When are your fingerprints needed?

One day, you're asked to submit your fingerprints for your application, but you may wonder why. Your fingerprints are usually needed to obtain a Certified Criminal Record Check (CCRC) in Canada or any other country to determine whether you have a criminal record. You may be asked to complete a CCRC for many reasons, including:

1. Immigration (Permanent Residency and Citizenship)

- Criminal Record Check from foreign countries: You must obtain it if you used to live there for more than 6 months in the past 10 years.

- RCMP Criminal Record Check from Canada: Upon request or you can do it upfront to submit along with the application.

2. Employment (Federal, Provincial, Police, Private, etc.)

- Federal: Required when you apply to work, have a contract or access the government’s database.

- Others: Optional (Upon request)

- Pardon/Record Suspension: Required

- US Waiver: Required

- US Immigration: Required

- Visa and immigration to other countries: Depending on requirements from specific countries

- Adoption (Canada and International): Required

- Name Change: Required upon request

- Etc.

Whenever your fingerprints/certified criminal record check is requested for one of the above reasons, it is the time to get them done.

For the Canadian criminal record check certificate, you must submit your fingerprints to the Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS). CCRTIS is the RCMP’s wing for national criminal records and acts as the sole provider of criminal record checks and screening services for both the government and the public.

In addition, we can also provide the fingerprint card for you if you need to obtain a police background check from a foreign country that requests your fingerprints. There are some countries that require their own specific fingerprinting cards, so we can provide you with actual ink fingerprinting services for those countries.

If you have any further questions, you can reach us directly at 905-247-3868 (Ontario) or 403-731-3535 (Alberta). We will be happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have.