Canada

Canada's National Sex Offender Registry is for police use only. It is not public. A conviction outside Canada for an act that would be an offence in Canada can make a traveller inadmissible under IRPA s. 36. Rehabilitation and temporary resident permits are the main routes back in.

Full profile · Last verified: September 29, 2026 · All countries

Each statement is labelled Law (statute, regulation or court ruling), Policy (official guidance) or Reported practice (what officials report doing). Items marked Recheck could not be fully confirmed from a primary source.

The country's own registry

Law The National Sex Offender Registry under the Sex Offender Information Registration Act is a database for police and law-enforcement agencies. It is not open to the public.
Source: Sex Offender Information Registration Act

Entry and admissibility

Law Serious criminality: a conviction outside Canada for an offence that, if committed in Canada, would carry a maximum of at least 10 years' imprisonment makes a foreign national inadmissible (IRPA s. 36(1)(b)).
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 36 (criminality)
Law Criminality: a conviction outside Canada for an offence that would be indictable in Canada also makes a foreign national inadmissible (IRPA s. 36(2)(b)).
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 36 (criminality)

Visa / travel authorisation

Law U.S. nationals are exempt from the electronic travel authorization (eTA) requirement (IRPR s. 7.1(3)(b)). Being exempt from the eTA does not cure inadmissibility.
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 7.1 (eTA exemptions); Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 36 (criminality)

Registration or reporting after arrival

Law A provincial Attorney General may serve a notice (Form 54) on a person who arrived in Canada on or after April 15, 2011 and was convicted outside Canada of an offence equivalent to a designated sex offence.
Source: Criminal Code, s. 490.02902 (notice to persons convicted outside Canada)
Law Once served, the person must comply with the Sex Offender Information Registration Act.
Source: Criminal Code, s. 490.02901 (obligation to comply)
Law The obligation starts on the day the notice is served. It lasts 10 years where the equivalent Canadian offence carries a maximum of 2 or 5 years.
Source: Criminal Code, s. 490.02904 (duration of obligation)
Law The person may apply to a court for an exemption within one year after being served.
Source: Criminal Code, s. 490.02905 (exemption application)

Residency, employment and housing

Law Section 36 covers permanent residents as well as foreign nationals, so a foreign conviction bears on residence, not only on a visit.
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 36 (criminality)
Finding No published rule found as of September 29, 2026. No national residency, employment or housing restriction tied to a foreign sex-offence conviction was found.

Removal, rehabilitation or waivers

Law An officer who believes a person in Canada is inadmissible may report it, which can lead to a removal order (IRPA s. 44).
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 44 (inadmissibility reports)
Law Individual rehabilitation removes inadmissibility. The application can be made once 5 years have passed since the sentence was completed (IRPA s. 36(3)(c); IRPR s. 17).
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 36 (criminality); Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 17 (rehabilitation)
Law A person is deemed rehabilitated if they have only one conviction outside Canada, its Canadian equivalent carries a maximum of under 10 years, and 10 years have passed since the sentence was completed (IRPR s. 18).
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s. 18 (deemed rehabilitation)
Law An officer may issue a temporary resident permit to an inadmissible person if it is justified in the circumstances (IRPA s. 24).
Source: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 24 (temporary resident permits)

What U.S. rules still apply

Law U.S. law still applies to the trip itself: registrants must report international travel at least 21 days in advance, and the U.S. may notify the destination country before arrival. See the U.S. travel guide for the notice rule, the passport identifier and how notifications work.
Source: ComplianceAtlas: Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant

Read Traveling Abroad as a U.S. Registrant before booking.

Sources

Legal Disclaimer

International laws, immigration policies, and registry requirements change frequently and may vary depending on citizenship, visa type, offense history, and purpose of travel. Entry decisions are made solely by each country's immigration authorities. Always verify current requirements using official government sources before traveling. This page is not legal advice.