Maple News reports that Canada’s immigration department has clarified police certificate requirements for foreign nationals applying for work permits under the International Experience Canada (IEC) program, with updated guidance provided to officers on the IRCC website.
Under the updated instructions, the applicant’s police certificate for their current country of residence must be issued within six months of IRCC receiving the work permit application. Officials note that this six-month window is now tied to the date IRCC receives the submission, a change from the previous guidance.
The guidance also clarifies that applicants who have lived in another country for six months or longer since turning 18 must obtain a police certificate issued after their last stay in that country.
The changes apply to IEC-specific work permits supported by a recognized organization, as well as to individuals from countries that do not normally require an upfront police certificate but may be asked to provide one by an immigration officer.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents are not required to provide a police certificate if the United States is the only country they have lived in.
IRCC notes that police certificates help determine admissibility under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; candidates with a criminal record that results in inadmissibility may be refused IEC. The updated instructions were published on June 17, 2026.