Canadian Government has announced that police clearance certificates will no longer be required for individuals entering the country as temporary residents, including those on study permits.
Gatekeepers News reports that Immigration Minister Marc Miller clarified this during a House of Commons committee session, citing the unreliability of such certificates.
Miller explained that verification is primarily conducted through biometric data, such as fingerprints, which are cross-checked against international law enforcement databases. While police certificates from the country of origin may be requested on a case-by-case basis, they are not routinely required for temporary residents.
“I have never said such certificates are required for temporary residents,” Miller said.
“We do not, as a routine matter, require them for temporary residents. They may be required if an officer decides to do so as part of a cascading security screening.”
Miller also dismissed the efficacy of such checks, stating, “You could imagine how unreliable those certificates would be.”
The announcement comes amid debates about security checks for temporary residents, including international students, following recent criminal cases involving past visitors.
Miller rebutted claims that the Canadian government is lax in its security screening process, stating, “We’re not lax. We have a process for screening student visa applicants. If they have a criminal record, they don’t come in.”
