If less than ten years have elapsed since the completion of your sentence and/or you have more than one conviction on your record, you are required to apply for criminal rehabilitation, if you would like to visit, work or immigrate to Canada. If ten years have passed from the completion of your sentence and you only have one conviction on your record, you will likely be deemed rehabilitated simply by the passage of time. However, individuals with more than one conviction on their record will NEVER be deemed rehabilitated by the passage of time, an application for criminal rehabilitation is required.
Canadian immigration defines “one conviction” as not having been charged and convicted of more than one offence, during multiple incidents. So, if during the course of one event you were charged and convicted of several offences, it will only count as a single offense for the purpose of Canadian immigration. If, however it was on two separate occasions then you will have to apply for criminal rehabilitation to be able to enter Canada, as the possibility of being deemed rehabilitated disappears.
Canada’s criminal justice system is relatively liberal, compared to that of other democratic countries. The maximum sentences imposed by Canadian federal legislation, such as the Criminal Code, is relatively relaxed. Most offences under the Criminal Code, carry a maximum punishment of less than 10 years in prison. Offences that carry a maximum punishment of less than 10 years in prison, are considered to be non-serious criminality for the purposes of Canadian immigration. The only determining factor in the severity of the offence, is the maximum jail sentence. Even if you have more than one non-serious offence on your record, it does not become serious criminality – each offence must be examined on its own merit. In addition, the severity of the offence in the country where it took place is not considered for Canadian immigration purposes.
For criminal rehabilitation applications involving non-serious criminality, the processing times are considerably faster and the processing fees are considerably less ($200 CAD) than serious criminality.
Contact FWCanada for assistance with an application for criminal rehabilitation.
About FWCanada:
As one of the most trusted Canadian immigration law firms, FWCanada will ensure that your application receives impeccable attention to detail. Our mission is to provide high quality legal services, in a transparent and efficient manner. Unfortunately, fraudulent and ineffective practice exists in most industries and Canadian immigration is no exception. Only lawyers who are members in good standing of a Canadian bar association, or members of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants are legally authorized to represent clients for the purposes of Canadian immigration. As the legal representative of all FWCanada clients, Attorney Marisa Feil has distinguished herself as a respected authority on Canadian immigration law. She is frequently contacted by government officials and other Canadian immigration lawyers for her expertise.
For more information, please contact FWCanada, Tel: 855-316-3555; Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
Web: http://www.canadianimmigration.net
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