I have been a resident for 3 years now and have loved every minute of it. However, 2 years ago I received a dui in Ontario resulting in a 1 year suspension and i am now concerned about a couple of things, firstly will this affect my application for citizenship/ renewal of residency; and I was wondering if I would have any problems entering the states?

Any info on this would be greatly appriciated.

thanks

I don't no how it works when you are already in Canada,but when I tried to get into Canada in Dec 2004 my wife had dui and they said don't try and enter the country. The US are the same aswell. As you already live there you mite be ok.You will also only be driving over the border to the US.

DUI is a criminal conviction, this will affect you getting into the US. If you enter illegally you may get permanently banned from entering. Best to contact US immigration for advice before trying.

This post is not legal advice. Rely on it at your own risk.

First: check exactly what you have a conviction for. DUI is an indictable offence under Canada's Criminal Code. If you're lucky, or had a good lawyer, you may have a conviction for some lesser offence under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act.

As a permanent resident, you can only be removed for 'serious' criminality. DUI appears to be mere 'criminality', so you shouldn't have a problem renewing your PR card or re-entering Canada as a PR.

If you were convicted of a Criminal Code offence within the past three years, you can't apply for citizenship. You'll need to wait until three years have passed since your last conviction.

The U.S. is another matter entirely. Much will turn on whether your DUI is considered to involve 'moral turpitude'. There's a U.S. immigration forum on this site that may be better able to answer that question.