Effect of a conviction

If you are convicted of a criminal offence:

• You may not be permitted to travel to another country, such as the United States
• If you are visiting Canada on a student visa or temporary work permit, you may be deported
• If you are a landed immigrant, you may need to wait for several years before you can apply for citizenship or, if you committed a serious offence, you may be deported
• You may be refused a permit or licence to purchase or use a firearm

Record suspensions and criminal records

You may have to wait up to 10 years after your sentence has been completed before applying for a record suspension. The exact waiting period depends on your sentence.

The Parole Board of Canada decides whether or not to grant record suspension. A record suspension allows you to have your criminal record removed from the public record.

To learn more about record suspensions, see Record Suspensions or this Parole Board of Canada fact sheet.