How to work in Canada with a past criminal record

Canada is a very migrant-friendly country. It has perhaps the most welcoming policy to international immigrants reaching the country for work, study or tour. But if you have a criminal record, it could make you doubtful of Canada immigration. You may doubt if you could work in Canada with a blemished record.

You need to know the Canadian policy towards such travelers to Canada who have done term for crimes. It shows that Canada is still a more considerate country. There are clear stipulations for such visitor profiles though.

The types of offenses that Canada considers against issuing visas include:

• Theft
• Assault
• Impaired driving (DUI)
• Dangerous driving
• Traffic violations
• Possession of drugs or controlled substances

Though the applicant has faced a sentence for any of these crimes, he can be permitted to live and work in Canada. The factor of consideration is the date of the offense. It is compared to the date on which visa was applied. More specifically, the time that has elapsed since his sentence is considered.

If such time is less than 5 years, the person must apply for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP). This should be applied for along with the application for a work permit. The temporary visa allows the person to enter Canada for a stipulated time. This may be up to 3 years, though the time could vary depending on his intention of visit.

If the time elapsed is 5 or more years, the person can apply for criminal rehabilitation. This becomes a solution of a permanent nature for his/her being denied admission. But note that rehabilitation visas take longer processing time than normal for approval.

If the time elapsed is more than 10 years, the person is deemed to be rehabilitated. This applies to the completion of the sentence for a single non-serious offense. The application, in this case, differs from the application of criminal rehabilitation. Here, no formal documentation is needed. It will simply be an assessment by an immigration official.

Even with these seemingly liberal and considerate terms in place, the process may be challenging for the applicant. This is because the discretion of granting visa lies with the immigration officer.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada from Australia, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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