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Last verified: March 2026 · Source: justice.gc.ca← Back to Law Explorer
IRPRPART 8 Refugee ClassesDIVISION 2 Sponsorship
r.156

Ineligibility to be a party to a sponsorship

Refugee Classes
🍁 In Simple Terms

Anyone convicted of murder or a serious violent or sexual offence in Canada — or an equivalent offence abroad — cannot be a party to a refugee sponsorship until at least five years have passed since they completed their sentence.

Affects: Refugee claimants and protected persons
Legal Text — IRPR Regulation 156

(1)156 (1) The following persons are ineligible to be a party to a sponsorship:

(2)(2) For the purpose of paragraph (1)(a), a sponsorship application may not be refused on the basis of a conviction in respect of which a pardon has been granted and has not ceased to have effect or been revoked under the Criminal Records Act , or in respect of which there has been a final determination of an acquittal.

In Practice
Official Source: Justice Canada — IRPR r. 156 (authoritative, may differ from this display)
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