Police Certificates for Express Entry and Permanent Residence
Prove Your Admissibility to Canada
Police certificates are required documents that help IRCC verify that you and your adult family members do not have a serious criminal history and do not pose a security risk to Canada. Understanding when, how, and where to obtain them is critical — missing or invalid police certificates can delay or result in refusal of your application.
Who Needs Police Certificates?
You must provide a police certificate if you are:
- Applying for permanent residence through any program
- Applying for Canadian citizenship
- Applying under International Experience Canada (IEC)
- In some cases, applying under other immigration programs
A police certificate is required for:
- You and any family members aged 18 or older
- Every country where you or a family member lived for 6 consecutive months or more in the past 10 years
You do not need a police certificate for:
- Time before you turned 18
- Any time spent living in Canada
Important: An IRCC officer may request additional police certificates covering any period since you turned 18 — even outside the last 10 years.
Examples – When Police Certificates Are Not Required
- Juan is 24 and lived in the U.S. for 8 months at age 16 → No certificate required — he was under 18
- Feras stayed in Turkey for 7 months at age 25 over 20 years ago → No certificate required — outside the 10-year window
- Lailah studied in Spain during three separate 4-month stays → No certificate automatically required — stays were not consecutive
Tip: If you are unsure, it is often safer to include police certificates for countries you frequently visited or worked in — even if not strictly required.
Why IRCC Requires Police Certificates
Police certificates verify that applicants:
- Do not have a serious criminal history
- Are not a risk to Canada’s safety and security
Applicants with criminal records may be found inadmissible and their permanent residence application may be refused.
How to Get a Police Certificate
Police certificates can take time to obtain, so it’s best to start collecting them as soon as your Express Entry profile is in the pool or when you begin preparing for any Canadian immigration application.
Step-by-Step:
- Contact the local police or national government authority of the relevant country
- Provide photographs, fingerprints if required, and a list of your addresses and dates of residence
- Pay the processing fee
- Use IRCC’s official lookup tool to find country-specific instructions: Get a Police Certificate by Country — IRCC
If your country is not listed:
- Contact the national police agency, or
- Reach out to the embassy or consulate of your country in Canada
If You Cannot Get a Police Certificate
If you are unable to obtain a certificate despite trying:
- Submit proof that you requested the certificate from the correct authority — such as a receipt, confirmation, or correspondence
- Write a letter explaining all steps you took to obtain it
Warning: Even with a letter and proof of effort, IRCC may still refuse your application if they are not satisfied. There is no guarantee of acceptance.
If You Need an IRCC Request Letter
Some countries will only issue a police certificate with an official request letter from IRCC. If this applies:
- Upload a placeholder document in your online application stating: “I am applying from a country that requires an official request letter from IRCC to obtain a police certificate.”
- IRCC will review your file and provide further instructions if everything else is complete
Language and Translation Requirements
If your police certificate is in any language other than English or French, you must submit:
- The original certificate, AND
- A certified translation of the full document
Fingerprinting vs Biometrics
These are two separate requirements — do not confuse them:
| Police Fingerprinting | Biometrics | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Background check for police certificate | Identity verification for IRCC application |
| Where | Done in the country issuing the certificate | Done at a designated IRCC biometrics collection site |
| Same as each other? | ❌ No | ❌ No |
When Must Police Certificates Be Issued?
For your current country of residence:
- Must be issued within 6 months before you submit your application
For other countries:
- Must be issued after your last stay of 6 consecutive months or more
IRCC may request updated police certificates at any time during processing — even after you have submitted your application.
Format of Police Certificates
IRCC only accepts:
- ✅ Scanned colour copies of original certificates
IRCC does not accept:
- ❌ Photocopies
- ❌ Certified true copies
- ❌ Black and white scans
- ❌ Low-quality or unclear scans
Submitting documents in the wrong format can result in your application being refused for being incomplete.
What If You Cannot Get a Police Certificate in Time?
You have 60 days to submit your permanent residence application after receiving an ITA. If you cannot obtain a certificate by the deadline:
Submit:
- A letter of explanation, AND
- Proof of your effort including:
- Submission receipts
- Payment confirmation
- Tracking information
- Correspondence from issuing authorities
An IRCC officer will review your explanation. If they believe you made a genuine effort your application may still be processed — but there is no guarantee.
Final Checklist
Before submitting your application, make sure your police certificates are:
- ✅ Requested early — especially for countries with long processing times
- ✅ Issued after your last stay of 6 consecutive months or more in that country
- ✅ Submitted as full colour scans of originals
- ✅ Translated into English or French if not already
- ✅ Covering all required countries and family members aged 18 or older
- ✅ Current — your country of residence certificate must be issued within 6 months of your application
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Resources
Need Help?
Gathering police certificates from multiple countries can be stressful and time-sensitive. We can guide you through the process and help ensure your application is complete and on time.
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