Police Certificates and Clearances
Almost every Canadian immigration application requires a police certificate from every country you have lived in for an extended period — proof you do not have a disqualifying criminal history.
Book Free AssessmentWhat a police certificate is
A police certificate (sometimes called a police clearance certificate or good conduct certificate) is an official document from a law enforcement or judicial authority confirming your criminal record status — or confirming you have no record — in a specific jurisdiction. IRCC uses these to assess criminal admissibility to Canada, which is a standard part of nearly every application involving temporary or permanent residence.
When you need one
You generally need a police certificate for every country (and in the US, sometimes every state) where you have lived for a set minimum period — commonly cited as six months or more since turning 18, though this threshold is set by IRCC and worth confirming for your specific situation. For US applicants, this often means an FBI background check covering your full US residence history, plus certificates from any other country you lived in for the qualifying period, such as during study abroad or a prior work assignment.
How to obtain one
For US applicants, the most common route is an FBI Identity History Summary check, submitted either directly to the FBI or through an FBI-approved channeler for faster turnaround. Some US states also require or accept a state-level background check depending on your history. For other countries, the process varies significantly — some require in-person application, others accept mail-in or online requests through a consulate. Because processes and required formats differ by country, this is an area where structuring your request correctly the first time avoids weeks of delay.
Typical cost and timeline
FBI Identity History Summary requests processed directly by the FBI typically take longer than requests routed through an approved channeler, which can significantly speed up turnaround for a modest additional fee. Certificates from other countries can range from a same-day in-person process to several months by mail, depending on the country. Because processing times and fees are set by each issuing authority (not IRCC) and change independently, Mahyar will help you identify realistic current timelines for your specific countries of residence rather than relying on outdated online estimates.
Common mistakes
The most common issue is starting too late — some countries take months to issue a certificate, and IRCC generally wants certificates that are still valid (not too old) at the time of application, which creates a narrow timing window. Applicants also sometimes miss a required jurisdiction entirely, such as a state or country from years earlier, because they assumed a short stay didn't count. Finally, name discrepancies between a certificate and your passport (due to marriage, translation, or transliteration) can cause processing delays if not addressed proactively with supporting documentation.
This page provides general guidance and is not a substitute for personalized advice. Fees, thresholds, and processing times shown as ranges or hedged estimates change with each IRCC update — Mahyar will confirm your current numbers during a free assessment.
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