{"id":2701,"date":"2026-11-14T23:11:39","date_gmt":"2026-11-14T23:11:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/record-suspension-waiting-period-eligibility\/"},"modified":"2026-11-14T23:11:39","modified_gmt":"2026-11-14T23:11:39","slug":"record-suspension-waiting-period-eligibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawgicalcorp.com\/blog\/record-suspension-waiting-period-eligibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Pardon eligibility in Canada: waiting periods, when the clock starts and who can’t apply"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a>, lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation \u00b7 Reviewed November 14, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal is a lawyer at Lawgical Law Corporation, called to the BC bar in 2024, and a member of the Law Society of British Columbia<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Updated November 14, 2026: the Parole Board of Canada’s eligibility page and FAQ and Criminal Records Act ss. 4, 4.3 and Schedule 1 checked that day.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The rule:<\/strong> the waiting period is 3, 5 or 10 years, depending on the offence and the date of your first<\/em> offence.<\/p>\n

The clock:<\/strong> it starts only when every part of every sentence is finished: jail, conditional sentence, probation, fines, surcharges and restitution.<\/p>\n

Why a lawyer:<\/strong> one late payment or one hybrid offence can change the date by years. When a lawyer helps<\/a><\/p>\n

Book a consultation<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Our immigration lawyers<\/p>\n

\"SundeepSundeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PrabhpreetPrabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a>\"PardeepPardeep S. Grewal<\/span>Barrister and Solicitor<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n
\nAbout our lawyers<\/summary>\n
\n

Sundeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> founded Lawgical Law Corporation and argues immigration cases at the Immigration and Refugee Board and the Federal Court of Canada.<\/p>\n

Prabhpreet Kaur Sangha<\/a><\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

Pardeep S. Grewal<\/a><\/strong> is an immigration and estates lawyer known for clear communication and practical strategy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

You can apply for a record suspension (pardon) once you have finished your whole sentence and a waiting period has passed. The waiting period is 3, 5 or 10 years. Which one applies depends on how the offence was prosecuted and, since March 2020, on the law in force when you committed your first offence. This guide shows how to work out your date, the things that move it, and who cannot apply at all.<\/p>\n

Lawgical Law Corporation<\/a>, 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 Pardeep S. Grewal.<\/p>\n

Waiting periods by first offence date<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Record suspension waiting periods, by the date of your first offence (after the whole sentence is complete)<\/caption>\n
First offence committed<\/th>\nSummary conviction offence<\/th>\nIndictable offence<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Before June 29, 2010<\/td>\n3 years<\/td>\n5 years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
June 29, 2010 to March 12, 2012<\/td>\n3 years (5 years for a Schedule 1 offence)<\/td>\n5 years (10 years for a serious personal injury offence with a sentence of 2 years or more, or a Schedule 1 offence)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
On or after March 13, 2012<\/td>\n5 years<\/td>\n10 years<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The PBC stopped applying the 2010 and 2012 changes retroactively on March 19, 2020. It now assesses each application using the Criminal Records Act as it stood on the date of the applicant’s first offence. If you don’t know that date, the PBC will try to find it, but it helps to include it.<\/p>\n

When does the waiting period start?<\/h2>\n

The waiting period starts after “the expiration according to law of any sentence, including a sentence of imprisonment, a period of probation and the payment of any fine” (Criminal Records Act s. 4(1)). In practice, that is the date the last<\/strong> part of the last sentence ended:<\/p>\n