Those individuals who have been convicted of an offence outside Canada, and at least 5 years have passed since completion of the sentence, may apply for Criminal Rehabilitation. In order to qualify for Criminal Rehabilitation, you must prove that your life is very stable and moving forward and you will not commit any criminal acts. Basically, this application is geared at those who have made positive steps towards improving their lives.
This application takes into account that people make mistakes and can improve their lives over the passage of time. If you have a criminal inadmissibility, you may be denied entry to Canada. If you are successful in obtaining a Criminal Rehabilitation
, you will never face these issues again. It is a permanent way to overcome your inadmissibility, provided that you do not reoffend.
Those who committed a single, non-serious offence and more than 10 years have passed since the completion of any sentencing may be "Deemed Rehabilitated". However, consult with a legal expert to determine if you qualify as "Deemed Rehabilitated".
Those who will require Criminal Rehabilitation have:
- Committed an act outside of Canada that is considered to be an offence in Canada
- Been convicted of an offence or admitted to committing an offence
- Completed a minimum of 5 years since the end of your sentence
The following is a list of factors the officers may take into consideration when assessing an application for Criminal Rehabilitation:
- Nature of the offence
- Number of convictions
- The amount of time which has passed since the offence occurred
- Applicant's behaviour
- Applicant's lifestyle
Along with the factors described above, all the conditions of the sentence must be satisfied. For those applicants seeking permanent residency and have a prior conviction, you must be considered rehabilitated in order to receive permanent resident status. Applicants seeking to stay in Canada temporarily have the option to pursue a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) instead of Criminal Rehabilitation.
Whatever your reasons for seeking entry to Canada are, if you face a criminality, a Border Officer does have the right to detain you whether the offense happened 2 years ago or 20 years ago.
The only way to guarantee your safe passage is to have the necessary documentation. You can acquire this documentation by applying to the consulate. Be advised that processing times are extensive with these types of applications.
However, if you have an urgent travel need, there are ways to apply at a Port of Entry to accommodate an urgent travel need. If you face the need to travel to Canada for reasons like business, family gatherings etc., contact us, we would be glad to see you through the border.
With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way.