Miller responded to the questions from Indo-Canadian Member of Parliament Arpan Khanna during an assembly session.

A police certificate is a document that indicates whether the holder has a criminal record. It plays a key role in visa approvals, as applicants may need to provide this document, along with additional information, when applying for certain immigration programs.

“I have never said such certificates are required for temporary residents,” he said.

The Canadian authorities have other screening procedures that allow them to determine if a temporary resident is permitted to enter the country, without requiring the presentation of a police clearance certificate, he added.

“We do not, as a routine matter, require a police certificate for temporary residents. They may be required if an officer decides to do so as part of a cascading security screening,” Miller said.

He confirmed that temporary residents have all their fingerprints and other biometric data taken and checked before they are permitted to enter Canada.

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