One of the biggest negative legacies people can create for themselves is the presence of a criminal record. When you have a criminal record in Canada, it can severely limit both your professional and even travel options. Employers have the legal right to reject an applicant if past criminal charges come up in a background check. Even crossing the border
We are often asked, what is the CPIC? People are often told during their youth that they need to behave themselves and don’t get into any kind of legal trouble, or else “it will end up on their permanent record.” To the majority of Canadians, this often feels like an idle threat to maintain good behavior, but in actuality, this
pardons.org If you are trying to get employment or a promotion, often times a criminal background check is conducted on you and the employer will see that you have been in trouble with the police. Even if you were fingerprinted by the police and the charges were later withdrawn, peace bond or dismissed. Since there are usually many candidates for
pardons.org Many people believe that if their criminal charge was withdrawn or dismissed in court then it will simply disappear. That is not true as you can see in the RCMP report below. In this case it was a DUI, or Impaired Driving charge that was dismissed, yet the RCMP report still shows that fingerprints were taken and that the
pardons.org There are many reasons why having a criminal record can hold you back in your life but the biggest obstacle is usually employment. In Canada, most employers conduct criminal background checks and if they see that you have a criminal record they will likely not hire you as there are many other candidates applying for the same position that
pardons.org In Canada, a DUI or Impaired Driving conviction is considered to be a criminal offence. Other similar driving convictions include Driving with Over 80 miligrams, Care and Control of a Motor Vehicle, Driving While Ability Impaired, Refusal to Provide a Breathe Sample are all considered criminal convictions. You will have been fingerprinted by the police, gone to court, found
pardons.org Many people have second and third chapters in their lives and this can include a whole new area of employment. You may never have considered removing an old criminal record if you were working in a certain field for a long period of time and were never subject to a criminal background check. However life changes happen and you
pardons.org Many people want to take advantage of earning extra income by working for Uber. Whether it is for a part time position or full time driving position with Uber, you will be subject to a criminal background check before getting hired. If you have a criminal conviction or have even been fingerprinted by the police it will result in
pardons.org Many people believe that if you have a criminal record then you cannot travel to the US and that you need a US Waiver. This is not true. You really only need a US Waiver if you have been denied entry to the US. If you have never been denied entry to the US then you can obtain a
pardons.org In March 2012, the Conservative government changed the pardons rules which made it more difficult to obtain a pardon. They extended the waiting time or eligibility date to receive a pardon from 3 to 5 years for summary offences and from 5 to 10 years for indictable offences. This change in law also included a name change from the
No part of this website may be reproduced in any form, by any means, without written permission from Pardons Canada
Copyright 2025 Pardons Canada All rights reserved.
