If your criminal offence has been stayed in court, then it is not a full conviction however the criminal record will still show up on a criminal background check or RCMP or CPIC report. Whether your criminal offence was an assault, theft, fraud or anything else that was stayed in court, it will show up for life until you apply to get it removed.
This will get in the way of getting employment, volunteering and traveling to the US as it can still be seen by the public.
It is important to apply for a file destruction in order to remove your stayed offence from public record. Once completed, your offence will no longer show up on a criminal background check or RCMP file and you will be safe for work, travel and volunteering. You do not need a full record suspension or pardon as a stayed offence is not a full conviction but a file destruction will be enough.
Here is a recent article on the CBC about how a stayed sexual offence has severely affected the person’s ability to get work:
