Effective April 1, 2021, applicants who have been outside of Canada and the U.S. in the last five (5) years are required to provide additional supporting out of country (OOC) documentation, for their time outside of Canada and the U.S., when applying for a Transportation Security Clearance (TSC).
Applicants who have been outside of Canada and the U.S. in the last five (5) years as described below are required to provide supporting OOC documentation at the time of application for a Transportation Security Clearance.
Notes:
Time spent outside of Canada and the U.S. before an applicant became a Permanent Resident (if currently a Permanent Resident) or before an applicant turns 16 should not be included in the calculation.
Trips under 90 days no longer need to be declared on the TSC application.
From 6 to 24 months outside of Canada and the U.S.
TSC applicants who have spent time outside of Canada and the U.S. for a cumulativeFootnote * total of six (6) to 24 months in the last five (5) years are required to submit the following supporting OOC documents at the time of application:
- Police certificate(s)Footnote **
- Statement of Activities
More than 24 months outside of Canada and the U.S.
TSC applicants who have spent time outside of Canada and the U.S. for a cumulativeFootnote * total of more than 24 months in the last five (5) years are required to submit the following supporting OOC documents at the time of application:
- Police certificate(s)Footnote **
- Statement of Activities
- Documentation to support residency
- Documentation to support employment, education, and activities (all that are applicable)
Supporting OOC documents
You may submit either the original or a copy. Originals will be returned at the end of the assessment process, via registered mail.
If the documentation is not in either of Canada's Official Languages (English or French), then a certified English or French translation is required, along with the certified copy or original of the document itself.
To assist Security Screening Programs in verifying the reliability of supporting documentation: employment, education and activity documentation should include complete contact information telephone/fax numbers and preferably business e-mail addresses.
Failure to provide the necessary supporting OOC documentation at the time of application will result in an incomplete application and both the Enrolment Site and TC will not accept it for processing.
Police Certificates
A police certificate is an official document issued as a result of a background check by the police or government agency of a country, to list any potential criminal records that the applicant may have.
One is required from each location, where the applicant has spent 6 or more consecutive months, for the period under review. A police certificate must be dated to cover the period under review outside of Canada and the U.S. for it to be considered valid.
For more information contact the appropriate Consulate or Embassy in Canada or the police/justice authorities in the foreign country to inquire about obtaining a police certificate. The following information may be helpful: find out how to get a police certificate
Statement of Activities
A Statement of Activities is a detailed listing and description of activities that account for the activities of how a person spent their time while outside of Canada and the U.S. during the period under review.
Residency
The following is a list of possible examples of documents that may be submitted for the purpose of verifying residency. Other suitable documents may also be acceptable.
Residency:
- Bills
- Account statements
- Driver's license
- National identity card
- Household registry documents
- Passport with typed address (photocopies if still valid)
- Barangay/Sarpanch/Mayoral letters
- Mail, letters, envelopes
Employment, education, and activities
The following is a list of possible examples of documents that may be submitted for the purpose of verifying employment, education, and activities (all that are applicable) for the entire out-of-country period under review in the last 5 years. Other suitable documents may also be acceptable.
Employment:
- Employment letters
- Pay-stubs or Account statements showing direct deposits
- Certificates
- Professional license
- Workbooks/logbook
- Self-employment documentation (contracts, income tax assessments, reference letters, business licenses, etc)
- Proof of unemployment insurance payments
Education:
- Transcripts
- School letters
- Tuition receipts
Activities:
- Volunteer letters
- Association/Membership letters
- Birth certificate of child(ren)
- Vacation/travel documents (car rentals, hotel, frequent entry/exit stamps from multiple countries in passport)
Note:
Under the Privacy Act, other departments (including Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) cannot provide Transport Canada with documents that you may have previously submitted to them for other purposes.
For further information, please consult Apply for a transportation security clearance