Police certificates for Canadian immigration: who, which countries, how recent

A police certificate for Canadian immigration is a record from an authority in a country where you have lived. It shows IRCC that you don’t have a criminal record or, if you have one, gives a copy of it, so the officer can check whether there is any reason you may be inadmissible. Whether you need one, which country to request it from and when it must be issued depend on your application and on IRCC’s rules, summarized below from its pages checked on October 17, 2026.

Key takeaways

• You and any family member 18 or older must provide police certificates for permanent residence, citizenship and International Experience Canada. IRCC: who needs a police certificate
• Other temporary resident applications may also require one, especially if you have a prior criminal record: follow the document checklist for your application.
• Fingerprints taken for a police certificate are for the criminal record check. Immigration biometrics are a separate part of an immigration application, so one does not replace the other.
• For the country where you live now, the certificate must be issued no more than 6 months before you submit your application. For any other country, it must be issued after the last time you lived there for 6 consecutive months or longer since age 18. IRCC’s timing rules
• No certificate is needed for time before age 18 or for time spent in Canada.
• If a certificate is unavailable, IRCC asks for proof that you requested it and a letter explaining what you did to get one.

When IRCC may ask for a police certificate

A police certificate, also called a police clearance certificate, good conduct certificate or judicial record extract depending on the country, reports whether a person has a criminal record. IRCC uses it to confirm whether there are any reasons you may be inadmissible to Canada, so the certificate must match the specific requirements of your application.

IRCC says you must provide a police certificate if you apply for permanent residence, citizenship or International Experience Canada. For any other program, a police certificate may be required if you have a prior criminal record; check the program’s document checklist or your local visa office’s requirements. Each family member 18 or older may need their own certificates, depending on the program.

Fingerprints for a police certificate help the police or other designated authority search for a record. Immigration biometrics, which include fingerprints and a photo, are collected for the immigration application itself; completing one process does not complete the other. IRCC states this distinction directly.

For wider application context, see our pages on visitor visas, study permits, work permits and post-graduation work permits. IRCC’s own application instructions determine whether a police certificate is needed.

Which countries’ certificates to identify

For a permanent residence application, make a country-by-country list for each adult covered by the application. List every country or territory where the person lived for 6 consecutive months or more since turning 18, outside Canada. Then use IRCC’s country-specific instructions to identify the certificate required from each place.

The issuing authority and request process vary by country. IRCC’s instructions identify whom to contact and explain the steps, which may include photographs, fingerprints, the addresses where you lived in that country and the dates you lived there, and a fee. Do not assume that a process used in one country will work in another. If your country isn’t listed, IRCC suggests contacting the national police agency, or that country’s embassy or consulate in Canada.

For a file that includes Quebec selection and a federal permanent residence application, our Quebec selection page explains how we help clients choose a selection program based on their profile and French, then prepare the Quebec and federal applications.

Keep a separate tracker for each person and country. Record the issuing authority, request date, required fingerprints and documents, fees, follow-up dates and the date the certificate arrives; use IRCC’s country instructions to fill in each request’s requirements.

• Person and country: identify whose record is being requested and from which country, with the dates of residence.
• Authority and requirements: note the official agency, forms, fingerprints, identity documents and fees listed by IRCC.
• Progress: log submission receipts, follow-ups and the certificate’s arrival.

How to prepare and request a certificate

Before applying, read the relevant country instructions and list the personal details, identification, fingerprints and fees the authority requires. A complete request helps prevent avoidable delays, and the country-specific instructions are the right place to verify the process.

Follow the authority’s fingerprint directions closely. If the request calls for fingerprints, check the required format and submission method before arranging fingerprinting, and make sure the provider can complete that process.

Some countries will give you a police certificate only if you have a request letter from IRCC. In that case, IRCC tells you to upload a document in the police certificate field of your document checklist that says: “I am applying from a country that requires an official request letter from IRCC to get a police certificate.” IRCC then reviews your application and, if it is otherwise complete, sends you information on how to get the certificate.

For time lived in Canada, IRCC says you don’t need to give police certificates. The same applies to any period before you were 18.

Special steps for a U.S. police certificate

For the United States, use IRCC’s U.S.-specific instructions to identify the required certificate and follow the request and fingerprint directions. If you are requesting a U.S. certificate from outside the United States, follow the fingerprint method and format given in those instructions, and keep receipts and copies of submitted documents for your records.

