If you are in an event that crosses the U.S./Canadian border, and 16 years of age or older, you will need a passport, passport card or enhanced drivers license. U.S. and Canadian children under the age of 16 will be able to present the original or copy of their birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization or citizenship card.
All entries are submitted to the Bureau of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Canadian Border Services, for clearance before the race. ALL participants must show up in person at the Health & Fitness Expo, and present a passport or enhanced drivers license in order to pick up your race packet.
If you are not a citizen of the U.S. or Canada, other documentation may be needed.
Those participants running only on U.S. soil (Relay Legs 3-5 and the 5K) need only present photo identification when picking up their packets.
Helpful Links
Canadian border information and services for non-residents visiting, settling in or doing business with Canada: http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/noncan-eng.html
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website
http://www.cic.gc.ca/ provides complete information on admissibility to Canada.
For information on visiting Canada please refer to:
http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5082-eng.html
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/apply-who.asp
Criminal Inadmissibility
If you have committed or been convicted of a criminal offence, you may not be allowed to enter Canada. With few exceptions, people who have a criminal record are criminally inadmissible to Canada unless they have been determined to be rehabilitated after an assessment by a Canadian immigration officer.
Criminal offences include both minor and serious offences, such as theft, assault, manslaughter, dangerous driving and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. For a complete list of criminal offences in Canada, consult the Canadian Criminal Code.
If you were convicted of a crime when you were under the age of 18, you can probably still enter Canada.
Overcoming Criminal Inadmissibility
Depending on the nature of the offence, the time elapsed and your behavior since it was committed or since you were sentenced, you may no longer be considered inadmissible to Canada. You may be permitted to come to Canada if
- you are able to satisfy an border service officer that you meet the legal requirement to be deemed rehabilitated; or
- you have applied for rehabilitation and your application has been approved; or
- you have obtained a pardon; or
- you have obtained a temporary resident permit.
Deemed Rehabilitation
You may be deemed rehabilitated if you meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Depending on the nature of your offence, at least five years and as many as 10 years must have passed since you completed the sentence imposed for your crime. Deemed rehabilitation also depends on whether you have committed one or more offences. In all cases, you may only be deemed rehabilitated if the offence committed would be punishable in Canada by a maximum term of imprisonment of less than 10 years.
You are not required to submit an application to be deemed rehabilitated. However, before arriving at a port of entry, we strongly advise you to contact a Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate outside Canada to see if you qualify.
Individual Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation means that you lead a stable life and that you are unlikely to be involved in any further criminal activity.
If you want to come to Canada but you have committed or been convicted of a crime and you are not eligible for deemed rehabilitation, you must apply for rehabilitation to enter Canada. To apply for individual rehabilitation, at least five years must have passed since you completed all your criminal sentences. You must submit an application to the Canadian visa office in your area, pay a processing fee.
Please note: Applications for rehabilitation can take over a year to process, so make sure you plan for your visit far enough in advance.
Pardon or Discharge
If you have been convicted in Canada and wish to apply for a pardon, see the National Parole Board website. If you received a Canadian pardon for your conviction, you may be allowed to enter Canada.
If you received a pardon or a discharge for your conviction in a country other than Canada, check with the CIC office closest to you for more information.
Temporary Resident Permit
If less than five years have passed since the end of the criminal sentence, or if justified by compelling circumstances, foreign nationals who are inadmissible to Canada, including people who have a criminal conviction, may be issued temporary resident permits allowing them to enter or remain in Canada.
