Can I Enter Canada With Multiple Convictions?

Two convictions from separate incidents can make you inadmissible under IRPA s.36(2)(b), even minor ones, if each would be an offence under a federal Act in Canada. If every offence would be summary in Canada, deemed rehabilitation can apply 5 years after the last sentence ends. With more than one indictable or hybrid offence, the routes are a Temporary Resident Permit or Criminal Rehabilitation. An officer decides.

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Last verified: November 2026

$246.25
IRCC’s Criminal Rehabilitation fee for non-serious criminality
$1,231
IRCC’s Criminal Rehabilitation fee for serious criminality
$246.25
IRCC’s Temporary Resident Permit fee, per person
Over a year
How long IRCC says rehabilitation applications can take

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When do multiple convictions make you inadmissible?

IRPA s.36 sets out the criminal inadmissibility framework.

s.36(1)(b): Serious criminality (outside Canada): convicted of an offence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years. It can flow from a single offence.
s.36(2)(b), first part: Criminality (outside Canada): convicted of an offence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an indictable offence under an Act of Parliament. A single indictable-equivalent (or hybrid) offence falls here.
s.36(2)(b), second part: Two offences not arising out of a single occurrence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute offences under an Act of Parliament. This is the multiple-conviction trigger: the two offences do not each have to be indictable.

Two or more convictions from separate incidents can make you inadmissible even if each offence, on its own, is minor and would be a summary conviction offence in Canada. The provision turns on the offences not arising out of a single occurrence, not on how serious each one is.

In Canadian criminal law, many offences are “hybrid”: the Crown can choose to proceed by summary conviction or by indictment. For IRPA inadmissibility purposes, hybrid offences are treated as indictable, so a single hybrid-equivalent offence lands at the s.36(2)(b) criminality tier, the same as a true indictable offence.

The rule

Having been convicted outside Canada of two offences not arising out of a single occurrence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute offences under an Act of Parliament.

IRPA s.36(2)(b)Verify on justice.gc.ca

When does deemed rehabilitation still apply?

Deemed rehabilitation is the rule in IRPA s.36(3)(c) and IRPR s.18 under which someone can be considered rehabilitated once enough time has passed, with no application required by the Regulations.

More than one conviction does not by itself close it. IRPR s.18 sets out three prescribed classes, and one of them is specifically for multiple summary-equivalent offences:

IRPR s.18(2)(a): a single offence that, if committed in Canada, would be an indictable offence punishable by less than 10 years, where at least 10 years have elapsed since the day after the sentence was completed.
IRPR s.18(2)(b): two or more offences that, if committed in Canada, would all be summary conviction offences, where at least 5 years have elapsed since the day after the last sentence was completed.
Both classes carry further conditions: no other conviction in Canada or abroad inside the 10-year or 5-year window, limits on older summary convictions, and no act described in IRPA s.36(2)(c).
Time runs from the day after every part of every sentence is finished, including probation, parole, fines and a driving prohibition, as IRCC guide 5312 counts them.

How a record with more than one conviction is classified
Record	IRPA Section	Deemed Rehab Available?
One summary-equivalent conviction only	Generally none; s.36(2)(b) requires an indictable equivalent or two offences	Not needed. Because hybrid offences count as indictable, confirm the equivalency before relying on this
Two or more indictable/hybrid-equivalent convictions	s.36(2)(b)	No deemed rehab class covers this; the routes are Criminal Rehabilitation or a TRP
Any serious criminality conviction (10+ yr Canadian max equivalent)	s.36(1)	No deemed rehab; needs Criminal Rehabilitation or a TRP

What closes deemed rehabilitation is more than one indictable or hybrid-equivalent offence in the record, a serious-criminality offence, or another conviction inside the waiting period.

What are the routes when deemed rehabilitation does not apply?

Temporary Resident Permit (TRP): A TRP under IRPA s.24(1) can be issued even when you have multiple convictions, and even when not enough time has passed for rehabilitation. There is no minimum waiting period; the test is whether your need to enter is judged to outweigh the risk, and you must show a compelling reason to enter Canada. An officer decides each TRP at their discretion.
Criminal Rehabilitation: Criminal Rehabilitation under IRPA s.36(3)(c) is the application-based route, available regardless of how many convictions you have, once at least 5 years have passed since all sentence conditions for all offences are fully completed (IRPR s.17). Once granted it removes the grounds of inadmissibility for the offences covered, and a new offence can create new inadmissibility. IRCC says these applications can take over a year to process.

The Criminal Rehabilitation fee depends on the most serious offence's equivalency: $246.25 CAD for criminality (non-serious) or $1,231 CAD for serious criminality. Where every offence is summary-level, IRCC guide 5312 marks applying as not applicable and lists the five-year deemed class instead.

