When an applicant applies to become a permanent resident, a police certificate needs to be included at the appropriate stage.

A police certificate is a statement that you do not have a criminal record. Police certificates are different in each country and territory. They may be called:

• police certificates,
• good conduct certificates,
• judicial record extracts

Who needs a police certificate?

In general, all people who are 18 or older need to get a police certificate. Candidates may need a police certificate from any country or territory that they have spent six months or more since the age of 18.

If a candidate needs a police certificate from a country or territory and:

• is currently living there, the police certificate must be issued within six months before the application
• has lived there in the past, the police certificate must be issued after the candidate last lived in that country or territory

If the certificate is in a language other than English or French, the police certificate must be sent along with a translation done by a certified translator.

Process

In most cases, the candidate must contact the police or government to ask for a certificate. The candidate may have to:

• provide information or documents, and
• pay a fee
• Please note: Processes are subject to change from time to time. Please consult our team to confirm the process details before taking any decision.