Under Canada Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, temporary residents and applicants for permanent residence in Canada may not be able to come to Canada if they have been involved in criminal activity.
Rehabilitation removes the grounds of criminal inadmissibility. Rehabilitation means that you lead a stable lifestyle and that you are unlikely to be involved in any further criminal activity.
In general, temporary residents and applicants applying for permanent residence are considered to be criminally inadmissible if the person:
- was convicted of an offence in Canada;
- was convicted of an offence outside of Canada that is considered a crime in Canada; and/or
- committed an act outside of Canada that is considered a crime under the laws of the country where it occurred and would be punishable under Canadian law.
You are eligible to apply for rehabilitation if you have:
- committed an act outside of Canada and five years have elapsed since the act;
- been convicted outside of Canada and five years have passed since the end of the sentence imposed.
