In Canada, the maximum penalty for driving a vehicle without valid licenses (or without any license at all) is imprisonment for up to 10 years.
Of course, this is the maximum penalty, but the whole problem is that for immigration purposes, any offense is considered at the maximum term.
Canada has been criticized for this approach for several decades, but nothing has changed ever since. Until you have Canadian citizenship, any criminal offense will be assessed at the maximum penalty. Therefore, you shouldn't listen to Canadians who say that they drove without a license and just paid a fine, because they will get away with a fine, but an immigrant will pay with their PR status.
🚫 Such a severe penalty automatically makes it impossible to get PR status, as it falls under the criminal code.
📝 Example:
You came to Canada, and you can drive with your license for the first six months. After six months, you don't change your license, and the police stop you. You'll have a court date and a fine. You'll pay the fine, and that'll be the end of it. But when you apply for PR, the immigration ministry requests information from the Canadian police and receives a copy of your court judgment. As a result, you'll receive a letter:
"You are inadmissible for permanent residency on the grounds of criminality based on section 36(2)(a) of IRPA."
❗ This also applies to:
• Reckless driving
• Driving under the influence
• Extreme speeding
💡 Be aware and check your documents in time!
Photo: depositphotos
