Applicants for Canadian permanent residence who are 18 years of age or older must undergo security screening to ensure they are not criminally inadmissible to Canada. As part of this process, Police Clearance Certificates (PCCs), also known as certificates of non-criminal activity, are required.

These certificates must be obtained from the applicant’s current country of residence as well as from any country where they have lived for six months or more since turning 18. PCCs are usually issued by police authorities, government agencies, or approved third-party organizations, and may require biometric verification such as fingerprints.

Key Requirements for Police Clearance

• Certificate from current country of residence must be recent (generally issued within 6 months)
• Certificates from previous countries must be issued after the applicant last left that country
• Documents not in English or French must include certified translations
• In some cases, Immigration authorities may request fingerprint-based verification or waive the requirement in exceptional situations

Security Screening Process

All applicants also undergo background security checks to ensure they are not involved in activities such as:

• Espionage
• Subversion
• Terrorism

These assessments are based on information from multiple sources. If concerns arise, applicants may be called for an interview. Any individual considered a threat to national security will be refused entry to Canada.