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Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2019, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.
Updated November 14, 2026: the Parole Board of Canada fee pages and FAQ, and the RCMP fee page checked that day.
The government fee: $50 to the Parole Board of Canada, since January 1, 2022. It can’t be waived or reduced.
The other costs: fingerprints, the RCMP record (federal fee $25), court documents and local police checks, paid to each agency.
Why a lawyer: a pardon company or a lawyer costs more than the $50 fee. Paying one makes sense only when it changes the result or protects something else, such as your immigration status. When a lawyer helps
Our immigration lawyers
Sundeep S. GrewalBarrister and Solicitor
Prabhpreet Kaur SanghaBarrister and Solicitor
Pardeep S. GrewalBarrister and SolicitorAbout our lawyers
Sundeep S. Grewal founded Lawgical Law Corporation and argues immigration cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.
Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha focuses on refugee claims, immigration appeals, inadmissibility, detention reviews and Federal Court cases, and has presented at Continuing Legal Education seminars and the National Immigration Conference.
Pardeep S. Grewal is an immigration and estates lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.
The Parole Board of Canada charges $50 to process a record suspension (pardon) application. That is the only government fee for the application itself, but it is not the full cost: you also pay for fingerprints, your RCMP criminal record, court documents and police checks. Pardon companies and lawyers charge on top of that. This guide sets out each cost, what pays for itself and what doesn’t.
Lawgical Law Corporation, a law firm in Surrey, Abbotsford and Vancouver, BC, prepares record suspension (pardon) applications for people with Canadian convictions, including clients whose record also affects immigration or US travel; this guide is by Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha.
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Pardon costs, item by item
| Item | Who you pay | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Application processing fee | Parole Board of Canada | $50 (none for simple possession of cannabis alone) |
| RCMP criminal record (fingerprint-based) | RCMP | $25 federal fee |
| Electronic fingerprinting | Police service or accredited company | Set by the agency |
| Court Information Form and proof of conviction | Each court that sentenced you | Varies by court; often little or nothing, but copies can cost |
| Local police records checks | Each local police service (where you live now, and anywhere you lived 3 months or more in the last 5 years) | Set by each police service |
| Military conduct sheet | National Defence or Library and Archives Canada (only if you served) | Usually none |
| Help with the application | A pardon company or a lawyer, if you choose one | The PBC says companies charge “several hundred dollars to more than a thousand” |
The PBC fee has been $50 since January 1, 2022, when it was cut from more than $600. It is paid with the new processing fee form (credit card), a certified cheque, money order or bank draft, or online if you apply through the PBC Service Portal. The PBC does not accept personal cheques or cash, and it says the fee cannot be waived for anyone.
Pardon companies: what you get for the money
A pardon company collects your documents, fills in the forms and sends them in. The Parole Board is unusually direct about them: using one “will not give your application a special status” or “get it processed faster”, and you can apply yourself. Some companies advertise “fast” or “assured” pardons. The PBC processes applications in the order received and does not fast-track anyone.
A company is not a law firm. It can fill in the forms. It can’t give legal advice on whether you are eligible, how your record affects immigration status, or how to answer a proposed refusal, and it can’t represent you in the Federal Court.
What a lawyer charges and what changes
A lawyer’s fee depends on the record: how many convictions and courts, how old they are, whether the RCMP record is complete, and whether there are immigration or travel questions. Ask for the fee and what it covers in writing before you start.
What a lawyer adds over a company is the legal work: confirming the date of your first offence (which sets the rules that apply), the waiting period for each conviction, whether a restitution order was paid in a way the Board will accept, the measurable benefit material for an indictable offence, written representations if the Board proposes to refuse, and advice on what the record means for your permanent residence, a sponsorship, citizenship or a US waiver.
Costs people don’t expect
- Doing it twice. An application returned as incomplete costs time, and documents can expire while you fix it: local police checks and the consent form are valid for 12 months.
- Applying too early. If the waiting period hasn’t passed, the application is returned. Unpaid restitution or a fine paid late moves the start date.
- A refusal. After a refusal you must wait one year to re-apply (Criminal Records Act s. 4.2(4)).
- US travel. A pardon doesn’t replace a US entry waiver, which has its own US$1,100 government fee (see the US entry waiver (Form I-192) guide).
Is it worth paying for help?
| Your situation | Usually enough |
|---|---|
| One conviction, one court, everything paid, no immigration issue | Apply yourself with the PBC guide |
| Several convictions or courts, but a clear and complete record | Yourself, or with help organising documents |
| Missing convictions, unclear offence dates, restitution problems | A lawyer |
| A proposed refusal from the Board | A lawyer |
| You are a permanent resident, a sponsor, a citizenship applicant, or you need to travel to the US | A lawyer, because the record suspension is only part of the answer |
When a lawyer is worth it
One lawyer, one file, every step:
- telling you first whether you are eligible and when, so you don’t pay to apply too early;
- collecting court information and proof of payment from each court;
- the measurable benefit and rehabilitation material, where the law requires it;
- answering a proposed refusal in writing;
- advice on immigration status and US travel in the same file.
For a simple record the $50 fee and some patience are enough. The cost of legal help is worth it where a mistake costs more than the fee: a refusal and a year’s wait, an application returned after months, or a record that also decides your status in Canada.
Lawyers are members of a law society (in our case, the Law Society of British Columbia), which regulates the legal advice we give and our duty to you. Pardon companies are not law firms. If the Parole Board refuses a record suspension, the decision can be challenged by judicial review in the Federal Court, where a lawyer can represent you.
Common mistakes
- Paying a company for “fast” processing. The PBC processes applications in the order received.
- Ordering local police checks first. They expire after 12 months, and court documents can take longer than that.
- Forgetting the restitution order. The waiting period starts only when it is paid, and the court may not be able to confirm the payment.
- Assuming the pardon fixes US travel. A US waiver is a separate application with its own fee.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a pardon in Canada?
The Parole Board of Canada fee is $50. Add the RCMP federal fee of $25 for your criminal record, the fingerprinting fee, and whatever the courts and local police charge for their forms.
Is a pardon free in Canada?
Only for a conviction for simple possession of cannabis alone, which has a separate process with no fee. Every other record suspension costs $50, plus the cost of the documents.
Can the pardon fee be waived?
No. The PBC says the fee cannot be waived or reduced for anyone.
Why do pardon companies charge so much more than $50?
They charge for collecting documents and filling in forms. The PBC says using one does not speed up the application or change the result.
What should I do right now?
Get your RCMP record first. It tells you what has to be collected and from which courts, which is what drives the cost and the time. Then check the date of your first offence and when every part of your sentence, including restitution, was finished.
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Sources (official)
- Parole Board of Canada: Application fee reduction ($50 since January 1, 2022)
- Parole Board of Canada: Applying for a record suspension (page dated October 8, 2026)
- Parole Board of Canada: Got a question about your application? (page dated November 10, 2026)
- Parole Board of Canada: PBC Service Portal (launched October 1, 2026)
- Parole Board of Canada: Applying for a cannabis record suspension
- RCMP: Criminal record checks, processing times and fees
- Criminal Records Act, s. 4.2 (inquiries, representations and the one-year wait after a refusal)
This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its own facts.