Naturally, the world of pardons Canada has its fair share of head-scratching words. This means that if you ever find yourself looking to acquire a pardons or US Entry Waiver, you’ll need to brush up on your legal terms. 

The process of getting a Canadian pardon is long and complex, which makes it easy for someone to get confused at any point. But not to worry. We are here to help ensure that the abundance of legal terms thrown at you don’t make your head spin out of control. There are many legal terms out there that are relevant to the pardons process, but today we are going to focus on two of them: Dropped charges and dismissed charges.

But first, a refresher on our services

If you are landing on this site for the first time, then that could potentially mean that you are new to the world of record suspensions. So before we jump into dropped and dismissed charges, let’s take a quick look at our core services:

Pardons Canada

This is also known as a record suspension, and it allows for the removal of a Canadian’s criminal record from public view. That means if someone runs a criminal background check on you, they will not find any past convictions. This obviously is a tremendous benefit for people with past convictions trying to apply for jobs or get custody of their children.

US Entry Waiver

US Entry Waiver is essential for any Canadian with a criminal record who plans on traveling to the US. Once you get to the border, you can be denied entry if border agents see convictions on your record (particularly pot possession convictions). An Entry Waiver allows you to travel to the US because it is a document that informs border agents you have been properly vetted and that you don’t pose a threat to public safety.

Dropped Charges

During a criminal proceeding, charges against an individual are filed. This happens after a person is arrested and a prosecutor believes there is enough information to indict. However, the prosecutor can get to a point where they don’t think they have sufficient evidence to persuade a judge and/or jury that a person is guilty of the original charges. Additionally, it’s possible that the charges are simply not filed.

If either of these events occur, the prosecutor can decide not to move forward with a case and just drop the charges. 

Dismissed Charges

The path towards dismissed charges is very similar to the path to dropped charges. Additionally, this outcome is similar to having charges dropped. When a case is dismissed, this means that a judge decided not to allow the case to proceed after charges are filed. A judge would make this decision in the event that they decided there was not enough evidence to proceed with a fair trial.

How Does This Impact You?

This is an important question, because if dismissed charged and dropped charges had no bearing on the record suspension process, then we simply would not be talking about it. You may be a bit confused at this point because you’re thinking, “Well, hang on, if my charge was dropped or dismissed, then I have nothing to worry about.”

The problem is that there are records of the charges and everything that goes with that (reports filed, fingerprinting, etc.). These are the things that can come back to haunt you later in life. A pardons Canada or US Entry Waiver ensures that you don’t have to deal with any inconvenient obstacles.

Getting a Pardon for Dropped or Dismissed Charges

If you have ever been arrested and charged with a crime, but that charge was either dismissed or dropped, you can apply for a pardon. This will remove any information about the charge from your record.

However, just because you have had a charge dropped or dismissed, this does not mean you can immediately apply for a pardon. Depending on the outcome of a charge, your eligibility for a pardon will change. This means that you will have to wait a certain amount of time before you can submit a pardon application.

Luckily, for both dropped charges and dismissed charges, an individual will only have to wait 5 months before they can apply. This starts on the date that charges were either dropped or dismissed.  

There really is so much to this process. That is why we always make ourselves available to our clients to ensure that they are sufficiently informed about everything related to pardons Canada. If you have questions for us to help clarify things for you or you wish to work on your pardons Canada application, then we encourage you to contact us today.

The post What are Dropped and Dismissed Charges? appeared first on Federal Pardons and Waivers.

Canada wide toll free: 1 (800) 543-2137
Toronto, ON: (416) 628-1537
Calgary, AB : (403) 508-9117
Vancouver, BC: (604) 265-1132

To find out more about our services, please visit our website at https://pardonsandwaivers.com/

Our team is ready to help you with:
Pardons Canada applications: https://pardonsandwaivers.com/pardons…
US entry waivers: https://pardonsandwaivers.com/u-s-ent…
Record expungement: https://gov.pardonsandwaivers.com/#re…

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in place for the sake of the child’s safety and candidates are always heavily screened before they can be approved. If you are found to have a criminal record after you’ve had criminal record check, you might wonder if this will affect your chances of approval. While there are always consequences for your actions, it does not mean that a mistake in your past needs to dictate the rest of your life.

In Canada, the adoption process usually involves one of these four options:

1.  The director of an adoption arranges the placement.
2.  The placement is facilitated by an adoption agency.
3.  Direct placement when the birth parent places their child in the care of a non-relative.
4.  A relative adoption when the child is adopted by a step-parent or another relative.

During the application and screening process, you can expect several steps. It is by no means a process that will happen overnight. You can expect to receive more than one home visit. You and your home environment will be evaluated before, during, and even after the approval. You can also expect to undergo a preparation course with children’s services so that you are ready for welcoming a new child into your home. Foster parent applicants will be assessed based on their abilities and skills. A fostering panel is also conducted and this involves compiling data and conducting relevant checks. Criminal record checks and background checks need to be completed in compliance with a family court. In Canada, family courts have jurisdiction over child protection, custody, adoption, access, spousal support, and child support.

