Foreign nationals who are criminally inadmissible to Canada are not permitted to travel to Canada for any reason without first obtaining special authorization from Canadian immigration authorities. Criminal Rehabilitation is a process that allows an individual with a past conviction outside Canada to permanently overcome their criminal inadmissibility for the purpose of entering the country. Once a foreign national undergoes the process successfully, the previous criminal record will not impede travel to Canada, which is equivalent to a record suspension for offences convicted in this country.
To be eligible for a Criminal Rehabilitation Application
- five years must have elapsed since the completion of all sentences, probationary periods and fines
- the offence must be convicted or the act must be committed outside Canada, and would constitute an offence under a federal act of Parliament
