How will my criminal record affect my Permanent Residence Status and application for citizenship?

A permanent resident is a person who has been given lawful permission to permanently live in Canada, but who is not yet a Canadian citizen.

If you have a criminal record, your application for Canadian citizenship can be denied, delayed or put on hold. At the very least, it will slow down the process. If the conviction is for a serious offence, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) may decide to start removal proceedings for the purpose of removing your permanent residence status and deporting you from Canada. Even if you have been landed for many years or since childhood, your residency status may be taken away and you can be deported.

Sometimes criminal convictions from many years ago are brought to the attention of Immigration Canada years after the crime was committed. Even in such a situation, where the criminal record is old, Immigration Canada may still take away the person’s permanent residence status and deport them.

If you are applying for Canadian citizenship, it is best to do so only after you have sealed or destroyed your criminal record.