The Consequences of Withholding Information

It is critical for any prospective applicants that wish to immigrate to Canada to be transparent in their immigration application at all levels of the system.  The opportunities available to immigrants in Canada are offered freely, but can be as easily taken away if you are found to have falsely represented yourself.  As seen in Gucake v. Canada, failure to fully disclose any and all relevant information can cost you your Canadian citizenship.  This decision can be made irrelevant of your establishment in Canada.

It may seem that having a prior conviction could cost you your opportunity to enter Canada; however it is more important to be truthful in your application.  This not only includes any criminal records, but also education and prior residence or studies in another country.  It is important to be able to give a full picture of who you are in order to give the most accurate representation in your application.

While there are some exceptions that can be made in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations that can be used to justify the failure to disclose important information, namely their criminal record, these special reliefs are not easily employable and are fringe situations.