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A Pardon in Ontario: Why It Matters
A pardon is essential for many opportunities in Ontario. In the past, Ontario employers only required pardons for sensitive positions, such as health care and teaching. Today, criminal record checks are requested all the time in Ontario even for entry-level jobs like warehousing, retail and telemarketing. It’s important to get a pardon in Ontario in order to overcome the limitations of a past criminal offence.
Some of the biggest career industries in Ontario require a clean criminal record. These include:
- Manufacturing
- Forestry
- Mining
- Service Sector
- Transportation
- Government
- Education
Many business opportunities will also require a clean criminal record. These include:
- Getting a business licence
- Getting a liquor licence
- Getting a taxi licence
- Driving for Uber or Lyft
Many jobs require a college or university degree and, in fact, colleges and universities are capitalizing on this fact by making an on-site practicum a part of the requirements for getting a degree or diploma. Many people cannot complete their education with a criminal record because companies won’t allow students with records onsite.
Another area where people with criminal records struggle in Ontario is in the area of housing. This is especially true in larger centres where vacancy rates are low like Toronto and Ottawa.
Once you have a criminal Record Suspension, you will be able to take advantage of all the opportunities available in Ontario.
Ontario Record Suspension Eligibility
In most cases the wait times for a Record Suspension are five years for a summary offence and ten years for an indictable offence. The waiting period doesn’t begin until you have completed the sentence. This includes any fines and probation.
However, due to a court case in 2017, any Ontario resident convicted before the law changed in 2012 may be able to apply under the previous wait times of three years for a summary offence and five years for an indictable offence. These applicants will also receive a pardon instead of a Record Suspension.
How to Get Your Pardon in Ontario
Contact your local police detachment and find out how to get fingerprints for the purpose of a Record Suspension. If you live in a city that is served by a municipal or regional police force, you will go there. If not, you may need to go to an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachment. You can also get fingerprints taken at an accredited fingerprinting agency. If you sign up with AllCleared, we will give you a list of local agencies.
Once you get your criminal record back from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Ottawa, you can start getting court records and local police checks. If you choose AllCleared, we can take a lot of the hassle out of this stage. AllCleared is the only company in Canada that partners with a police agency. This allows us to retrieve all your documents four months faster based on the RCMP’s reported wait times. Learn how it works here.
Once you have completed your application, it is sent to the Parole Board of Canada in Ottawa where it is carefully considered. This process can take six to 12 months depending on your criminal record.
AllCleared has two offices in Ontario that serve people throughout the province. Our office in Toronto serves western Ontario from southern Ontario all the way to Thunder Bay and Kenora. Our office in Ottawa serves all of eastern Ontario right up to the Quebec border. If you are ready to clear your criminal record in Ontario, contact AllCleared toll-free today at 1-866-972-7366.
