Pardon / record suspension
See whether you’re past the waiting period and what a record suspension would involve.
For people with a Canadian record
A Canadian record doesn’t have to close doors
Pardons, U.S. travel and waivers, and background checks for work. Start with a private check, or read how each process works below.
Choose your focus
What do you need help with?
Travelling to the U.S.
Find out how your record could affect crossing the border, before you get to the booth.
U.S. entry waiver
Learn what the I-192 waiver involves, what it costs and how long it lasts.
Jobs and background checks
Understand what an employer’s check can show and which steps could change that.
Not sure where to start
Answer a few general questions and we’ll point you to the process that fits.
The check gives a general, preliminary result based on what you tell us. It isn’t a legal opinion or a guarantee of eligibility, approval, entry, employment or processing time. Government agencies make every final decision.
Pardon (record suspension)
A record suspension — still widely called a pardon — is granted by the Parole Board of Canada. Once it’s ordered, your conviction is kept apart from other criminal records and stops appearing on standard criminal record checks. That matters for job applications, rental applications, volunteering, professional licences and peace of mind.
Waiting periods
| How the offence was prosecuted | Wait after your sentence ends |
|---|---|
| Summary conviction | 5 years |
| Indictable offence | 10 years |
These periods apply to offences committed on or after March 13, 2012; older offences can have shorter waits. Source:Parole Board of Canada — who is eligible.
What you’ll need
- A certified RCMP criminal record check, based on your fingerprints
- Court information for every conviction
- Local police record checks from the places you’ve lived
- Proof of immigration status if you were born outside Canada, and the completed Parole Board forms
How long it takes
Collecting the documents is usually the longest part and depends on how quickly courts and police services respond. After the Parole Board accepts an application, its published service standard is a decision within 6 months for summary offences and 12 months for indictable offences (source).
U.S. entry waiver
The United States doesn’t recognize Canadian pardons. If a conviction makes you inadmissible (drug offences and many theft and fraud offences do), you need advance permission to enter, applied for on Form I-192 through U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
- There’s no waiting period: you can apply at any time.
- CBP requires an RCMP fingerprint-based record check, dated within 15 months of your application.
- Waivers are granted for a set period, after which you apply again.
- The CBP filing fee is US$1,100, paid to CBP (source).
Don’t test the border. Being refused entry creates a record with U.S. authorities. If you’re not sure whether your record is a problem, ask before you travel.
Expungement (non-conviction records)
Charges that were withdrawn, stayed, dismissed or ended in an acquittal can still leave fingerprints, photographs and occurrence reports on file with police. Those records can show up on more detailed police checks — such as vulnerable sector checks — and at the border. Expungement is the process of asking the police services that hold them to destroy or return them.
If you have both convictions and non-conviction records, the Pardon + Expungement package deals with both.
Prices for Canadians
Service fees from Federal Pardons And Waiver Services, in Canadian dollars plus applicable taxes. Your proposal adds the government fees separately.
Pardon (Record Suspension)
Seals your Canadian criminal record from most background checks.
$1,099 + tax
- Covers one conviction; +$50 for each additional one
- Government fees are extra and paid directly to the government
Pardon + Expungement
A record suspension for your convictions, plus removal of non-conviction records.
$1,898 + tax
- Covers one conviction; +$50 for each additional one
- Includes expungement add-on ($799)
- Payment plan: $99 down, then 12 monthly payments
- Government fees are extra and paid directly to the government
Expungement
For charges that never led to a conviction — withdrawn, stayed, dismissed or acquitted.
$799 + tax
- Government fees are extra and paid directly to the government
U.S. Entry Waiver
Permission to enter the United States when a record makes you inadmissible.
$1,099 + tax
- Covers one conviction; +$50 for each additional one
- Payment plan: $99 down, then 12 monthly payments
- Government fees are extra and paid directly to the government
Common questions
Does a pardon erase my record?
No — it sets the record aside. Your conviction is kept separate from other criminal records, and it no longer shows up on a standard Canadian criminal record check. It can be revoked if you are later convicted of a new offence.
When does the waiting period start?
On the day your entire sentence was finished: every fine, victim surcharge and restitution order paid, and any jail, conditional sentence or probation completed. The date you were convicted doesn’t count.
I only had a cannabis possession conviction. Is it different?
Yes. Simple cannabis possession has its own process with no fee and no waiting period. See the Parole Board’s cannabis record suspension page.
Can I apply for the U.S. waiver and the pardon at the same time?
Yes. They are separate applications to separate governments, and the same RCMP fingerprint-based record check can often be used for both if it is recent enough.
Who is not eligible for a record suspension?
Under the Criminal Records Act, people convicted of certain sexual offences involving children (with limited exceptions), and people with more than three indictable convictions that each carried a sentence of two years or more, are generally not eligible. An advisor can check your specific record.
Find out where you stand in a few minutes
The free Clearance Check is private and online. You get your likely route, your timeline and every cost itemized, with no phone call needed.