J Pat Carter/Associated Press

Need to go to Canada but can’t get in? Call Drake. He has more authority in the North than Rob Ford.

This is the route Chad Johnson says he’s taken for entry into the country. The former NFL wideout signed a two-year deal with the Montreal Alouettes in April, but he appears to need some help entering the country.

What’s the hangup? Immigration, for one.

According to FoxSports.com, the Canadian government hasn’t cleared the former NFL wideout to enter its country.

Johnson’s work permit has yet to be approved, but the 36-year-old says Drake talked to the authorities and took care of everything.

Clearly, Johnson is being facetious, or at least I hope so. Otherwise, Drake is actually running Canada—a terrifying thought, to say the least.

On the serious side of things, Johnson’s work permit being approved is likely but not a guarantee.

The specific issue holding up the process appears to be Johnson’s past legal issues. Crossing the US-Canadian border on a work permit isn’t typically an issue for athletes, but Johnson’s criminal record could stand in the way of him suiting up for the Alouettes.

The Miami Dolphins released Johnson from the team’s training camp in 2012 after he was arrested for assaulting his wife, Evelyn Lozada. He pled no contest to charges and received 12 months of probation. Prior to that, Johnson pled no contest to domestic battery charges in 2000 after hitting his then-girlfriend.

Canadian immigration law vaguely states, "if you have committed or been convicted of a crime, you may not be allowed into Canada." Someone who falls into this category (a lot of people), may be deemed "criminally inadmissible."

Long story short, Johnson is bringing some baggage with him to Canada, and the government has yet to sort it out. Considering the nature of the crimes (bad, but not murder or armed robbery), it’s likely the man formerly known as Ochocinco will be allowed safe passage to Montreal.

After all, he has Drake on his side, who is basically an Archduke up there.

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