This is the most common question asked at the National Pardon Centre and it is also the most difficult to answer. Each application is unique, which means that pardons and waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis.
When preparing your application we must communicate with the RCMP, the courts, the local police and finally the National Parole Board or DHS. This is in addition to file preparation which takes place at a National Pardon Centre office in Montreal or Calgary.
Each correspondence takes time and varies depending on the details of the file. Therefore, the following time frames are provided for clarification purposes.
Please note that these guidelines apply if you are currently, or will soon be, eligible to receive a pardon and/or waiver. Learn more about eligibility rules.
- RCMP Correspondence: This step normally requires approximately 3 months. However, we experience waiting times ranging from 1 to 9 months. For several years now the RCMP civil fingerprinting division has become overwhelmed with requests and as a result time frames are not guaranteed.
- Court Request: A court record request normally requires anywhere from one week to several months. Therefore, the extent of the individual criminal record is a major factor. If we must communicate with several courthouses the request time will normally increase slightly.
- Local Police Correspondence: Completion of local police correspondence can sometimes be done immediately but can also take up to several months. The number of times you have moved in the past five years will also be a factor.
- National Parole Board (Canadian pardon applicants only): This is the final step in the pardon application process. The parole board is the government agency ultimately responsible for granting your pardon. They reserve the right to take up to 24 months. However, applications processed by the National Pardon Centre are professionally prepared and we only rarely experience a waiting period of more than 12 months with the Parole Board.
- DHS (waiver applicants only): This is the final step in the waiver application process and can take anywhere from 3 to 15 months. DHS gives no maximum allowable time frame. Furthermore, a restructuring of the entire system at DHS headquarters is currently underway and processing times are constantly changing. And to further complicate the situation with DHS, many of the new rules and regulations being implemented are province specific.
The above information outlines best and worst case scenarios. It is intended to provide a guideline for understanding why pardon and waiver application processing times cannot be guaranteed by anyone.
Start your pardon and/or waiver application online.