If fingerprints are rejected or the result is unclear, follow the issuing authority’s instructions to address the problem, and check your application instructions for any additional records required.

When to request certificates and how long they stay usable

Start planning certificate requests alongside the rest of your application. Different programs have different time requirements:

• Express Entry: after an invitation, you have 60 days to submit your application, police certificates included. IRCC recommends starting your police checks as soon as you’re in the pool. See our 60-day plan after an invitation.
• International Experience Canada: in most cases, you provide a police certificate when you submit your work permit application.
• Citizenship: for adult applications (18 and over) and for resuming Canadian citizenship.
• Any other program: check the instruction guide for the program you are applying to.

The validity rules depend on where you live. For the country where you currently reside, the certificate must be issued no more than 6 months before you submit your application. For any other country, it must be issued after the last time you resided there for 6 consecutive months or longer since the age of 18. Some countries put expiry dates on their certificates; IRCC still accepts them if they were issued after the last time you stayed there for 6 consecutive months or longer and they are not for your current country. IRCC may ask for updated certificates at any time during processing.

These timing rules mean that a certificate from a former country and one from your current country do not follow the same issue-date test. Check the rules and your application checklist before deciding when to request each document, especially if processing may take a while.

If a request is taking longer than expected, keep the receipt, correspondence and follow-up records. If you cannot obtain the certificate by the time you submit your application, follow IRCC’s instructions for an unavailable certificate and include the evidence and explanation it asks for.

Translations and submitting the certificate

If a police certificate is not in English or French, IRCC requires a copy of the original certificate and a copy in English or French from a certified translator.

Before submitting, compare the certificate with the country-specific instructions and your document checklist. Check that it is the type requested and that it covers the person and the period required.

Police certificates must be scanned copies of the original certificates, in colour. IRCC warns that certified true copies or unauthorized copies won’t be accepted and will result in your application being rejected. Keep the originals and proof of submission with your records.

If a certificate is unavailable or a record is unclear

If a country will not issue a certificate or cannot issue it in time, IRCC says you must show proof that you requested a police certificate from the correct authorities and write a letter explaining all you’ve done to try to get one. IRCC adds that even with both items, it can’t guarantee it will accept your application, so request early.

If a certificate contains an unclear or conflicting result, use the country’s official instructions to identify the authority that can clarify it, such as the court or agency responsible for the record. Keep court records and correspondence, then provide them if your application instructions or IRCC request them.

If IRCC asks for more information or documents about a police record, respond by the deadline and in the way stated in its request. For context on criminal record concerns, see our article on criminal records and inadmissibility and our inadmissibility page.

Related immigration resources

• Consultation and describe your situation
• Immigration articles and guides
• CAQ for studies and LMIA in Quebec
• Quebec Experience Program, Skilled Worker Selection Program and Quebec spousal sponsorship
• Express Entry, visa refusals, complex cases and employer services

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if my name is spelled differently on my police certificate and passport?

Do not edit the certificate yourself. Ask the issuing authority whether it can correct a clerical error; if the spelling reflects a transliteration or a documented name change, provide an explanation and official supporting documents.

Can I submit a copy, or does IRCC require the original?

For online applications, IRCC asks for colour scans of the original certificates; certified true copies aren’t accepted. Keep the originals in case IRCC asks for them.

What should I do if the fingerprint card is rejected?

Use the rejection notice to identify what needs correction, then follow the issuing authority’s instructions before resubmitting.

Can a certificate be used if it records a charge but does not show the final court outcome?

Ask the court or authority responsible for the case for an official record of the outcome, and submit it if your application instructions require it or IRCC asks for it.

Do I need a police certificate from Canada?

IRCC says you don’t need to give police certificates for time spent in Canada.

Do my children need police certificates?

Only family members 18 or older may need them, and no certificate is needed for any period before age 18.

Conclusion

To prepare a police certificate for Canadian immigration, identify the countries and periods covered by your application, follow IRCC’s instructions for each authority, and plan around the issue-date rules. Keep request and follow-up records, arrange certified translations where needed and use IRCC’s process if a certificate is delayed, unavailable or unclear.

Official sources

Official pages consulted on October 17, 2026:

• IRCC — Police certificates: who needs one
• IRCC — Police certificates: when
• IRCC — Police certificates: how