14 years (indictable) / 2 years less a day (summary)
Forgery with a 14-year indictable maximum is serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1), creating permanent inadmissibility for permanent residents and foreign nationals. Extremely common in immigration-related criminal proceedings, often involving forged identity documents, travel documents, or immigration forms. No deemed rehabilitation is available for offences with maximums of 10 years or more.
Every one commits forgery who makes a false document, knowing it to be false, with intent (a) that it should in any way be used or acted on as genuine, to the prejudice of any one whether within Canada or not; or (b) that a person should be induced, by the belief that it is genuine, to do or to refrain from doing anything, whether within Canada or not.