Are you admissible or inadmissible to enter Canada? Some people aren’t allowed to come to Canada. They’re “inadmissible” under Canada’s immigration law. Meaning, they are not allowed to enter the country. All individuals entering Canada must have the appropriate documentation to prove that they are admissible and eligible to enter Canada as a visitor, worker, student or permanent resident. A document is required, such as a valid passport or a NEXUS card if you are a U.S. citizen and an official document issued by the government of Canada, namely one of the following:

• Permanent resident card
• visitor record
• work permit
• study permit
• Temporary resident permit (TRP)

It is worth noting, you will not be issued a visitor record, TRP, work or study permit past the expiry date of your passport. So be sure its expiry date is beyond the need to be in Canada.

In addition to being eligible to come to Canada, you must illustrate that you do not pose a threat to the safety and security of Canadians and the country. This is determined upon entering the country during a port-of-entry examination. A Canadian Border Officer, will ask for your passport and question your desire to come to Canada. With this said, if you are not a Canadian citizen you must prove you’re admissible before allowed to enter the country. Admissible means you are eligible and allowed to enter Canada.  Inadmissibility can arise from various reasons, such as having a history of unlawful incidences, health and financial issues.

Criminal Inadmissibility

An example of criminal inadmissibility may be form of an arrest or conviction, such as having been convicted of driving under the influence. A DUI may render you inadmissible for serious criminality temporarily or permanently. There are provisions within the immigration system that allow individuals to overcome their inadmissibility. We will discuss how to overcome inadmissibility another time or contact me, if you believe you may be inadmissible and need to come to Canada.

Medical Inadmissibility

With regards to medical inadmissibility, some workers and students must undergo a medical examination before coming to Canada. Generally, you don’t need a medical examination for temporary status in Canada. Unless, if you lived in certain countries for at least 6 months in a row within the last year. Click here to see those countries.

You would not be allowed to work or study in Canada if found to have a health issue that would affect the security of Canadians. An example is, active tuberculosis. Active TB is a medical condition that may render you inadmissible to come to Canada, until it is no longer infectious.

Another good example of medical inadmissibility is the notorious Covid-19. It caused disruptions throughout the Canadian immigration system. Certain legislations were put into place to minimize the impact of Covid-19 on Canadians. Most foreign nationals were medically inadmissible to come to Canada as Covid began to spread.

If you come to Canada to work in certain health related job, where public health must be protected, a medical exam is required before the work permit is issued.

Financial admissibility

Financial admissibility refers to having sufficient funds to support yourself and accompanying family members during your stay in Canada. If coming to Canada as a visitor, you must show that you have enough money to travel around during your visit, pay for accommodations, cover all your expenses and return trip back to your home country. Otherwise, you may be financially inadmissible. Following are a few documents that can be used as evidence of financial ability: Bank statements, pay stubs, letter (s) of employment providing the name of your employer, your job title, the date employment commenced and annual earnings. If the accommodations involves staying at someone’s home, a letter of invitation from the host with evidence of their annual income is required, such as a notice of assessment issued to them after filing their yearly tax report.

Ultimately, if you do not have any of the aforementioned inadmissibility issues you still may not be eligible to come to Canada under any status.  If you are questioning on whether you are admissible or inadmissible to enter the country, contact me for an assessment prior to travelling.