Who decides, and does the number of convictions count?

IRCC guide 5312 lists the number of offences, and the circumstances and seriousness of each, among the factors for a rehabilitation application. The instructions IRCC gives officers on permits list whether there is a pattern of criminal behaviour.

IRCC guide 5312 says rehabilitation means that you lead a stable lifestyle and are unlikely to be involved in any further criminal activity. An officer or a delegate of the Minister weighs the whole record and decides.

If any one of your convictions maps to a Canadian offence with a maximum of 10 years or more, the Criminal Rehabilitation application falls under serious criminality, even when your other convictions are minor. IRCC guide 5312 says the Minister decides the more serious offences while the manager of the local office usually decides the less serious ones.

What happens at the border with multiple convictions?

Arriving at the border while inadmissible, with no permit or approved rehabilitation, can end in a refusal of entry. An officer can ask about every conviction, and IRPA s.16(1) requires a truthful answer to every question.

A TRP request can be made in advance or at a port of entry. A request at a port of entry is discretionary, and IRCC says a person refused there is not allowed to enter Canada.

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What do people ask?

What counts as multiple convictions for entering Canada?

Multiple convictions means two or more offences that did not arise out of a single occurrence. Under IRPA s.36(2)(b), two such convictions outside Canada make you inadmissible for criminality if both would be offences under a federal Act in Canada, even when each is minor. Convictions from one incident are treated differently, and one serious offence triggers s.36(1) on its own. Our IRPA s.36 page shows the full text of each rule.

I have two minor misdemeanours from 15 years ago, can I enter Canada?

Possibly, if both would be summary conviction offences in Canada. Two convictions from separate incidents trigger IRPA s.36(2)(b), but IRPR s.18(2)(b) sets a deemed rehabilitation class once 5 years have passed since the day after your last sentence ended, with no application, and an officer checks its conditions. If either offence would be indictable or hybrid in Canada, that five-year class is closed. Our deemed rehabilitation guide explains each class.

Can I enter Canada with multiple DUI convictions?

Usually only with a TRP or Criminal Rehabilitation. A DUI committed on or after December 18, 2018 matches Criminal Code s.320.14, with a 10-year maximum: serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1). An older DUI matched a hybrid offence, which counts as indictable, so the all-summary deemed rehabilitation class never applies to two DUIs. Criminal Rehabilitation opens 5 years after every sentence ends. Our DUI and Canada entry guide covers both dates.

Do multiple convictions for the same crime, or from the same incident, count as two?

Two convictions for the same type of crime on different dates count as two offences under IRPA s.36(2)(b), and a repeat of the same offence also raises pattern concerns for an officer. Convictions that arise out of a single occurrence, such as a DUI and an open container charge from one traffic stop, fall outside the two-offence rule. Each offence is still assessed on its own. How the charges are described matters. Our Criminal Equivalency page shows how each offence is matched.

I was pardoned or received an expungement for both convictions. Does that help?

It may, and an officer decides. IRCC says a person pardoned for an offence outside Canada may still be inadmissible, and that the visa office can tell you whether a foreign pardon is valid in Canada. IRPA s.36(3)(b) names a record suspension under the Criminal Records Act of Canada, not a foreign measure. Give the officer the full court records and the pardon. Our record suspension vs expungement guide explains the difference.

Can I get Criminal Rehabilitation if I have three convictions?

Yes, Criminal Rehabilitation under IRPA s.36(3)(c) is open whatever the number of convictions, once at least 5 years have passed since every sentence for every offence ended. IRCC lists the number of offences among the factors it considers. The fee follows the most serious offence: $246.25 CAD for criminality or $1,231 CAD for serious criminality, and a TRP is $246.25 CAD. Our Criminal Rehabilitation page explains the application.

What if one conviction is serious criminality and one is non-serious?

The serious conviction controls, so you are assessed under IRPA s.36(1). Deemed rehabilitation never applies to serious criminality, so your routes are Criminal Rehabilitation, once 5 years have passed since every sentence ended, or a TRP for travel before then. IRCC lists the number of offences, and the seriousness of each, among the factors it considers. Our TRP vs Criminal Rehabilitation guide compares the two routes.

Will all of my convictions show up at the Canadian border?

An officer can ask about all of them, and the law requires a true answer: under IRPA s.16(1), a person must answer truthfully all questions put to them. IRCC guide 5312 says the officer needs complete details of all charges, convictions and court dispositions. Hiding or downplaying a conviction can create a separate misrepresentation inadmissibility under IRPA s.40, which rehabilitation does not fix. Our US criminal record guide covers records from the United States.

Part of:Criminal record

Official sources

This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.