Is Donald Trump Banned From Canada Due to His Felony Conviction?

On April 4th 2023, former president Donald Trump was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in New York State. These first degree charges were laid by the Manhattan District Attorney, who alleges Trump "repeatedly and fraudulently falsified his business records to conceal criminal conduct." On June 9th 2023, Trump was also indicted on 37 federal criminal charges related to mishandling classified documents. On August 1st 2023, there was yet another indictment, this time on charges related to the Capitol riot. On August 14th 2023, Trump was hit with a fourth indictment in Georgia on 13 charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the election. On May 30th 2024, he was found guilty on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in New York and became the first US president to be convicted of a crime. This leads to the question, now that Trump is a convicted felon is he banned from entering Canada?

While Canadians are known for being friendly, their border is notorious for denying entry to Americans with a DUI. Even a misdemeanor for reckless driving can result in a person being denied admittance. Since Donald Trump has been convicted of an offense that would equate to a potentially indictable crime in Canada, he would now be considered criminally inadmissible under Canadian law and will be at risk of a border denial.

Would Canadian Border Agents Actually Deny Trump?

If Donald Trump attempts to visit Canada, his reason for travel will likely play a significant role in whether or not he runs into issues at the border. If he is entering for personal reasons, such as a vacation, it is very possible that he could be denied admittance. Even if he arrives on a private jet, he could be denied and forced to fly back to USA. This being said, if he gets re-elected as President of the United States there is almost zero chance border agents would turn him away if he makes an official visit to the country (and such a decision would likely be made by people high up in the Canadian Government beforehand). Furthermore, if he wants to enter Canada for business purposes, he could request special permission to cross the border by applying for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP). If Canada sees an economic interest in granting him access, which would be realistic if he was developing a property there or involved in a big business deal, they could issue a TRP allowing him to enter successfully as a convicted felon.

November 2024 Update: Trump is now POTUS. Consequently, he should have absolutely no problem traveling to Canada if he wants to (especially if the trip involves negotiating trade deals or tariff exclusions).

Was George Bush Also Banned From Canada?

There are a lot of stories online about former president George W. Bush not being allowed to visit Canada, but as far as we can tell they are fake news. Bush had a DUI in Maine in 1976. Since the offense was an isolated incident and should equate to non-serious criminality, he was likely considered "Deemed Rehabilitated by virtue of time" long before he ever became president. Prior to 9/11, the border was extremely relaxed so it is highly unlikely that Bush ever had trouble visiting Canada with a DUI even shortly after the incident.