How to File a Criminal Rehabilitation Application to Enter Canada

To apply for criminal rehabilitation in Canada, file Form IMM 1444 with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) once at least five years have passed since you completed every part of your sentence. The Canada criminal rehabilitation application permanently removes the inadmissibility your record creates, so future trips no longer require special permission. The fee is $246.25 CAD for non-serious criminality or $1,231 CAD for serious criminality, and processing typically takes over a year.¹

Do You Actually Need to Apply

Not every foreign national with a record needs to file. Canada recognizes “deemed rehabilitation,” which clears inadmissibility automatically after enough time has passed for a less serious offense. You may qualify if you have one conviction for an offense that would carry a maximum Canadian sentence of less than ten years, at least ten years have passed since you finished your sentence, and the offense did not involve serious property damage, physical harm, or weapons. For two or more summary-level convictions, the waiting period is five years.²

If you fall outside deemed rehabilitation, IMM 1444 is your path. Which fee tier applies depends on how Canada classifies your offense under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA):

Serious criminality. The offense, if committed in Canada, would carry a maximum prison sentence of at least ten years. A common example is impaired driving, which the Canadian Criminal Code allows to be prosecuted by indictment with up to ten years’ imprisonment.
Criminality (non-serious). The offense would be indictable in Canada but punishable by less than ten years, or you have two or more convictions from separate incidents that would be federal offenses in Canada.

Under IRPA section 36(3), hybrid offenses (those that can be prosecuted either summarily or by indictment) are treated as indictable for inadmissibility purposes. That is why a first-offense DUI, minor in many U.S. states, triggers serious criminality in Canada.³

A pardon or expungement from another country does not automatically clear you. Canada decides independently whether it recognizes a foreign pardon, and IRCC advises contacting the visa office serving your region to ask before assuming it applies.⁴

When You Become Eligible

You can file only after at least five years have passed since you completed every part of your sentence. The clock starts on the last day of any sentence-related obligation, not the conviction date and not the day you left custody. Probation, parole, community service, fines, and restitution all count. If you served time and then had three years of probation, the five-year countdown begins the day probation ended. Unpaid fines or outstanding restitution mean the clock has not started at all.⁴

Offenses handled as a youth generally do not trigger criminal inadmissibility in the first place.³

What Goes in the Package

The application is document-heavy, and missing paperwork is one of the most common reasons for delay. Start gathering materials well before you fill out the form. Some records take weeks or months to arrive.

The Forms

IRCC requires three forms submitted together:⁵

IMM 1444, the rehabilitation application itself.
IMM 5507, the document checklist, completed and used as a cover sheet.
IMM 5476, Use of a Representative, only if a lawyer or immigration consultant is acting for you.

Criminal and Court Records

You need full details of every charge, conviction, court disposition, and pardon from any country. For each offense, the form asks for the offense name, the statute or section, the conviction date (or offense date and disposition if there was no conviction), the city and country, and the sentence imposed. Include certified copies of court judgments and sentencing records, and attach a photocopy of the foreign law you were charged under so the reviewing officer can compare it to the equivalent Canadian statute.⁶

Police Certificates

You need a police certificate from every country where you lived for six consecutive months or longer since turning 18. Time spent in Canada and any period before age 18 are excluded.⁷

For the United States, IRCC requires an FBI Identity History Summary. You can request one through the FBI’s website for $18 USD.⁸ State-level certificates are not separately required.⁹

Personal Statement

Include a written statement explaining the circumstances of each offense and what has changed since. Officers use this to assess rehabilitation beyond what the court documents show. Be concrete: steady employment, completed treatment, community involvement, family responsibilities. Vague claims about personal growth carry little weight next to specifics you can point to.

Translations

Any document not in English or French needs a certified translation submitted alongside the original or a certified copy. You cannot translate your own documents, and neither can a family member, friend, or immigration representative. The translator must provide a signed statement confirming accuracy, along with their credentials and contact information.

What It Costs

Criminality (non-serious): $246.25 CAD
Serious criminality: $1,231.00 CAD

Pay through the IRCC online payment portal before mailing your package, and include the printed receipt with the barcode.¹⁰ The fee is non-refundable regardless of outcome. Biometrics fees may apply; IRCC will notify you after receipt if biometrics are needed.⁵

Where to Send It

The application is paper-only. There is no online submission option. Where you mail it depends on your location and whether you are filing anything else at the same time:¹¹

From inside Canada, mail it to the Canada Immigration Centre for your area.
From outside Canada with a visa, study permit, or work permit application, submit it with the temporary residence application at the nearest Visa Application Centre.
From outside Canada with an eTA requirement, IRCC will confirm your temporary residence eligibility first, then ask you to send the rehabilitation application separately to the visa office for your region.
Alongside a permanent residence application, submit both together.

IRCC’s website has a tool that identifies the specific visa office for your country of residence.¹² Use a courier with tracking; the package contains originals and certified copies that are not easily replaced.

How Long It Takes and What Approval Means

IRCC states that rehabilitation applications can take over a year to process.¹ Complex records, missing documents, and office backlogs stretch that further. You will receive the decision in writing.

If approved, the criminal inadmissibility for that record is permanently resolved. You will not need to reapply or carry special documentation for the same offense on future trips. Approval only lifts the criminal bar, though. You still need to meet every other requirement for the visa, permit, or status you are seeking.⁵

If You’re Denied or Can’t Wait

A denial means the officer was not satisfied that enough time and change separates you from the conduct. IRCC’s published guidance does not describe a formal appeal specific to rehabilitation refusals. You can reapply if your circumstances change; additional clean years, new evidence, or completed treatment can strengthen a second try. Judicial review through Canada’s Federal Court is also available and is best handled with an immigration lawyer.

If you have not yet reached five years of eligibility, or you need to enter Canada before a rehabilitation decision comes back, a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) may fit. A TRP grants entry for a specific purpose and limited period, from one day to three years, when your need to be in Canada outweighs the risk. Business meetings, medical appointments, family emergencies, and conferences are common reasons. It does not erase inadmissibility. You would need a new permit for future trips unless you eventually obtain rehabilitation or become deemed rehabilitated. Depending on circumstances, a TRP can sometimes be issued at the border, though applying in advance gives you more certainty.¹³

1
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. How Long Will It Take to Get a Decision on My Individual Rehabilitation
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Deemed Rehabilitation
3
Department of Justice Canada. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act SC 2001 c 27 – Section 36
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Overcome Criminal Convictions
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Rehabilitation for Persons Who Are Inadmissible to Canada Because of Past Criminal Activity
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Application for Criminal Rehabilitation IMM 1444
7
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Police Certificate: When to Get a Police Certificate
8
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. How to Get a Police Certificate: United States
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Pay Your Application Fees Online
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Application for Rehabilitation for Persons Who Are Inadmissible to Canada Because of Past Criminal Activity
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Inadmissibility: Where to Submit Your Application
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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Temporary Resident Permits