Police certificates are required in Express Entry permanent residence applications to help IRCC assess an applicant’s criminal history and possible inadmissibility to Canada.
The rules are often misunderstood. You do not necessarily need a certificate from every country you have ever visited, and a certificate that is more than six months old is not automatically invalid. Different issuance rules apply to your current country of residence and countries where you previously lived.
Who Needs to Submit Police Certificates?
The Express Entry system generally requests police certificates for:
- The principal applicant
- Family members aged 18 or older
- Every country where the applicant or family member stayed for six consecutive months or longer during the last 10 years
Police certificates are not normally required for periods before the person turned 18 or for time spent in Canada.
After submission, however, an officer may request additional certificates covering any period since the applicant turned 18.
Is the Six-Month Rule Cumulative?
The general test is whether the person stayed in a country for six months in a row.
For example, a person who visited the same country for four months each year over three years accumulated 12 months of total presence. However, because none of those visits lasted six consecutive months, the online system may not automatically request a certificate.
IRCC may still request one after the application is submitted. Applicants with repeated extended stays or complicated travel histories should determine in advance whether a certificate can be obtained.
When Must the Certificate Be Issued?
The requirements differ depending on whether it is your current country of residence or a country where you previously lived.
| Country |
IRCC issuance requirement |
| Current country of residence |
Issued no more than six months before PR submission |
| Previous country of residence |
Issued after the last stay of six consecutive months or longer |
| Canada |
Normally not submitted at the initial Express Entry stage |
| Country visited only before age 18 |
Normally not required |
Your current country of residence
The certificate must have been issued no more than six months before the date you submit your permanent residence application.
IRCC may request an updated certificate if processing continues for an extended period.
A country where you previously lived
The certificate must have been issued after the last time you stayed in that country for six consecutive months or longer.
IRCC may accept a certificate showing an expired validity date if:
- It is not from your current country of residence; and
- It was issued after your last qualifying period of residence.
IRCC retains the authority to request updated documents during processing.
Do You Mail the Original Certificate to IRCC?
Express Entry applicants generally upload a colour scan of the original police certificate.
The submission should include:
- A colour scan of the original certificate
- An English or French translation, when required
- Any additional documents required by the country-specific IRCC instructions
IRCC states that certified true copies or unauthorized copies will not be accepted in place of a scanned original and may result in the application being rejected as incomplete.
What If You Cannot Get the Certificate Within 60 Days?
After receiving an Invitation to Apply, an Express Entry candidate generally has 60 days to submit a complete permanent residence application.
The submission deadline is not automatically extended because a police certificate is delayed. If the document is unavailable, the applicant may upload the following in the country-specific police certificate field:
- A letter of explanation
- Proof of having made the best effort to obtain the certificate
- An application confirmation
- A payment receipt
- A delivery or tracking record
- A notice from the issuing authority explaining the delay
- Relevant emails or appointment confirmations
Whether the evidence demonstrates sufficient effort is determined by the reviewing officer. An application may be rejected as incomplete if the officer is not satisfied with the explanation and supporting proof.
Some countries issue police certificates only after the applicant receives an official IRCC request letter. In that situation, the applicant should upload a document explaining that the issuing country requires an official IRCC letter. IRCC may provide further instructions after confirming that the rest of the application is complete.
Common Police Certificate Mistakes
Obtaining the current-country certificate too early
A certificate obtained while waiting for an ITA may be too old if more than six months have passed by the date of permanent residence submission.
Obtaining a previous-country certificate before departure
A certificate issued before the applicant’s last qualifying period of residence ended may not satisfy the requirement.
Adding separate short visits together
The standard Express Entry threshold is a stay of six consecutive months during the last 10 years. IRCC may nevertheless request a certificate for repeated shorter stays.
Selecting the wrong purpose for a Korean report
Korean applicants should obtain the report for foreign-country immigration and stay, not a general personal-review version.
Ignoring former names or alternate spellings
Applicants who changed their names or used alternate spellings may need to demonstrate that the certificate covers all relevant identities.
FAQ
Q1. Do I need to submit an RCMP police check because I lived in Canada for more than six months?
Not normally at the initial Express Entry submission stage. IRCC may later request an RCMP fingerprint-based criminal record check if one is required.
Q2. Must I replace an expired certificate from a former country of residence?
Not necessarily. IRCC may accept it if it is not from your current country and it was issued after your last stay of six consecutive months or longer. An officer may still request an updated certificate during processing.
Q3. Can IRCC extend my ITA deadline because the certificate is delayed?
There is no automatic extension. Submit the application within the deadline with a letter of explanation and evidence such as receipts, tracking records and correspondence showing your best efforts to obtain the certificate.
Disclaimer
This article provides general information and does not constitute legal advice. Required documents may vary according to the immigration program, the applicant’s age, residence history, family composition, criminal history and each country’s issuance procedures. Applicants should verify the current IRCC instructions before applying.
