The Canadian government has announced that police clearance certificates will no longer be required for individuals entering the country as temporary residents, including those on study permits, due to their unreliability.

This announcement was made by Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, during a session of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration on Monday.

The minister’s clarification comes amid discussions about security checks for temporary residents, including international students, following recent criminal incidents involving former visitors.

The Canadian immigration minister explained that verification is primarily conducted through biometric data, such as fingerprints, which are cross-checked against international law enforcement databases. According to Miller, police certificates from the country of origin are not routinely required for temporary residents.

A police clearance certificate is an official document issued by the police to provide a background check on individuals immigrating to another country. It is used to verify whether an applicant has a criminal record and to assure the host country that the applicant is not wanted by law in their home country.

However, police certificates from abroad may be requested on a case-by-case basis if additional scrutiny is deemed necessary.

Addressing the situation, Marc Miller stated,

“I have never said such certificates are required for temporary residents.”

He also mentioned that the government conducts “verification,” which he explained involves biometrics, primarily fingerprints, that are run through partner and police databases.

Regarding police certificates from the country of origin, Miller added, “We do not, as a routine matter, require them for temporary residents.

“They may be required if an officer decides to do so as part of a cascading security screening,” he noted.

Miller also questioned the effectiveness of such checks, saying, “You could imagine how unreliable those certificates would be.”

Implications for Potential Students from Nigeria

This new rule will also apply to Nigerian students coming to Canada.

Typically, obtaining a police clearance certificate involves one of three major methods: applying in person at the Force CID, Police Criminal Registry, Alagbon, Lagos State; applying through the Nigeria Police Force website; or applying from outside Nigeria through a third-party service.

However, this directive has now been scrapped as the Canadian government believes it is unreliable and would prefer to utilize biometric verification processes conducted by its own government.