Pardons and Waivers – What’s the difference?
Pardons – also known as record suspensions – are applications submitted to the Parole Board of Canada (Canadian government) in order to seal criminal record from public view. Waivers, on the other hand, are applications made to the Department of Homeland Security (American Government) in order to allow someone deemed inadmissible to the United States to the cross the border.
Pardons and Waivers – What do I need?
It depends. Many people will need both a pardon and a waiver. Some will only need or want one or the other. If having a clear criminal record is your concern then you need a
pardon. If travelling across the border is your concern you may need a waiver. If you are unsure if you need a pardon or a waiver it is best to call and speak with a counsellor.
Pardons – How do I get one?
In order to obtain a pardon from the government of Canada you need to meet your eligibility requirements. Once you are eligible you need to process the application. You either do the paperwork on your own or you can hire the National Pardon Centre to prepare it for you.
If you want us to handle it there is of a service fee. However, even if you do the paperwork on your own there are costs. Fingerprinting, court documents, police reports, etc all cost money to obtain fro the appropriate government agencies. And if you do the application incorrectly you may end up losing all of the time and money you already spent. In other words, unless you are exceptionally good at wading through government bureaucracy it is recommended to hire a professional.
Waivers – How do I get one?
A waiver must be obtained from the Department of Homeland Security. There is no eligibility requirement to meet as there is with pardons. However, the general rule is that the more time has gone by and the less severe your criminal record is the better your chance at being given permission to cross the border.
That being we have processed successful applications for waivers for people with fairly large criminal records from the recent past. If you are unsure of your chances of getting a waiver granted please call the National Pardon Centre and speak with a counsellor. We will give you an honest evaluation of what we think your chances are of being granted your waiver.
Pardons and Waivers – What to look out for!
I get a little tired of saying this but please be careful when researching pardon and waiver services. A lot of the companies you will find online are only a website and phone number and they are not very interested in providing you the level of service you deserve. You need to inform yourself.
- Ask for the TOTAL cost up front. And don’t accept the initial response. Insist on knowing all the costs.
- Ask where the paperwork is processed and who is responsible for doing it. Many companies will take your money and then insist you do the running around. This is obviously not what you want to pay for.
- Ask if you can visit their office in person. If the address on the website is not a real location that’s probably a bad sign.
- Ask who the owner of the company is.
- Ask if they are BBB members and what their rating is.
It’s important that you educate yourself if you are hiring a company that processes pardons and waivers. The old adage applies here; Buyers beware!
Pardons and Waivers – Want to get started?
If you are interested in pardons and waivers then please consider the National Pardon Centre for your application processing needs. We operate two walk in centres that you can visit in person. We have our RCMP accreditation and are one of only 5 Direct Connect clients in Canada. WE have an A+ rating with the BBB. And if you add up the actual cost involved in a waiver application you will find that our fees are among the most cost effective in the industry.
With the National Pardon Centre you know what you are getting into. We can’t promise you the outcome you want but then again, nobody can. What we can do is provide the information you need to make an informed decision. And we can process your paperwork efficiently and without unnecessary delays.
Any questions about pardons and waivers? No problem. Just give me a call. I’m the Director here and my direct line is below.
Michael Ashby
514.842.2411 x 227
mashby@nationalpardon.org