Worried about getting into Canada

bumbershoot

DIS Veteran

Joined

Mar 5, 2007

• May 22, 2015

• #61

EastYorkDisneyFan said:

Skip taking to DCL and your TA and call the nerest Canadain Counslete to you

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YES.

Disney CMs...minimum wage call center employees. TAs...don't know how much they make but they aren't experts in this sort of thing.

Call the experts.

 

lanejudy

Moderator

Moderator

Joined

Oct 27, 2011

• May 22, 2015

• #62

Lando1 said:

Hopefully I'm not being overly optimistic but he completed his sentencing requirements over 10 years ago so he should be "deemed rehabilitated".

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While is sounds like a technicality -- his current status makes him ELIGIBLE to be deemed rehabilitated, but until he files the paperwork and has that declaration in-hand he is NOT CURRENTLY deemed rehabilitated. It has to be official. That's not necessarily a decision that can be made by any joe schmo working Customs on any given day -- the supervisors can make a determination to allow entry at that time, but the risk of being stopped remains even on future visits. To truly have it resolved, he must file the paperwork and get the official declaration. I honestly don't know that you can officially file on the day of entry and have an immediate resolution. Even if they allow him entry at that point, you may still be stopped again post-cruise when you re-enter the country.

Lando1 said:

Our TA had no idea about any of this and she called DCL (didn't give them our names) and apparently the rep she spoke with hadn't heard of this being an issue before. He certainly didn't indicate to her that Disney might not let us board even though we made it through the border.

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If your TA hasn't come across a client who had the same issue as you it's not surprising she is unaware of the laws. DCL phone reps are not Customs & Immigration officials, they cannot make any determination for you and in fact may not even give the correct advice as to whether a passport is required. Unfortunately DCL phone reps are not always accurate. Whether to allow boarding is not necessarily DCL's decision -- they must abide by local immigration laws and if they are aware of any issue with eligibility to enter/re-enter a country they must deny boarding. There are at least 4 check-points where he could have an issue (at any or all) -- entering Canada from the U.S., before boarding the ship, when debarking the ship, leaving Canada to re-enter the U.S.

I'm so sorry you weren't aware of this until so close to your cruise. I do suggest he at least start the paperwork required rather than trying to "wait and see." It can go a long way towards showing intent to resolve the situation.

 

Micca

SAHG: Stay At Home Grandfather

Joined

Dec 5, 2000

• Jun 16, 2015

• #63

So, how'd it work out? Hope you had a great trip.

 

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divabydisney

Mouseketeer

Joined

Apr 5, 2011

• Jun 17, 2015

• #64

Im curious too!

 

PrincessShmoo

DIS veteran

Joined

Feb 12, 2009

• Jun 17, 2015

• #65

Micca said:

So, how'd it work out? Hope you had a great trip.

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divabydisney said:

Im curious too!

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By my calculations, I believe OP is currently on the ship (if they made it). Since they posted on the 19th of May "We live in Colorado and board the ship 27 days from now." So I think they're not due back to Vancouver until the 22nd.

 

DisCatGirl

Mouseketeer

Joined

Feb 19, 2015

• Jun 17, 2015

• #66

Lando1 said:

Thanks for the reassuring info wfdiaff. I'm still going to be a nervous wreck for the next month but I feel a little better now. Hopefully we can waltz on through! We were also thinking about using Chilkoot tours in Skagway to take the White Pass Train past the Canadian border...does anyone know if they scan passports on this tour? If so, we will just figure out another tour to go on...I feel like the more we "push our luck", the more likely we are to run into trouble.

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I did this tour. We had to bring our passports because the train crosses the border very briefly and for a very short distance. The tour guide was VERY clear - no one was allowed to step off the train for any reason. There was actually a mother bear and two cubs in the field. We wanted to get off for pictures and were not allowed.

Just my experience.

 

MelSpees

DIS Veteran

Joined

Apr 18, 2013

• Jun 17, 2015

• #67

DisCatGirl said:

I did this tour. We had to bring our passports because the train crosses the border very briefly and for a very short distance. The tour guide was VERY clear - no one was allowed to step off the train for any reason. There was actually a mother bear and two cubs in the field. We wanted to get off for pictures and were not allowed.

Just my experience.

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You shouldn't be getting out anywhere remotely near a bear, especially with cubs. That may be another reason no-one was allowed off.

 

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Toddymae

Earning My Ears, again and again

Joined

Jul 11, 2007

• Jun 19, 2015

• #68

WOW! We took an DCL Alaskian Cruise 5 years ago and have a reservation for 2016. My son has felony conviction and 2 reckless driving on his record. He wasn't stopped going in or coming out. Now that I know this about Canada I'll have to have a talk with him about going again.

 

professorandmom

My favorite girls!

Joined

Apr 25, 2002

• Jun 23, 2015

• #69

bumping so perhaps OP can give us an update...the family has been on my mind...hope their trip was wonderful and uneventful

 

Lando1

Earning My Ears

Joined

May 19, 2015

• Jun 23, 2015

• #70

Hi everyone! Made it back yesterday and we had a fabulous time. On our Amtrak trip from Seattle to Vancouver, we were mentally preparing ourselves for getting denied but we ended up having the easiest border crossing ever. Our passports were scanned and the border agent didn't even wrinkle his forehead when he checked my husband's passport. He asked why we were traveling to Canada and where we were staying and wished us a great trip. We didn't even get our passports scanned disembarking at Canada Place...a border agent just looked over our declaration form. No issues on our White Pass Railway tour with Chilkoot Charters as well. Now with all that being said, I would still make sure to apply for rehabilitation if we ever had that much money on a trip again. I did read several horror stories that kept me from sleeping over the last month...it appears that if you run into the wrong border agent, you could be out of luck. Thanks for all the input; if any of you guys have a Alaskan cruise planned, you'll love it!

 

Micca

SAHG: Stay At Home Grandfather

Joined

Dec 5, 2000

• Jun 23, 2015

• #71

Thanks for the update, glad your trip was great!

 

aprincessatlast

DIS Veteran

Joined

May 1, 2012

• Jun 23, 2015

• #72

wow I can see how that would cause a month of sleepless nights.

Side note: I can't believe this thread caused me to waste 20 minutes trying to figure out how on earth Justin Bieber is able to get back into the US.

 

EastYorkDisneyFan

DIS Veteran

Joined

Sep 14, 2006

• Jun 23, 2015

• #73

aprincessatlast said:

wow I can see how that would cause a month of sleepless nights.

Side note: I can't believe this thread caused me to waste 20 minutes trying to figure out how on earth Justin Bieber is able to get back into the US.

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I think Splash from Guns and roses has a worse record and is actuary on permit parole and is basically handed from police fore to police fore. At least that's what I herd someone say they herd from the local Police force when they performed at an arena I was working at the time.

 

bumbershoot

DIS Veteran

Joined

Mar 5, 2007

• Jun 24, 2015

• #74

Lando1 said:

Now with all that being said, I would still make sure to apply for rehabilitation if we ever had that much money on a trip again.

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Do it anyway, just to be sure.

 

momof2n2

DIS Veteran

Joined

Aug 12, 2007

• Jun 24, 2015

• #75

Glad it worked out!!!