Fee Increase for Canadian Pardon Applications
The Canadian government increased the Parole Board of Canada’s application fee for a Canadian pardon (record suspension) to $631 from $150 – a 320 % jump. Despite strong opposition voiced during a government-mandated public consultation process last year, the Conservative government decided to push through this counter-productive rate hike, effective February 23, 2012.
Concerns about Fairness
Pardon Services Canada is of the opinion that this increase is unfair and burdensome and does not represent the views of the majority of Canadians who believe strongly in giving people a second chance. A study commissioned by the Parole Board of Canada last year projects that the fee increase will result in a 40 % decrease in Canadian record suspension applications.
Impact on Low-Risk Offenders
It’s important to remember that Canadians who seek record suspensions, most typically to find employment, are low-risk offenders with minor charges. The Parole Board of Canada’s own statistics show that only 4 % of those who receive record suspensions go on to re-offend. Increasing the application fee does nothing to help these people reintegrate into Canadian society.
Application Processing Before the Deadline
Canadian pardon applications that were submitted to the Parole Board of Canada on or before February 22 were processed at the existing rate of $150. Pardon Services Canada had been doing everything possible to submit record suspension applications prior to that deadline to save the costs for as many clients as possible. We have also introduced an option enabling clients to finance their application fees into monthly payments to help diffuse the impact of this decision.
Advocacy and Support
Pardon Services Canada is the oldest Canadian company offering professional support to individuals in obtaining record suspensions and serves as an advocate for Canadians to exercise their lawful rights under the Criminal Records Act of Canada (CRA) and the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of the United States. Since 1989 the company has successfully assisted over 100,000 Canadians to overcome the obstacles of a criminal record and live a record-free life.
