Included in the Inadmissible Class of Persons under Canada's Immigration Law are those who have been convicted of a crime or have committed an act outside Canada that would be considered a crime in Canada. But if the crime or conviction occurred more than 10 years ago, you may be deemed rehabilitated.
Deemed Rehabilitation
You are eligible to apply for deemed rehabilitation at a port of entry if:
You may be deemed rehabilitated, depending on:
- the crime you committed
- how serious the crime was and how much time has passed since you completed the sentence imposed for your crime:
- 10 years for one indictable offense
- five years for two or more summary convictions
- whether you have committed one or more crimes and
- if the crime would be punishable in Canada by a maximum prison term of less than 10 years.
Although you may do the self-assessment and apply for rehabilitation at the port-of-entry, it is best that you apply for rehabilitation at the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your area.
- you only had one conviction in total or committed only one crime
- at least ten years have passed since you completed all sentences (payment of all fees, jail time completed, restitution paid, etc.)
- the crime you committed is not considered a serious crime in Canada AND
- the crime did not involve any serious property damage, physical harm to any person, or any type of weapon.
The application forms, checklist and guide on how to apply for rehabilitation is available at cic.gc.ca.
