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Official police certificate and character requirements across Australia, Canada and New Zealand skilled migration pathways. Which countries require certificates, validity periods, age thresholds and South African Police Service clearance rules published by the Department of Home Affairs, IRCC and Immigration New Zealand.
Last verified: 3 September 2026
Each country sets its own rules for when police certificates are required. The rules depend on how long you lived in each country, your age at the time, and how recently you were there.
Police certificates have different validity rules depending on which country issued them and whether you still live there.
DHA assesses character under section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. You must declare all criminal conduct and provide police certificates for countries where you lived for 12 months or more in the past 10 years since turning 16.
DHA requires police certificates for you and your family members aged over 16 years old. You must provide certificates for every country where you have lived for 12 months in the past 10 years since turning 16.
The 12-month period does not need to be continuous. If you lived in a country for several shorter periods that add up to 12 months, you need a certificate from that country.
Verify current character requirements at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.
IRCC requires police certificates as part of Express Entry and other permanent residence applications. Certificates verify that you have no criminal record that would make you inadmissible to Canada.
The IRCC online system will ask for a police certificate for you and your family members who are 18 years or older, for every country you (or a family member) stayed in during the last 10 years for 6 months in a row or longer.
You do not need to provide police certificates for:
Important: After you apply, an officer may ask for additional police certificates from any time in your life since you were 18 years old.
Verify current police certificate requirements at canada.ca.
INZ requires police certificates as evidence of good character for skilled residence visas. Police certificates must be less than 6 months old when you submit your visa application.
If you plan to stay in New Zealand for 24 months or longer, you must provide a police certificate with your visa application. If you do not, INZ may decline your application or issue it for a shorter period.
You need police certificates from:
These requirements apply for periods after you turned 17.
Source: INZ — Police certificates
Verify current police certificate requirements at immigration.govt.nz.
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This is general information only, not personal immigration advice. Self Migrate is not registered with MARA, CICC, or the IAA. For advice specific to your situation, consult a MARA-registered agent (AU), a CICC-licensed consultant (CA), or an IAA-licensed adviser (NZ). Police certificate requirements and processing times may change — verify current requirements with the relevant immigration authority before applying.
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