An Australian citizen and a United States citizen who came to Canada for a second honeymoon have been kept apart by both of them bring denied entry – the Australian wife is currently being denied entry to the United States because her visa expired a few weeks ago, and her husband has old arrests that are preventing him from returning to Canada – where his wife is currently staying in an Ontario hotel.
The couple visited Niagara Falls in Ontario around Christmas, and after their holiday they tried to return to the United States. But the wife’s United States visitor visa had expired. They were unclear on the immigration law – while her visitor visa was for 90 days, they assumed that they would be able to renew it when they re-entered the country as they had started her permanent resident paperwork.
So instead, they drove to Windsor where the couple could stay in a hotel, and then the husband could visit Chicago to get the visa issue straightened out. But after returning from Chicago, the husband was denied entry to Canada for two old arrests – a weapons charge as a teenager and a mischief charge.
While people are denied entry to Canada and denied entry to the United States every day for criminal records and immigration issues, this case emphasizes how inconvenient, expensive and frustrating this situation can really be. The couple has had to spend thousands of dollars on food and accommodations while they are unable to reunite – border crossings can be difficult if you have a criminal record or immigration issue, and to avoid situations like this you need to speak with a licensed immigration lawyer BEFORE you travel.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