If you have a criminal record and you want to adopt or foster a child, you should be prepared. Your criminal record check could be used against you in family court. Before you begin the adoption or fostering process, you need to make sure that you start by obtaining a copy of your criminal record and taking the necessary steps to apply for a pardon. It is up to you if you would like to wait for the pardon to be approved before submitting any adoption or foster documents. The fact that you have taken the steps to apply for a pardon will speak to your character and demonstrate that you are making a change. If you are planning on fostering a child or children, you will be required to undergo criminal record checks every 5 years. In some provinces, these checks are done every 3 years. Fostering children also involves vulnerable sector police checks, ex-partner checks (with permission), children’s aid society checks, written references, medical reports, full in-home health and safety checks as well as evidence from past employers.

Another aspect that will play a significant part is the RCMP criminal record check. This is done to make sure that a full set of fingerprints are taken and are certified. Any charges that are laid against you will appear on the search performed by family courts as well as child protection services during the adoption or fostering application process.

Since children are vulnerable, applicants are scrutinized very closely. If you have a criminal record, you will need to apply for a pardon in order to be considered a suitable candidate. If you do not apply for a pardon, your application will almost certainly be denied.

Certain offences will make you ineligible for a pardon which means that you will also be unable to adopt or foster children. Such offenses include a schedule 1 offence involving a child under the Criminal Records Act. You are also ineligible if you are convicted of more than three offenses with a prison sentence of 2 or more years each.

When you apply for a Canadian pardon, it’s important to remember that it may take some time for your application to be processed. There is no way of speeding things up. This is why it is a good idea to prepare your application in advance. Even if you don’t qualify for a pardon yet, you can start to gather the relevant documents in advance. This way, as soon as you are eligible, you can submit your application right away and avoid any unnecessary delays.

The pardon application process involves specific documents and it’s important to make sure that you complete every form properly. For expert assistance applying for your Canadian pardon, contact Federal Pardon Waiver Services at 1 (800) 543-2137. Not only will our team help you apply for your pardon, but by doing so, we will also help improve your chances of being approved to foster or adopt children.

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When you apply for a police reference check, you are the one in control. Although you might not want to dig into your own past, it’s important to make sure that you are aware of anything that could interfere with your future. For example, if you were arrested but not charged, you may not recall the incident but documentation could still be out there for your current or future boss to find. You need to know what’s in your record so that you can take the necessary actions to ensure that you don’t miss out on any opportunities.

When you apply for a criminal check, the results will not be sent to anyone but you. An employer or agency cannot simply apply for a criminal record check without your knowledge or consent. They also cannot get their hands on it unless you hand it over.

If you are already employed and the criminal record check is requested after the fact, you are in a very good position even with prior conviction if you do have a record. Should you not wish to divulge your record with the relevant party or parties at work, it’s your choice. If they decide to fire you based on this, you could approach the appropriate authorities regarding unfair discrimination and dismissal.

Another good tip to remember is to request your own background check from time to time. Just to keep a close eye on your current record and to prevent any surprises. Pardons or record suspensions can be granted after a certain period of time, provided you fulfil the necessary requirements. If you weren’t officially charged but there is a documentation of the arrest, you can request to have the record destroyed. Youth records are usually separate and sealed. However, if you offend as a youth and as an adult, this could result in a single record without having your youth offences sealed.

If you have been granted a pardon or record destruction, then there really is no need to worry about criminal record checks. The key is to make sure that you do not break the law again or it could result in your pardon being overturned. Similar to the way an offender who is on probation could face jail time if they break the law during a certain period of time. When applying for a new job and you have a record suspension, you do not necessarily need to disclose your history. After all, if there is no longer any record, there is no reason for you to miss out on the best things in life!

It’s also important to note that sometimes pardons are not granted based on the severity of the crime. If this is the case, unfortunately, there is no amount of time that you can allow to pass before applying for a record suspension and it is best to try to seek employment with the appropriate employer. Sometimes, the type of offence will also dictate whether or not you can be hired. For example, if you were convicted of fraud or theft, you might not be hired in a financial capacity. However, you might be successful in applying for caregiver jobs. On the other hand, if your offence was more violent in nature, you might not be permitted to work with children, the elderly, and any other vulnerable groups of people.

The request for a criminal record check is not a death sentence for your career. Many employers are extremely understanding and you might even be able to briefly explain your case. If they do give you this opportunity, remember not to try to make excuses for any poor choices or behaviour. It’s better to let the interviewer or your current boss know that you know you were wrong and you have learned from this experience than trying to justify your actions.

If you are concerned about the impact a criminal record check can have on your life, call us toll-free at 1 (800) 543-2137. Our team of experts at Federal Pardon Waiver Services understands the often complicated application process as well as what is required of each applicant. We are always happy to share useful information to help ensure that your record suspension application is successful and stress-free!

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