What Is a Criminal Record Check in Canada?
A criminal record check searches the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), the national database managed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Name and date of birth-based criminal record checks are referred to by various names including Level 1 Criminal Record Check, CPIC Check, Police Record Check, Police Information Check, and Police Clearance Certificate.
There are three primary levels of criminal record checks in Canada, depending on the level of detail required.
Level 1 — Name-Based Check: The most basic level, using only an individual’s full name and date of birth. It discloses criminal convictions for which a record suspension (pardon) has not been granted. Results show a positive or negative outcome — essentially a yes-or-no answer.
Level 2 — RCMP Fingerprint-Based Check: A Level 2 check outlines the details of any criminal conviction and non-conviction information, including outstanding charges, warrants, judicial orders, peace bonds, and recent absolute or conditional discharges.
Level 3 — Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC): The highest level of check, mandatory for positions of trust involving children or vulnerable adults. It includes everything in Levels 1 and 2, plus a search for pardoned sexual offences. This check must be conducted by the local police service or RCMP detachment in the jurisdiction where you reside.
Why CBSA Requires a Criminal Record Check
A thorough background check, including a criminal record check, is conducted to obtain the necessary security clearance required to become a Border Services Officer (BSO). This is not just a formality. BSOs carry firearms, enforce Canadian law at ports of entry, and handle sensitive government information.
Obtaining and maintaining a valid security screening is a condition of employment for all positions with the Government of Canada. The CBSA runs three levels of security clearance depending on the role: reliability status, secret clearance, and top secret clearance.
The criminal record check is part of a broader security screening package. All applicants who are being considered for employment and who received an invitation to apply for security screening from a CBSA hiring official must complete this process.
You do not submit your own criminal record check to CBSA at the start of your application. The agency initiates the security screening after you advance through earlier steps.
Does a Criminal Record Disqualify You from CBSA?
Not automatically. CBSA asks applicants directly: “Do you have a criminal record and/or charges pending with any law enforcement agency?” This question appears in the eligibility self-assessment before you even submit an application.
A criminal record is assessed on a case-by-case basis during the security screening phase. Factors that matter include:
- The nature and severity of the offence
- When the offence occurred
- Whether a record suspension (formerly called a pardon) was granted
- Whether the conviction is relevant to the duties of a border services officer
If a record suspension was granted, that record does not appear on a standard RCMP criminal record check, though it may show up on a Level 3 Vulnerable Sector Check.
Pending charges are treated seriously. CBSA will not proceed with a candidacy while criminal charges remain outstanding. This is consistent with the security screening standards across all Government of Canada positions.
How the Criminal Record Check Works for CBSA Applicants
A criminal record check determines if you have been charged or convicted of a crime. If a name-based check does not provide a definite way of confirming your identity, you may be asked to provide fingerprints — the most accurate way to confirm a person’s identity.
Fingerprints make sure that individuals cannot evade their criminal past and protect individuals from being falsely associated with a criminal record that is not theirs.
For CBSA security screening specifically, once an online application is received by the Personnel Security Screening Unit, a security screening file is created and assigned to an analyst for processing.
Processing times vary. Estimated processing times apply only to properly completed applications. When further investigation is required, the estimated processing times no longer apply.
As part of the online application, you will need to answer questions on your time spent living or travelling outside of Canada — six consecutive months during the last five years for reliability status, and six consecutive months during the last ten years for secret and top secret clearance.
Criminal Record Check vs. Security Screening: Know the Difference
These two terms get mixed up frequently. Here is how they differ in the CBSA context.
A criminal record check searches the CPIC/RCMP database for criminal history. It is one component of CBSA’s security screening.
A security screening is the full package. It includes the criminal record check, plus a review of financial history, personal references, foreign travel, and sometimes a polygraph for top secret clearance positions.
The security screening levels for CBSA positions include reliability status (valid for 10 years) and secret clearance, both of which require additional inquiries beyond a standard criminal record check. CBSA does not currently have any positions that require enhanced top secret clearance.
The CBSA Selection Process and When Screening Happens
There are five steps to becoming a border services officer, and the process can take up to 18 months due to the extensive testing required.
Security screening happens near the end of that timeline, not at the beginning. The sequence looks like this:
- Written entrance exam
- Structured interview
- Psychological assessment
- Medical examination and firearms safety courses
- Security screening (including criminal record check)
You are not asked to produce a criminal record check on your own at Step 1. CBSA initiates the formal security screening only after you have cleared earlier steps.
What If You’ve Lived Outside Canada?
If you lived or travelled outside Canada for six consecutive months or more, you will be redirected to a questionnaire that asks for information on the places you lived or visited, with mailing addresses and the periods of time you spent abroad.
For foreign criminal records, CBSA coordinates with international partners. The Canadian Police Information Centre has access to criminal records from the United States through an interface with the FBI’s criminal database, which is interlinked with all federal, tribal, state, and local agencies in the U.S.
For other countries, CBSA may request foreign police certificates as part of your security screening package. You will be told exactly what is needed when your screening file is opened.
FAQ
No. Each case is assessed individually based on the nature, severity, and timing of the offence.
Near the end of the selection process, after you pass the exam, interview, psychological assessment, and medical exam.
Yes. A Level 1 name-based criminal record check through the RCMP or Commissionaires can confirm your status before you apply.
A pardoned record does not appear on a standard RCMP check, but CBSA’s full security screening may probe further depending on the clearance level required.
Sources:
- CBSA Security Screening: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/job-emploi/security-securite/apply-demander-1-eng.html
- CBSA Selection Steps: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/job-emploi/recruitment-recrutement/assessment-evaluation/steps-etapes-eng.html
- RCMP Criminal Record Checks: https://rcmp.ca/en/criminal-records/criminal-record-checks
- CBSA Qualification Requirements: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/job-emploi/recruitment-recrutement/qualification-eng.html