The government is committed to rebuilding Canadians’ trust in the immigration and citizenship systems. All persons seeking status in Canada—whether temporarily, permanently, or as citizens—must meet eligibility and admissibility requirements as set out in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), and the Citizenship Act.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) works with our Public Safety partners to continuously improve the immigration and citizenship security screening program to ensure that our immigration, asylum, and citizenship systems are resilient and responsive to new and developing world events and pressures.
Every applicant is assessed by a trained immigration or citizenship officer. Officers must be satisfied that applicants are not inadmissible to Canada under the IRPA or prohibited under the Citizenship Act.
In collaboration with our Public Safety partners, IRCC reviews each applicant to ensure that they do not pose a threat to the health, safety, or security of Canadians.
Security Screening Overview
IRCC has integrity measures in place that aim to ensure that anyone who wants to come to Canada does not pose a danger to the security of Canada or Canadians, including by engaging in acts of terrorism, espionage, violence, crimes against humanity and war crimes, or organized criminal activities.
All foreign nationals are assessed before coming into Canada to determine their eligibility and admissibility. All applicants are subject to the legislated requirements in IRPA during this process. This ensures that those who are allowed to come to Canada do not pose a threat to the health, safety, or security of Canadians.
IRCC officers assess permanent and temporary resident applications against departmental databases and risk indicators and work closely with Public Safety partners—Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)—to ensure applicants are not inadmissible on grounds of security, human or international rights violations, or organized criminality.
Foreign nationals that require a further in-depth review are referred to the CBSA and CSIS for a comprehensive security screening. A comprehensive security screening assessment aims to confirm that anyone who wants to come to Canada is not inadmissible under sections 34 (security), 35 (human or international rights violations), and 37 (organized criminality) of IRPA.
Comprehensive security screening timelines vary, which could affect IRCC’s ability to meet admissions, processing targets, or service standards within a given period. Factors, such as application complexity and the completeness of information provided, can contribute to longer processing times.
IRCC also has integrity measures in place for citizenship applications that aim to ensure that anyone seeking the valuable status of Canadian citizenship is not a threat to the security of Canada or Canadians, including by engaging in acts of espionage, subversion, foreign influenced activities, violent extremism, subversion, crimes against humanity, war crimes or organized criminal activities.
“Citizenship Screening” refers to the broader IRCC-lead process of assessing citizenship applications against all eligibility requirements and prohibitions under the Citizenship Act, which include prohibitions related to domestic and foreign criminality; misrepresentation; organized criminality; national security; and war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As part of this process, all citizenship applicants aged 16 and older undergo both CSIS security screening and RCMP criminality screening.
Biometrics (Immigration Screening)
Biometric information (fingerprints) helps to build confidence in Canada’s immigration programs and protect the North American perimeter by serving as the foundation of identity management.
Fingerprints are screened against domestic and international databases as one element of Canada’s standard security screening approach, which uses biometrics (fingerprints) along with biographic information (factual details about their life) to ensure that risks to national security and public safety are identified and mitigated.
When an applicant provides their biometrics, IRCC may receive derogatory information from Migration Five partners (Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States). This information contributes to the assessment of the applicant’s admissibility to Canada.
Information Sharing
As part of Canada’s Border Plan, we are enhancing vetting with the United States of all electronic travel authorization (eTA) applicants to screen for high-risk individuals.
On January 17, regulatory changes came into force to implement amendments to the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the United States of America for the Sharing of Visa and Immigration Information. These changes enable the automated exchange of biographical and biometric information on permanent residents (PRs) of both Canada and the United States. Once the required systems are in place, information will only be exchanged in response to a request as part of either country’s immigration screening process, such as when a client is applying for a visa.
As part of Bill C-12, the Government of Canada introduced legislation to improve how client information is shared within IRCC and with federal, provincial, and territorial government partners. The new legislation would facilitate the sharing of immigration, citizenship, and passport information with our domestic partners to help improve the integrity of government programs and provide better client service.
Bill C-12 will not affect the Security Screening Program. Information shared with CSIS and the CBSA under this program is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and authorized through distinct provisions in IRPA and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act.
Criminal Offences (Immigration)
In addition to the standard security screening program, most PR applicants are required to provide a police certificate or criminal record check (foreign) to assess if there are any potential inadmissibility concerns. In certain cases, temporary resident applicants may also be asked to provide this documentation.
