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Former876 · Dec 22, 2013, 07:33 PM

My search has sent me to this website. Thank God!

Could someone please explain to me if this is true. I was arrested in 1998 and the charges were two weeks later dropped. No more arrest ever and now I am a professional with full time profession for over 20 years. Stable life. I had a FBI# for that arrest, which was deleted/cleared or whatever the correct term is, when the record was expunged and sent to the Feds for removal. I have confirmed with the Feds that the record has been "deleted" and even received a Federal background check on myself, once showing the arrest record on that file report and the charge dismissed outcome notation with the attached FBI #; I also received another record check from the Feds after the expunging of the arrest record,showing no FBI # anymore and no record found for the finger prints and name check I ordered.

So I know it's gone at least from that stand point. I was told by the Feds Customer Service Agent I had been dealing with that the record cannot be found whenever a NCIC check is done on me anymore.

My question:
I have never been to Canada before and plan to take a week vacation up to Vancouver next year. I am coming with my new wife and was wondering if the Canadian Immigration/Border folk still will be able to see the pass arrest record, if nothing is in NCIC on me? I know I am not excluded from visiting because I have no conviction, but will I be asked about it (assuming that they use some secret program to run my name).

PS: My wife knows about this ill event, but just curious if the Border Guys can see my pass arrest elsewhere in their system, if the local, State and finally the Feds took it out of the NCIC file.

Thanks for your expert advice.

Confused!

ma0641 · Dec 22, 2013, 08:16 PM

Expunge may be the term you were looking for. Just have your passport and tell them you are going on a vacation. You should be good to go, particularly with nothing on your background check.

Former876 · Dec 23, 2013, 08:00 PM

Thanks for the quick response ma0641. I have read in other forums that nothing is hidden from the Border folks, even expunged files. I find that difficult to understand since a record that is cleared in NCIC shouldn't be available to be pulled up anymore. Where are they pulling the record from if what I have read is correct?

ma0641 · Dec 24, 2013, 09:05 PM

Not sure I can help more. I don't know what data bases they may have access to. I still cannot see an issue with an expungement. Happy travels!

Fr_Chuck · Dec 24, 2013, 10:55 PM

Even if it showed up and showed dismissed, it would not stop you from going though.

I am going to say this from many years working in the Justice Department, the term expunged does not mean it is actually erased, they want you to believe that. It means it is only viable to those people with the proper security clearance and for specific types of searches.

The copy they give out to you, to businesses wanting to hire you will not show it. But it never leaves the computer, once it is there.

Former876 · Dec 25, 2013, 08:13 PM

Thanks everyone. I will let the board know how it worked out once my vacation is completed. It's kind of sad to know that an expunged record will still be able to be viewed by special searches by the Border Agents. I was told by a customer service agent with the FBI that this is not the case, but oh well. I'm still happy that I am not barred from visiting Canada. Just didn't want the possibility of the question popping up on if/when the incident took place. I have come to the conclusion that expuging a record is does not yield the type of results I had hoped for.