A pardon

There are many good reasons to apply for a pardon. One is to increase your chances of finding a job. In fact, employers have the right to ask you if you have a criminal record, and it is in your best interest to answer truthfully. For example, if you ever decide to apply as a trucker and you have a criminal record, you will not be allowed to cross Canada’s borders. So it is very important, as you plan your career, to eliminate those sorts of barriers to becoming employed/finding a job in the future.

If you think you might want to apply for a pardon, here are some things you should know:

1. Under the Criminal Records Act (CRA), only the National Parole Board (NPB) has the authority to issue, grant, deny or revoke pardons for convictions under federal acts or regulations of Canada.

2. For an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada, or any other federal statute, you have to wait three (3) years for summary convictions, and five (5) years for an indictable offence, before you can apply for a pardon.

3. A pardon could take 12 to 18 months to be issued.

4. Having a pardon means that your criminal record will be filed separately from other records.

5. So, any research conducted through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) will not show that you ever had a criminal record.

For more information:

Call 1-800-874-2652

Visit the web site http://www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca