Rehabilitation
This application is for people who are inadmissible to Canada because of past criminal activity and who wish to overcome the inadmissibility in order to obtain temporary or permanent admission to Canada.
People with criminal convictions in Canada but no foreign convictions can apply to the National Parole Board for a pardon. They do not need to complete this application.
You can apply for individual rehabilitation if at least five years have passed since you completed your criminal sentences. People who are ineligible for approval of rehabilitation because not enough time has passed can complete the form and check “For Information Only.” An officer will decide if special permission for temporary admission is warranted.
Temporary Resident Permit
If you are otherwise inadmissible but have a reason to travel to Canada that is justified in the circumstances, you may be issued a temporary resident permit.
To be eligible for a temporary resident permit, your need to enter or stay in Canada must outweigh the health or safety risks to Canadian society, as determined by an immigration or a border services officer. Even if the reason you are inadmissible seems minor, you must demonstrate that your visit is justified.
There is no guarantee that you will be issued a temporary resident permit. If you would like to receive a permit, you will have to pay a processing fee, which is not refundable.
A permit is usually issued for the length of your visit to Canada—for example, one week to attend a conference. You must leave Canada by the expiry date of the permit, or get a new permit before your current one expires.
Please note that this permit may be cancelled by an officer at any time. The permit is no longer valid once you leave Canada, unless you have specifically been authorized to leave and re-enter.
Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC)
If you have been the subject of a removal order from Canada you will probably need an Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC) if you want to return. Whether you need one depends on the type of removal order that was issued.
Types of removal orders
There are three types of removal orders.
Look at the document you received from Citizenship and Immigration Canada or the Canada Border Services Agency before you left Canada. The form number will tell you the type of removal order.
1. Departure Order (form number IMM 5238)
a) If you received a Departure Order and
- left Canada within the required 30 days and
- verified your departure with a Canadian immigration officer at the port of exit
you do not need an ARC. You may return to Canada subject to normal examination at the port of entry.
b) If you left the country without verifying your departure, or more than 30 days after the Departure Order was issued, the Departure Order automatically becomes a Deportation Order and you need to apply for an ARC (see point 3 below).
2. Exclusion Order (form number IMM 1214B)
a) If you were issued an Exclusion Order and
- 12 months have passed since you left Canada and
- you have a Certificate of Departure (IMM 0056B) showing the date you left Canada
you do not need an ARC. You may return to Canada subject to normal examination at the port of entry.
b) If you wish to return to Canada less than 12 months after the Exclusion Order was issued, or do not have a Certificate of Departure, you need to apply for an ARC.
3. Deportation Order (form number IMM 5238B)
If you have been the subject of a Deportation Order you will need to apply for an ARC.
Note: A Direction to Leave Canada (form number IMM1217B) is not a removal order. If you have been the subject of a Direction to Leave Canada, you do not need to apply for an ARC. You may return to Canada subject to normal examination at the port of entry.