Criminal background checks

[cdnmatt]

Yeah, that was an option I thought of. Then I thought maybe they recorded my visit to the passport office, so if I show up tomorrow with a damaged passport, it's going to look pretty suspicious.

Then I thought, denying a Canadian citizen a passport is possible, but VERY difficult. From my understanding, it has to go through the courts and a federal judge has to agree to it. That means immigration Canada needs something like evidence that I'm an Islamic funadamentalist who plans to travel to Syria and join ISIS, or similar. I highly doubt having a "blind moment", and accidentally spilling a mug of hot coffee on my open passport will be enough for a judge to deny me the right to a passport.

I don't like to take chances though, so my crazy idea which both my parents and Leo think is ludicrous is... There's a couple small colleges about a 20 minute drive away, so I'm sure over the internet I can find a couple young, money hungry students to play actresses for an hour. Meet one of them at a coffee shop to "help" me fill out the visitor VISA application for Laos. Then the other girl will "stumble" and "accidentally" knock over a cup of coffee into my open passport. Then we call the police, and get an official police report stating that the ditzy blond damaged my passport, not me.

That way, even if I end up with an asshole for a senior immigration official when I hand over my damaged passport, I'll have a police report with me saying it wasn't my fault. From there, he'll most likely just push the application through, and won't even bother trying to push it to the courts to try and deny me a passport, because he knows full well the judge won't side with him.

Sounds crazy, but I bet it would work. I don't know, these stupid fucken laws and regulations can fuck off. All I know is Leo isn't willing to give up, so neither am I, and one way or another, we're getting back together.

[cdnmatt]

The old "washing machine" trick is safer than making a false police report.

No, washing machines don't kill passports. I know, I accidentally washed my first husband's passport before years ago. Came out just fine.

I don't know, fired off e-mails to a bunch of immigration lawyers in Vientiane today, and see what happens. I'd very much prefer not to have to commit a federal crime and damage my passport in order for Leo and myself to get back together, but I will if I have to.

[gerefan2]

I don't know, fired off e-mails to a bunch of immigration lawyers in Vientiane today, and see what happens. I'd very much prefer not to have to commit a federal crime and damage my passport in order for Leo and myself to get back together, but I will if I have to.

I must be short of something to do, but Matt it was I who pointed out, in post #300, that the Lao authorities would no doubt keep a record of anyone being refused entry and the grounds for it.

I didn't point it out at the time, as you weren't talking about a duplicate passport, that it would be extremely remiss of the Canadian Authorities not to keep a similar record of their citizens arriving back in Canada after being refused entry to another country and equally, or more especially, those having just been deported arriving back in Canada. They cannot have missed all those big rubber stamps.

If you don't believe that, just think for a moment about any future legal issues where the Canadian Immigration may have an input...they just wouldn't be doing their job right if they didn't keep proper records.

Whatever you try they will be on your case like a Mamasan chasing a large tip.

I would wish you luck but this is, after all, pie in the sky!

[bobsaigon2]

I would wish you luck

I gave this a 'like' not because I like Matt's situation, but because I agree with gerefan's analysis. Even if there is a valid Lao entry visa obtained in Canada, showing up at the airport in Vientiane with that history of blacklisting and deportation will very likely be impossible to overcome.

[cdnmatt]

@gerefan2 -- You don't know exactly how Laos immigration conducts itself, and nor do I, hence why I contacted a bunch of lawyers in Vientiane today.

I do know I cleared a 3+ year overstay at the Nong Khai border before the new black listing laws were implemented, and I was able to walk into Laos without issue. Then I also know the police in Nong Khai said I should have flown from BKK to Vientiane, and would have probably got in. Whether or not they know what they're talking about, no idea, hence lawyers.

Of course Canada has a record of me now, as they pulled me into secondary for 4 hours when I arrived. If anything though, that's a positive, not a negative, as all it will say is "checked him out, he was clean".

Canada and Laos immigration will have basically no cooperation at all, so I don't really care what Canada has recorded. And Canada denying me a passport is near impossible, especially since I have absolutely no criminal record in any country.

One thing that does irk me though is apparently, that black list stamp just says I'm blacklisted, but doesn't say WHY I'm black listed. So naturally, everyone is just going to assume I have some kind of criminal record in Thailand, which simply isn't true. I did not break the criminal code of Thailand. I remember the Canadian customs officer was absolutely certain I must be lieing, and must have committed some type of crime to get blacklisted, as there's no way it could just be for an overstay.

I had a bunch of deportation papers from Thailand, but no idea what they actually said. I don't think much though, as the Canadian customs officer read through them. Will never know, as my father is getting older, and threw about an inch of documents of mine into the recycle bin.

[mr giggles]

I don't know, fired off e-mails to a bunch of immigration lawyers .

Can you stop saying, bunch of, it really makes my skin crawl

[arsenal]

Oh mr giggles what have you done? "bunch of" will now become the collective noun of choice for everything. Some might consider that apposite. Haha.

[Blacktouch]

Anyboby blacklisted or refused entry into either Thailand or Laos, the Immigration department would have kept records of Matt's situation. Because how else would they know, especially when people always get new passports because they deliberately had their passports lost, stolen, damage, or it had expired?

Everybody who were banned in the past would just be entering those Countries undetected. So of course they keep records and photos. Especially as this occurred recently.

So the thought of any passport having had coffee spillage, lost, stolen, expired or simple damage in any other way will not work.

[francois]

I don't like to take chances though, so my crazy idea which both my parents and Leo think is ludicrous is... There's a couple small colleges about a 20 minute drive away, so I'm sure over the internet I can find a couple young, money hungry students to play actresses for an hour. Meet one of them at a coffee shop to "help" me fill out the visitor VISA application for Laos. Then the other girl will "stumble" and "accidentally" knock over a cup of coffee into my open passport. Then we call the police, and get an official police report stating that the ditzy blond damaged my passport, not me.

ut I bet it would work. I don't know, these stupid fucken laws and regulations can fuck off. All I know is Leo isn't willing to give up, so neither am I, and one way or another, we're getting back together.

Go for it matt, this is the best idea you have developed. A sure winner!

[cdnmatt]

No, that's most likely not true.

Yes, I'm assuming Thailand definitely has full records. I could probably even change my name, get a new passport, and it still wouldn't matter. If I hit the Thailand border, anyone with a Canada passport and my birthdate will probably pop up on their screen including my photo, so even with a name change I'm still black listed from Thailand.

However, at the Laos border I was simply refused entry. It was hardly a big issue, such as criminal charge, actual deportation, or anything of that matter. There's a good chance it's really not that big of a deal.

Another thing I don't know about it how coordinated the ASEAN countries are when it comes to immigration, but I'm guessing not much, otherwise they'd have more streamlined immigration policies. I don't know at the moment, and that's why I contacted immigration lawyers.

See what happens...

All I know is neither, Leo or myself are going to give up, and we will be back together at some point. I just really hope my dogs are still alive at the time.