The following people can apply for a security clearance:
- anyone who needs a Restricted Area Identity Card (RAIC)
- anyone applying for a job that requires a Transportation Security Clearance
- people who work in the marine sector and perform certain duties or access certain restricted areas.
Do you have outstanding criminal charges?
If you have outstanding criminal charges (in other words, your case is still before the courts and no final decision has been made), other than driving related offences, the Minister may not consider your application.
We recommend waiting until a final decision is made on your case before submitting your application.
To make the application process easier, gather these documents before you start:
Identification documents
You need to prove that you’re legally allowed to work in Canada. Depending on your situation, you’ll need your:
- Canadian birth certificate
- Canadian citizenship certificate
- registration of birth abroad certificate
- confirmation that you are a permanent resident
- valid work permit, or valid visitor record (if you didn’t qualify for a work permit)
- valid study permit that allows you to work off-campus
- legal documents that show any name change (like a marriage certificate, official registration or legal declaration of name change, adoption papers)
- Indian status card
Other documents
- your passport (if it’s still valid)
- the birth certificate of your spouse or common-law partner (if applicable)
- out-of-country documents (if applicable)
Addresses and dates
- details on post-secondary institutions: for each post-secondary institution you’ve attended, the names of the institutions, the dates you attended the institution, and the city and country where it’s located
- residence(s): for each place where you’ve lived in the past 5 years, the addresses (street number, street name, apartment number, city, country) and the dates you lived at that address
- activities: for each activity or period of unemployment in the past 5 years, the names of the employers or schools, the complete address where the activity took place and the dates for the period spent doing the activity
- information on your spouse or ex-spouse: the address where they currently live (street number, street name, city and country)
Time spent outside of Canada and the US
If you spent 90 consecutive days or more outside of Canada and the US in the last 5 years, you’ll need to add these trips and required details in the travel section.
When listing your trips, don’t include:
- travel away from Canada or the US on Canadian government business
- travel away from Canada or the US while under 16
- travel away from Canada or the US before becoming a Permanent Resident (if currently a Permanent Resident)
If you spent 6 months or more (cumulative, residency and/or travel) outside of Canada and the US , you’ll need to submit additional information and documents.
You can find more details on these documents in the Guidelines for Transportation Security Clearance (TSC) Applications with Extended Out-of-Country (OOC) Implications.
The guidelines list the extra information or documents that you need to submit, depending on how much time you’ve spent outside of the country.