No Need to Submit 'Old Criminal Records' During Canadian Visa Screening

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] From now on, when applying for a Canadian visa, applicants can submit criminal records excluding those with expired convictions instead of the 'identity verification' criminal record containing all past convictions.

The National Police Agency announced on the 7th that Canada has changed its policy starting this month to require the submission of a 'criminal record report for foreign entry and stay permission' when screening visas for Korean nationals. The police explained, "This information has been announced through the Canadian government and the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Embassy) websites."

Until now, the Canadian Embassy in Korea required the submission of 'identity verification' criminal record data when issuing visas. However, since the 2015 amendment of the Act on the Effectiveness of Sentences, the use of identity verification data for purposes other than identity verification is prohibited, leading the police to refuse issuance, which caused complaints. Additionally, the identity verification data included minor fines and other penalties that had long expired, resulting in visa refusals based on these records.

The police actively communicated these difficulties to the Canadian side and continuously requested changes, ultimately leading to a shift in Canada's position. Previously, the National Police Agency commissioned a related policy research project last year and held a briefing session for immigration counselors at the Canadian Embassy in Korea earlier this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.