In several countries, a criminal record of any kind may prevent you from visiting. In other countries, it may mean additional scrutiny or paperwork. Still, other countries may not care or even ask about the topic. Some countries may only care about criminal activity in the last few years, whereas others consider any criminal history. Many countries are only concerned if you intend to stay longer-term — not necessarily as a resident, but for a lengthy visit of months in duration.
It all depends on the destination country and, in some cases, on what your criminal record says. In many cases, there are different rules for travelers visiting a foreign country as opposed to attempting to immigrate and become a citizen or obtain a permit to work or stay longer-term.
There are many more issues surrounding visa or work permit applications, permanent resident or immigration applications, and so on. Those are outside the scope of concern for the vast majority of Canadians who are looking to travel with a criminal record. Before you travel to any foreign country, you should do your research to see what is involved — whether you have a criminal record or not.
Visa paperwork and other permissions and documents can often be completed in advance. With that said, there are some general guidelines and rules as to destinations to which you can travel with a criminal record. These can usually be found via the local consulate website.
This also assumes you have a valid passport, identification, and other documentation to travel. A criminal record may or may not prevent you from obtaining a valid Canadian passport. With that said, there are some other principles and tips that can help keep you out of trouble:. Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website. Quick Guide. Service finder. Different countries have different requirements, but you may be asked to apply for one of the following: Basic disclosure certificate : this will give details of any unspent criminal convictions which are recorded on the Police National Computer.
ACRO will also provide police certificates to those wishing to obtain visas to other countries, but only if they have confirmed with the relevant embassy that this will be accepted. Police certificates give details of all convictions, cautions, final warnings and reprimands recorded on the Police National Computer, although ACRO filters certain records after a certain period of time under the old step-down guidelines.
Share article with your friends Print Send. Cookie control. Travelling to the United States is an entirely different story as they have a more radical Visa application program.
Although Australia is a member of the Visa Waiver Program meaning tourists can apply for day ESTA Visas fairly simply any convictions, un-adjudicated arrests, or even a previously refused visa makes you ineligible to apply for travel through the VWP.
However, the list of offences under this category are imprecise and can vary greatly from one jurisdiction to another. According to US Customs and Border Protection, having a conviction for driving under the influence, breaking and entering, disorderly conduct and simple assault are not considered crimes that automatically disqualifies you from entry into the U. Keep in mind though, if you have more than one conviction in conjunction with other misdemeanours, you could be denied entry.
The US conducts extensive security checks on all visa applicants. You will need to present a criminal history report and a consular officer will determine your eligibility during the visa application process. If you try to travel to the US without a visa you could be refused entry. You may be able to apply for a temporary waiver even if your conviction makes you ineligible but processing can take more than 6 to 8 months so you need to plan your trip early.
If you do have a conviction and want to enter Canada, you could submit an application for rehabilitation, under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act However, this is a long process during which you must prove through numerous references that you are rehabilitated and future offences are unlikely. You may also be considered rehabilitated if a certain period of time has passed since the offence.
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