One of the general requirements for entry into Canada as a migrant seeking a permanent home is a clean police record. Applicants should not have a criminal background. Part of the application for permanent residency requires a background check into these matters. There are, however, special procedures and provisions whereby those with criminal records can still enter Canada under certain circumstances.
Any applicants with criminal backgrounds must have completed their sentences to the satisfaction of the proper authority. In addition to this, five years must have lapsed since the end of the sentences. If the five year waiting period has not been achieved, the applications will still be examined, and if criteria are met, it may still be possible to be considered for immigration.
There will be a great deal of mandatory paperwork that must be attached to the application. The Application for Criminal Rehabilitation is a basic form that asks for personal information including full name, address, birth date, marital status, telephone numbers, and a detailed list of convictions. Immigration officials will want to know what they were, when they occurred, where they occurred, what the sentence was, and the statute number for the offense. A downloadable copy of this form can be found at here.
The applicant must explain why he wants to come to Canada, and why he believes he will not be a risk to Canadian society by doing so. Past addresses, past employment information for the preceding ten years must also be furnished.
Attached to this application will be items or photocopies of items such as passports, driver's licenses, court judgments, texts of non-Canadian statutes, Police certificates, and all documentation concerning sentences, paroles, probations, fines, or pardons. Any juvenile offender paperwork must be attached as well.
The fees required for immigration services of this nature begin at $200, but can go as high as $1,000 CAD, and must be paid when one applies for approval. For further information, a copy of the form for this can be downloaded from here.
For assistance in this process you may have a representative to guide you through the process. When you choose a representative, he or she is authorized to do business on your behalf with the immigration officials. According to the form that is to be filled out for this appointment, your representative can be a relative or friend, a member of a non-governmental or religious organization, or any member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants, a Canadian provincial or territorial law society, or the Chambre des notaries du Quebec. Their membership ID numbers are required.