the American authorities before trying to cross the border?
- If I told the American authorities about my conviction a few years ago, but have since been pardoned, do I still have to get a waiver?
- What if I’m travelling to another country and have a conviction on my record? Do I need a waiver?
Contact Muenz Law Office
For information about record suspensions and travel waivers, contact our Calgary criminal defence lawyers
Frequently asked
Questions we hear most.
Not every Canadian conviction makes a person inadmissible to the United States. Whether a waiver is required depends on the offence, the sentence, the number of convictions and any previous dealings with U.S. border authorities.
If you are inadmissible, an approved Form I-192 waiver can permit temporary travel to the United States despite that inadmissibility. The record and immigration history should be reviewed before applying or attempting to cross the border.
Not necessarily. A Canadian record suspension does not guarantee entry into the United States. American border authorities apply U.S. law and may retain information obtained before the record suspension was granted.
If the United States has determined that you are inadmissible, a record suspension alone will not normally change that decision. You may require a U.S. waiver.
You must first complete every part of your sentence, including probation, imprisonment and payment of all fines and restitution.
For offences committed on or after March 13, 2012, the waiting period is generally:
- Five years for a summary conviction; or
- Ten years for an indictable conviction.
Different waiting periods may apply to older offences. Eligibility also depends on the type and number of convictions.
A record suspension keeps a Canadian criminal record separate from other criminal records. This usually prevents it from appearing on an ordinary criminal record check.
It does not erase the conviction, and certain organizations may still obtain access in limited circumstances. A record suspension can also be revoked if the person is later convicted of another offence or was not eligible when it was granted.
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