2. Learn when you can be stopped from entering or forced to leave Canada
Whether you're depends on:
- what crime or other activities you were involved with, and
- the immigration status that you have.
Step 1 described the different types of crimes and other activities that can affect whether you can enter or stay in Canada.
Permanent residents and foreign nationals
If you're a or a , you will not be allowed to enter Canada if:
- you committed a ,
- you were involved in organized crime, or
- you're a security threat.
Permanent residents can't be for regular crimes.
If you're a foreign national, a regular crime can make you inadmissible if:
- you committed an outside Canada that's an or in Canada, such as theft, , or dangerous driving, or
- you committed a regulatory offence when entering Canada, such as breaking the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act or breaking the Firearms Act because you had an illegal gun.
A foreign national can be deported for regular crimes, serious crimes, and organized crimes committed outside Canada.
| Type of crime | Permanent residents | Foreign nationals |
| Regular crimes | Can't be removed from Canada. | Can be removed from Canada. |
| Serious crimes | Can be removed from Canada. | Can be removed from Canada. |
| Organized crimes | Can be removed from Canada. | Can be removed from Canada. |
Convention refugees and protected persons
Under international human rights law, the Canadian government must not deport a or to a place where they could be persecuted. But the government can deport them if they're a danger to Canada. The process for doing this is called a danger opinion.
If you're a protected person or a Convention refugee, you could be deported if you're found to be inadmissible to Canada:
- for a serious crime, or
- because you're a security threat, were involved in organized crime, or abused human or international rights.
As well as being found inadmissible, the government must also believe that you're a danger to the public or the security of Canada. In that case, you'll receive a notice about a danger opinion sometime after you've been found inadmissible.
Generally, you have 15 days from the day you get a notice about the danger opinion to provide a response.
The danger opinion process is complicated. You should get legal help from an immigration lawyer right away.
