Security clearance for a Canadian Visa for Immigration to Canada

1. A police clearance certificate or certificate of non criminal activity, either of these need to be obtained from every country the applicant has resided in for more than 6 months since the age of 18.
   The police clearance certificate is deemed valid for a period of 3 months since its issuance date.
2. A background check. This differs from a police clearance which the applicant is expected to obtain, in so much, as the applicant has very little involvement in this area. A background check means the Canadian authorities can use any means available to weed out undesirables that pose a security hazard to Canada and its residents.