Criminal Rehabilitation/Pardon

Criminal inadmissibility can stop someone from being able to enter Canada without special authorization from Canadian immigration officials.
Criminal Rehabilitation is an application process whereby a person requests absolution from the Government of Canada for a particular crime or crimes committed in a foreign country. Once an individual completes Criminal Rehabilitation successfully, they have a clean slate with Immigration Canada and will be able to travel to Canada without hassle from that point on. The Criminal Rehabilitation process only applies to those who have committed offenses outside of Canada.

You may apply for Criminal Rehabilitation if at least 5 years have passed since the completion of your sentence(s). This includes payment of all fines, prison time, probation, and required community service hours. If less than 5 years have passed since the completion of your sentence, you are ineligible, however, you may qualify for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP).

The most crucial consideration is establishing the equivalent offence in Canada. Once the equivalence has been established, it is important to determine the maximum sentence that could be imposed by law, as this will determine the type of criminal rehabilitation required.

If you were convicted of one non-serious offence and more than 10 years have passed since the completion of your sentence, you may be Deemed Rehabilitated and Criminal Rehabilitation will not be required.

If you are not sure if your offence is a serious or non-serious crime, or if you need help applying for your Criminal Rehabilitation, contact us today for legal guidance and assistance.