I’m not a Canadian citizen. What happens if I committed a crime outside Canada?
You may not be able to enter or stay in Canada if:
- you're not a Canadian citizen, and
- you committed, were charged with, or were of a crime outside Canada.
If you're not allowed to enter or stay in Canada because of a crime, this means you've been found criminally .
If you're not allowed to stay in Canada, you will not be able to get or keep your status.
Entering Canada
If you're stopped from entering Canada, this means that you'll not be able to come into Canada as a refugee claimant, visitor, student, or worker.
An immigration officer will decide if you can enter Canada:
- when you arrive at a ,
- when you apply for a permit, or
- when you apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or through Canada.
In some situations, an immigration officer can give you a temporary resident permit to enter Canada if there's a valid reason to do this. For example, you have a job offer in Canada and your criminal conviction happened many years ago.
An immigration officer can also cancel a temporary resident permit at any time.
Deciding if you’re admissible
You may have an at the Immigration Division of the (IRB).
Or, an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) may decide about your admissibility without a .
You may be admissible and be able to enter or stay in Canada, if the immigration officer finds that your crime:
- is not serious, or
- is not a crime that stops you from entering Canada.
Being convicted when you’re under 18
If you were convicted of a crime outside Canada when you were under the age of 18, you may be inadmissible if:
- you were convicted in adult court in a country that has special laws for young offenders, or
- you would have been treated as an adult in Canada because of the crime you were convicted of.
Get legal help
If you've been of or committed a crime outside Canada, you should get legal help right away. There are legal options you may be able to take to enter or stay in Canada.
