If you have been the subject of a removal order from Canada, you will probably need an Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC) if you want to return. An ARC is required when an individual requires written authorization to return to Canada after being removed.

There are several types of removal orders:

• Departure Order – you must leave Canada within 30 days after the order takes effect. You must also confirm your departure with the CBSA at your port of exit. If you leave Canada and follow these procedures, you may return to Canada in the future provided you meet the entry requirements at that time. If you leave Canada after 30 days or do not confirm your departure with the CBSA, your Departure Order will automatically become a Deportation Order. In order to return to Canada in the future, you must obtain an Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC).
• Exclusion Order – it specifies a period of time during which a foreign national will be barred from entering Canada, unless they receive an ARC. With an Exclusion Order, you cannot return to Canada for one year. If you do wish to return before the 12 months have passed, you must apply for an ARC. If an exclusion order has been issued for misrepresentation, you cannot return to Canada for five years.
• Deportation Order – is the most serious kind of removal order and carries with it a significant penalty. Foreign nationals and permanent residents who receive deportation orders are permanently barred from returning to Canada without an ARC. This bar is never lifted, meaning that those with deportation orders issued against them must obtain an ARC to ever return to Canada.

Departure orders become deportation orders after 30 days, by operation of law. This is extremely important, because people do not always recognize the effect of remaining in Canada with an outstanding departure order against them.

It is strongly recommended that you get legal advice and discuss your case with a qualified representative.

When an officer assesses your application to determine whether an ARC will be issued, they will consider, among other things:

• the reasons for the removal order
• the possibility that you will repeat the behaviour that caused the order to be issued
• the length of time since the order was issued
• your current situation
• the reason why you want to enter Canada

Need an Authorization to Return to Canada? We can help.