Police certificates are a key part of confirming that candidates in numerous immigration programs are admissible to Canada. Here’s all about the need for police certificates when applying for Express Entry. This information is for people living in Canada & outside.
Express Entry is Canada’s largest federal immigration pathway, which helps IRCC bring more skilled professionals to the nation. By offering permanent residence to applicants, IRCC has worked hard to supplement this nation’s natural workforce & address national labor market gaps simultaneously.
Note: Under the Express Entry program, Canada’s federal government manages FSWP, FSTP & CEC applications.
Read on to know more about the need for police certificates when applying for Express Entry.
What Is A Police Certificate?
A police certificate is a document used to verify whether a permanent resident/ citizenship candidate is inadmissible to Canada. These documents can provide necessary authorities with a copy of the applicant’s criminal record.
Police certificates are important because candidates with a criminal record and those who pose a risk to Canada’s security might not be allowed to enter/ stay in Canada. These documents must be submitted as part of all Canadian citizenship & PR applicants. Although not always a requirement, police certificates might also be requested by IRCC from visitor visa, work permit, & study permit applicants.
Note: Police certificates might go by different names depending on the nation from which they are requested. Some instances include police clearance certificates & judicial record extracts.
Generally, principal immigration candidates & any family members above the age of 18 might need to get a police certificate. However, this will ultimately depend on the program you are applying to.
Do I Need A Police Certificate When Applying For Express Entry?
Yes, there is a relatively higher need for police certificates when applying for Express Entry. Moreover, candidates in any of the Express Entry-managed programs have 90 days to submit their police certificate.
Note: Due to the competitive nature of Express Entry & time it might take to obtain a police certificate, IRCC advises candidates to seek a police certificate as soon as they enter the applicant pool.
More About Express Entry: Category-Based Draws
In addition to the need for police certificates when applying for Express Entry, IRCC recently introduced category-based Express Entry draws. In addition to standard Express Entry selections, which issue ITA for PR primarily based on their CRS score, category-based draws focus on bringing in skilled workers with in-demand recent work experience/ proficiencies.
For 2023, IRCC has chosen to conduct category-based draws for immigration applicants with French-language proficiencies as well as work experience. It included the following five sectors – STEM professions, trades, transport, healthcare, agriculture/ agri-food.
How Do I Get A Police Certificate?
Police certificates often need to be obtained from the police/ government.
These certificates might require the submission of information/ documents, including biometrics, dates of residence, addresses in a specific country & payment of any required fees. Biometrics submission for a police certificate is different from biometrics submission for an immigration application.
What Do I Do If I Cannot Get A Police Certificate In Time?
With just 60 days to apply for PR in Canada once an applicant obtains their ITA, there are specific situations where a candidate might not be able to request & obtain their police certificate in time to meet the deadline.
Note: In this case, candidates can either decline their ITA or prove to IRCC that they applied for a police certificate.
- Option 1: Declining Your ITA
With this alternative, the Express Entry profile of the candidate will be returned to the applicant pool. Moreover, they will need to wait & see whether they are invited to apply for PR in Canada again.
- Option 2: Prove You Applied For The Police Certificate
IRCC might conditionally accept a letter of explanation that demonstrates a candidate’s effort to obtain a police certificate in a timely manner.
Examples of proof cited by IRCC as valid include:
- A delivery notice/ tracking number
- A confirmation receipt/ payment receipt.
Note: Final determination will be left to the discretion of an IRCC officer. Depending upon the officer’s assessment, an Express Entry application might be rejected for incompleteness.
Other Key Information Regarding Police Certificates
The following list contains crucial information regarding the need for police certificates when applying for Express Entry:
- The validity period of a police certificate depends upon the program for which the certificate is required; the instruction guide for each program will include this information.
- Canadian immigration candidates will generally be required to submit the police certificate issued by every nation in which they resided for six or more consecutive months over the ten years preceding their immigration application.
- Police certificates are not required for any candidate’s time in Canada.
- Police certificates are only needed for the time after the candidate turns 18 years of age.