Passport refusal
Is it possible for a passport to be rejected?
Passport applications can be denied due to the following reasons:
- Providing false information on the application form;
- Failure to complete the application correctly;
- Being charged with a serious crime in Canada or a similar offense abroad;
- Incarceration;
- Owed debts to the government regarding repatriation or consular financial assistance;
- Holding a passport that has been revoked;
- Non-payment of child support.
Denial
When a request for passport services is turned down, the application is closed, and no passport is granted.
The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship reserves the right to reject the issuance of a passport to an individual:
- Who lacks Canadian citizenship;
- Who offers deceptive or incorrect information during the passport application process;
- Who doesn’t submit a duly completed application or the required information and materials;
- Who enabled another person to use a passport not issued to them;
- Who faces charges in Canada for a serious crime, or an offense
outside Canada that would be deemed serious if committed within Canada. This includes offenses related to:
- Travel documents;
- Providing false or misleading information to governmental agencies, including passport applications;
- Acts such as smuggling, trafficking, kidnapping, and abduction;
- Committing sexual offenses against children;
- Involvement in terrorist activities;
- Committing violent crimes;
- Engaging in crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide;
- Violations of the Geneva Convention as defined by the Geneva Conventions Act;
- Unauthorized sharing of state secrets;
- Violation of United Nations imposed sanctions or disobedience to such sanctions;
- Avoiding justice or disregarding a court order;
- Who is incarcerated or under court-ordered conditions that prohibit leaving the country where the court operates;
- Who is bound by court-imposed conditions that hinder passport issuance or possession;
- Who has been convicted of a passport-related crime under Section 57 of the Criminal Code or its equivalent abroad;
- Who owes financial obligations to the government regarding repatriation or consular financial assistance;
- Who currently holds an unexpired or revoked passport;
- When valid reasons exist to believe that rejection is necessary to prevent the involvement in a sexual offense against children outside Canada.
Furthermore, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship may deny passport issuance to a child if there are substantial grounds to believe that such refusal is in the best interest of the child.
For further insight into the process of administrative decisions involving passport services’ denial or revocation, refer to the Administrative Decision Process.
Moreover, the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness holds the authority to decide against issuing a passport when valid grounds exist to believe that such a decision is crucial to prevent the commission of a terrorism-related offense or to safeguard the national security of Canada or a foreign nation. For a deeper understanding of passport service denial on the grounds of national security and/or terrorism-related reasons, explore the topic of national security.