ETA Information
 

Hi Guys,

I am a new member, good to know you all and sorry if this is in the wrong place.

I am British citizen and have been to Canada twice in the last two years on business as we deal with a Canadian firm in the UK c. 500k Dollars a year and increasing. I have a criminal record and this was flagged on my first visit but I was admitted entry with no hassle by a border officer. The second time I went straight through with no questions.

However, The new rules regarding ETA I have applied for one and its taken months to get an answer and they required a police certificate. Today they have declined my application.

I have a US Visa which I had to wait months for but was accepted fine.

I have a trip to Canada in a few weeks and understand I dont need an ETA to enter Canada or Board a flight until the leniency expires on the 29th of September and border officers can still admit people on their own will.

So my questions is, will I be point blank refused irrespective of past visits (which are business and the same this time) because of the ETA application.

OR;

Will they take past, problem free visits into account considering they allowed me in and the leniency period.

There is nothing to suggest I will have issues boarding my flight on the IATA website.

Just trying to get a gauge for the situation.

Thanks,

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

Yours is indeed a frustrating situation, but I'm not sure any one of us could shed any light upon your situation.

There appears to be a method to contact the appropriate authorities in Canada via the Immigration and citizenship website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/.

Additionally, have you contacted your local Canadia Consulate or Embassy?

That's a really tough situation for you to be in.

I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but would think it risky for you to travel without a clearer idea of your situation. If you travel before the end of the month you will probably have to declare in any case whether you have ever been denied entry to Canada–and your eTA having been refused is presumably tantamount to this.

It is unfortunate that the Canadian eTA has had teething problems, and in your case seems to be inconsistent with your past experience of Canadian immigration. Until now a visitor has only been asked whether he/she has a criminal conviction–but the eTA application form asks whether he/she has ever been arrested, charged or convicted.

Good luck.

Don't risk it - they'll almost certainly refuse you entry...
This is in the FAQs on the eTA website:

My application for an eTA was refused. Can I still travel to Canada during the leniency period?
If your application was refused, you should not plan or undertake any travel to Canada, even during the leniency period. If you decide to travel to Canada with a refused eTA during the leniency period, you may experience delays or be prevented from entering the country.

We encourage you to reapply for an eTA only once you have addressed the reason(s) leading to the refusal of your application.