In general, if you want to immigrate to Canada, you and everyone in your family who is 18 years of age or over need to obtain a police certificate to determine if you have a criminal record. Visa offices may also request a police certificate from students and temporary foreign workers.

Police certificates are issued by police authorities or government departments and used by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to prevent individuals who pose a risk to Canada’s security from entering the country. The police or government department will provide either a copy of your criminal record or a declaration that you do not have a criminal record.

Police certificates go by different names in different countries. You must obtain a police certificate from each country or territory where you have lived for six consecutive months or longer since you turned 18.

You may have to provide information or documentation, such as photographs, fingerprints, a list of your addresses, and details about the period of residence in each country or territory where you have lived for six months or longer, as well as pay a fee.

To find out if you need a police certificate from a country or territory in which you lived for six months or longer, consult Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s procedures for obtaining police certificates. Information on how and where to obtain a police clearance, including the relevant police or government contact information, is available there.

Get help

If you need further information or cannot find your country listed, contact the national police agency or the country’s or territory’s embassy or consulate.

A criminal record will delay, and can even prevent you from getting your immigration status. To erase your criminal record, call toll-free 1-888-808-3628 or learn more at Pardon Partners. It’s easier than you think.

For legal advice and assistance with obtaining your immigration status, contact our preferred Immigration experts, Bright Immigration Consultants .

								
You now have 3 options:
								

									
More answers about Immigration Law
									
Master List: 2,500 Legal Answers
																													
																		
Government Links