Criminal Inadmissibility
Why Criminal Inadmissibility?
When foreign nationals or permanent residents of Canada are found to have committed criminal acts, they may be deemed inadmissible to Canada. Those who are deemed inadmissible must leave Canada right away and will usually not be allowed to return to or enter Canada.
There are two main kinds of criminal inadmissibility.
Inadmissibility for involvement in the individual crime. This category is sometimes divided into two sub-categories: general criminality and serious criminality. Involvement in organized crime. For more information on the two kinds of crime listed above, see the links below.
- Determining Inadmissibility for Individual Criminality
- Determining Inadmissibility for Organized Criminality
Determining Inadmissibility for Individual Criminality
Here, you will find a description of how Canadian immigration authorities determine whether an individual is inadmissible to Canada for individual criminal activity and a description of the four main groups of individuals who can be deemed inadmissible to Canada for criminal activity. In assessing whether a person should be deemed inadmissible to Canada for individual criminal activity, Canadian immigration officers will first classify a person into one of the following four groups.
- Convicted in Canada
- Convicted Outside of Canada
- Committing an Act
- Committing a Crime on Entering Canada
Determining Inadmissibility for Organized Criminality
Here you can read the description of the two types of people that can be found inadmissible to Canada for involvement in organized crime. Those that are members of an organization that is believed, on reasonable grounds, to be or to have been involved in a pattern of organized criminal activity. This organized activity must consist of many people working together to commit crimes that are punishable by indictment in Canada. The activity may also consist of acts outside of Canada that would be punishable by indictment if they happened in Canada.