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About Police Certificates

Once you apply for immigration, you and your dependants would be asked to provide police certificates. It is the same when you submit your application for permanent residence as Skilled Workers.

What is a police certificate and what is it for

A police certificate, also known as police clearance certificates, good conduct certificates, judicial record extracts, etc., actually is an official legal document which indicates whether you’ve had any criminal record in the past. Only a police authority or a government department has the right to issue such documents. And Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) use them to manage to prevent the entering of those who may a danger to Canada’s security.

Who is required to have a police certificate

In general, anyone over 18 years old (16 years old in certain jurisdictions) needs to get a police certificate once he/she applies for Skilled Worker Immigration to Canada. It is not true that a person needs to provide only one police certificate. You have to obtain a police certificate from each country or territory where you have lived for more than six months at one time, since the day you reached 18 years of age. In addition, the issue date on your police certificate must be within three months of when you submit your application. To those, whose original certificates are neither in English or French, you will have to find an authorized translator for a translation of the certificate. Both the certificate and the original translated copy shall then be submitted along with your application.

How to get a police certificate

Usually, the responsibility is laid on you to obtain a police certificate. To obtain such a document, you will have to provide photographs, fingerprints, addresses, etc, to the police or relevant authorities first. Of course, you’ll have to pay for the service.

In addition to the police certificate you provide, CIC will also do some checks on your background and then make a decision on your application based on the total information received.