Canada has long had laws that deny visitor's entrance to Canada if they have ever been convicted of a criminal offense. In the past, it was the responsibility of the prospective Canada visitor to tell Canadian Border officials about and if you forgot to mention that little shoplifting mishap or DWI conviction, it was unlikely that they would catch you.

That has changed. The Canadian government has started sharing criminal databases with U.S. Federal law enforcement under a program called "Smart Borders".

Criminal actions that are covered under the Canadian laws include but are not limited to 1) a minor offense (including shoplifting, theft, assault, possession of an illegal substance, etc.); 2) an indictable criminal offense (including assault with a deadly weapon, manslaughter; etc.), or 3) Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

You can get a clearance to travel to Canada in advance of travel by making an application for a Minister's Approval of Rehabilitation. The process becomes longer and more complicated based on the seriousness of the crimes involved and can take up to six months for serious felonies. One DWI prior to 10 years ago can be approved at the border, but clearly, making an application at the border is not the best way to be sure that your trip to Canada will go as planned.

Current information about this law and how to make an exemption application can be found on Canada's website.