Police Certificate for Canada Immigration

This certificate works as a criminal record check. According to the RCMP, checks like this stop someone from concealing a criminal past, and they also keep you safe from being mixed up with a record that belongs to somebody else, say a person who shares your name (RCMP, criminal record checks).

There are many reasons a criminal record check might be required, and the same person may be asked for one more than once (RCMP). So if you get asked again down the road, that is normal. It does not point to a problem with your file.

In most cases you must contact the police or government office in that country yourself and ask for the certificate (IRCC). Canada does not request it for you.

The police service or government office may charge a fee (IRCC). Fees vary by country, so ask the office first before you pay anything.

Keep proof that you asked, such as a receipt, email, or tracking number. If the certificate takes a long time or does not show up at all, that proof shows you contacted the correct office.

No. Before issuing a police certificate, some countries want your fingerprints. That step is separate from biometrics, which are the fingerprints and photo you give for the Canadian application itself (IRCC).

Fingerprints given for a certificate do not count as your biometrics, and biometrics will not get you a police certificate. If you are asked for both, you must complete each step.

For every police certificate, two things go into your application (IRCC):

• a copy of the original certificate
• an English or French translation done by a certified translator, when the original is in another language

A certified translator is someone officially recognised to make official translations. Someone who simply speaks both languages, like a friend or relative, does not count. If your certificate is in English or French already, the copy of the original is all you need.

Some people try hard and still cannot obtain one from a country. When that happens, IRCC wants two things instead (IRCC):

1. Proof that you asked the correct authorities for a police certificate. Your proof can be whatever you saved when you asked, such as a receipt or email.
2. A letter describing everything you tried to get one. Say what you requested, who you contacted, when, and what they told you. This helps the officer see how hard you tried.

Include these with your application rather than leaving the space blank. A missing certificate with no explanation reads like a hole in your file.

The police certificate is one of the papers you gather while you prepare your application, along with the rest of your file. You can find current processing times for each program at /ircc-processing-times/, and you can also see the newest Express Entry rounds at /express-entry/latest-draw/.

We offer facts only, not immigration advice, and we are not IRCC. You can read the official rules about police certificates on the Government of Canada site.