If you are planning to travel to Canada this spring, it’s important to be aware that having a criminal record, even for minor offences, could result in being denied entry.

To address criminal inadmissibility and increase your chances of entering Canada, deemed rehabilitation is a potential solution worth exploring.

About Criminal Inadmissibility

Individuals without Canadian citizenship may face refusal at the border due to their criminal record.

Even minor offences in your home country could lead to being turned away, as Canadian immigration officials assess these offences based on Canadian law.

However, there is a possibility of being considered ‘deemed rehabilitated’ by immigration authorities if sufficient time has elapsed since the completion of your sentence(s).

Understanding Deemed Rehabilitation and Eligibility

To potentially overcome criminal inadmissibility through deemed rehabilitation, you must meet certain criteria:

• For summary offences, a minimum of five years must have passed since completing your sentence(s) (two or more offences).
• For a single non-summary (indictable) offence punishable by less than 10 years in prison, at least 10 years must have passed since completing your sentence.

Summary offences are considered less severe, similar to misdemeanours in the US, while indictable offences are more serious, comparable to US felonies.

It is essential to maintain a clean record post-sentence completion, and immigration authorities must be convinced that you pose no further risk of committing offences.

No formal application is required for deemed rehabilitation. When presenting yourself for entry with a criminal record, the officer will assess your situation.