On January 31, 2025, new individual cancellation authorities of temporary resident documents came into force, giving designated officers the explicit authority to cancel visas, eTAs, work permits and study permits on a case by case basis, including for criminal inadmissibility.
PRs or foreign nationals may be subject to inadmissibility under the IRPA due to a conviction or commission of an offence outside of Canada equivalent to an offence punishable by indictment in Canada.
Alleged criminal offences committed on Canadian soil are a matter for law enforcement. Allegations of criminal activity, such as coercion, extortion, or intimidation, should be referred to the RCMP, or local police forces, for investigation.
If a PR or a foreign national is found to be inadmissible on criminal grounds, they may be issued a deportation order by the CBSA, have their visa or eTA cancelled, and be removed from Canada.
The Minister of Public Safety is responsible for policy concerning inadmissibility on grounds of security, human or international rights violation, cross-border criminality, and organized criminality, as well as for immigration enforcement, including removing foreign nationals. Further questions on these matters should be referred to the Minister of Public Safety or the CBSA.
Criminal Offences (Citizenship)
All citizenship applicants aged 16 and older are screened for criminality in collaboration with the RCMP.
Citizenship applicants may be prohibited from obtaining citizenship due to outstanding indictable criminal charges, indictable convictions within four years of the date of application, and the ongoing serving of a criminal sentence or probation.
Citizenship applicants may also be subject to prohibition under the Citizenship Act due to foreign charges or convictions for offences outside of Canada equivalent to indictable offences in Canada.
Extortion Cases
In assessing possible inadmissibility in cases of extortion-related activities under the Immigration and Refugees Protection Act:
Extortion-related activities can make a PR of foreign national inadmissible to Canada for criminality, or for organized crime concerns, regardless of the applicant’s location (inside or outside Canada).
If evidence suggests that the PR or foreign national misrepresented their intentions and/or responses at the time of application, an officer could be satisfied on a balance of probabilities that they are inadmissible for misrepresentation.
In assessing citizenship applications in cases of extortion-related activities Canada, a prohibition may apply under the Citizenship Act:
Criminality if an applicant is charged with, convicted of, or serving a sentence for extortion in Canada under the Criminal Code of Canada s.346, or outside Canada, and the offence is equivalent to an indictable offence in Canada.
Misrepresentation of evidence suggests that the applicant misrepresented or withheld material circumstances in the course of their citizenship application.
Organized criminality or national security if the extortion is linked to organized crime or appears to constitute a threat to the security of Canada (e.g., as a foreign-influenced activity).
Process for Removing Foreign Nationals and Permanent Residents Found to Be Inadmissible
The CBSA is the enforcement arm of Canada’s immigration programs and is responsible for immigration removals. IRCC supports the CBSA with removals by conducting interviews and verifications and writing inadmissibility reports.
A foreign national loses temporary resident status when an IRCC or CBSA officer or the Immigration and Refugee Board has determined they did not comply with IRPA. The eTA or visa held by the individual may also be cancelled.
A PR may lose their status through a formal and rigorous process that includes an admissibility hearing and access to an appeal mechanism. If the PR is deemed inadmissible, they must leave Canada immediately when a removal order comes into force.
A PR cannot lose status automatically without due process as they have a right to have a hearing, appeal most decisions, and remain a PR until a final decision is made.
Most removal and inadmissibility reports are led by the CBSA. There are various reasons, including appeals and legal proceedings, that may prevent the CBSA from enforcing a removal order.
Immigration Screening for Research Security Concerns
The Government of Canada recognizes that open and collaborative academic research is indispensable to pushing the boundaries of science and technology and addressing complex economic and societal challenges.
Canadian-led research can be an attractive target for those seeking to steal, use, and adapt this research for their own priorities and gains, for example, advancements to strategic, military, or intelligence capabilities of other countries that are contrary to Canada’s interests.
Engaging in such activities could present a danger to the security of Canada and/or be considered engaging in espionage.
IRCC’s role in mitigating security threats to Canada-led research primarily involves assessing study and work permit applications from foreign national scholars and students who are seeking to travel to Canada to participate in research at Canadian institutions. If, when reviewing such an application, an officer has concerns relating to the applicant’s admissibility and/or prohibitions, then they may refer the applicant to the CBSA and CSIS for comprehensive security screening.
