Serious criminality in Canada

A foreign national or permanent resident may be found criminally inadmissible or removed from Canada, as the case may be, on grounds of serious criminality.

Committing a serious offence

Committing a serious offence may be grounds for inadmissibility to Canada or for removal.

Below is an overview of the serious offences that may lead to a person being refused entry to Canada or made subject to a removal order:

For previous convictions in Canada, where they:

• Were convicted in Canada of an indictable offence carrying a maximum sentence of at least 10 years.
• Were convicted in Canada and received a term of imprisonment of at least 6 months.

For previous convictions outside Canada, where they:

• Were convicted outside Canada of an act that, if committed in Canada, would be equivalent to an indictable offence carrying a maximum sentence of at least 10 years.
• Were convicted outside Canada of an act that, if committed in Canada, would be equivalent to a hybrid offence carrying a maximum sentence of at least 10 years.

For offences committed outside Canada, where they:

• Committed an act outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would be equivalent to an indictable offence carrying a maximum sentence of at least 10 years.

Remedies

Serious criminality must always be resolved throughTemporary Resident Permit (TRP)or an application on the basis of a sentence servedcriminal rehabilitation, because a foreign national is never considered criminally rehabilitated on the basis of the passage of time alone.

Find out more on the Government of Canada website athere.