Originally Posted by mileena

I feel no compassion for the OP's friend. He should have known better. We are all responsible for learning the other country's immigration laws before visiting. He's lucky he was not arrested and held in a jail cell for breaking the law in Canada--it is illegal to enter with a criminal record without getting a visa or certificate of rehabilitation first. Everyone knows this. It's also illegal to enter if you have charges pending (you have a trial upcoming) or have an active warrant for your arrest. BTW, DUI is considered a felony in Canada.

Canadian Immigration has direct access to the FBI's NCIC database, which shows your criminal record (all arrests and convictions, but only if you were fingerprinted for them), and any national arrest warrants (all felonies and violent misdemeanors which warrant extradition between the states). All they have to do is scan your passport. Not all people are checked though.

And it's not just a Canadian thing. The US has the same rules for those entering from Canada and is even more strict as they don't recognize pardons granted by Canada. So those with no Canadian criminal record can be denied entry into the US if they were pardoned by Canada, as the US still retains the older records.

You are technically not even allowed to cruise to or through Canada from the US with a criminal record.

The only recourse is to ask the companies/hotels for a refund or other credit/exchange directly. Any traveler's insurance claim will most likely be denied since the traveler is responsible for knowing the laws and not breaking them. You can try to file a chargeback with the credit card, but it will likely be denied. It is not up to the airline or resort to check whether you can enter Canada; in fact, they cannot check. Only Canadian Customs and the FBI have access to the NCIC database. This is an internal Canadian issue, not a terrorism issue for the airlines or TSA. The person could have checked with the FBI beforehand to see what is on his record.

BTW, even President George W. Bush was denied entry into Canada due to an old DUI in Kennebunk, ME. He had to get a special visa to allow him to enter. No one is immune.