Recently, some news sites have stated that Canada has made notable changes concerning the police certificate requirement. In fact, some of the sites have clearly mentioned that it has eliminated the requirement for temporary residents to provide police certificates. However, temporary residents still require a police certificate. Find the details below.
No Policy Shift by IRCC: Temporary Residents Still Require a Police Certificate.
The immigration department of Canada, IRCC, has made no modifications to its police certificate policy. This means that individuals who are moving to Canada as temporary residents may need to provide a police certificate as an eligibility requirement.
The official website of IRCC states, “When you apply as a visitor, student or temporary worker, we may ask you for a certificate.”
It further states that
“You might need a police certificate if you’re coming to Canada as a:
- temporary worker
- student
- tourist
- live-in caregiver.”
IRCC clearly states that police certificates are a necessity for permanent residence or citizenship applicants. However, they are not always a necessity for temporary residents, but may still be required.
What is a Police Certificate in Canada?
A police certificate is an authorized document that immigration individuals may require. This document confirms that the person doesn’t have a criminal background, or if he has one, it includes a copy of the criminal record.
Generally, the regional police jurisdiction issues the police certificate to individuals. It is also called “good conduct certificates” or “judicial record extracts.”
In case the document provided is not in English or French, individuals must submit a translation of it along with the certificate from a certified translator.
What is the need for a police certificate?
Police certificates assist IRCC officials in verifying that an individual is not prohibited from entering Canada based on their criminal history.
Anyone hoping to enter Canada on a temporary residency visa must know that they might need to provide a police certificate to the IRCC as an eligibility requirement.
If you have questions about Canadian Immigration, please contact our MakeHomeCanada experts at 1-800-979-0509 or email us at [email protected].
