A person who has been removed from Canada under a removal order and subsequently wants to return must obtain an Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC) from IRCC before they can be admitted. Without an ARC, a border officer will refuse entry to a person subject to a removal order. The need for an ARC depends on the type of removal order that was in effect — deportation orders always require an ARC; exclusion orders may allow return without an ARC if at least one year has passed since the order was enforced and the person has a Certificate of Departure. An ARC application can be submitted simultaneously with an application for a new TRV, work permit, or study permit. This page explains the types of removal orders, who needs an ARC, and how to apply.

For current information on ARC requirements and the application process, refer to the IRCC ARC page.

• Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), s 52 — effect of removal orders; a person who has been removed may not return to Canada without written authorization from an officer if required
• Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), s 226 — the circumstances in which a person with a removal order requires an ARC and the conditions for return
• IRPR, s 229 — types of removal orders: departure order, exclusion order, and deportation order
• IRCC: Authorization to Return to Canada — canada.ca/arc
• IRCC: Who needs an ARC — canada.ca/arc-eligibility

The three types of removal orders

Whether an ARC is required depends on which type of removal order was issued. There are three types under the IRPR:

• Departure order: the least serious; the person must leave Canada within a specified period. Once the person leaves and receives a Certificate of Departure, the departure order has no further effect — no ARC is needed to return (provided the person has a new valid immigration status)
• Exclusion order: issued for more serious grounds — the person is excluded from returning to Canada for a specified period (usually 1 year, or 5 years for misrepresentation). After the exclusion period passes and the person has a Certificate of Departure, they can return without an ARC (subject to the 1-year rule below)
• Deportation order: the most serious; issued for very serious inadmissibility (criminality, security, organized crime, etc.). A person who was removed under a deportation order can never return to Canada without an ARC — there is no time-based exception for deportation orders

For a full explanation of removal orders, see the removal orders page.

When an ARC is not required — exclusion order with 1-year gap

A person who left Canada under an exclusion order (not a deportation order) does not need an ARC to return if both of the following conditions are met:

1. They have a Certificate of Departure confirming the date they left Canada after the exclusion order was enforced
2. At least 1 year has passed since the date of the Certificate of Departure (or 5 years if the exclusion was for misrepresentation)

If both conditions are met, the person may apply for a new TRV, work permit, or study permit without also applying for an ARC. However, they may still need to address any underlying inadmissibility — for example, if the exclusion was for criminal inadmissibility, they may need criminal rehabilitation or a TRP. The ARC is a separate requirement from inadmissibility resolution.

When an ARC is required

An ARC is required in the following situations:

• The person was removed under a deportation order — regardless of how long ago, an ARC is always required
• The person was removed under an exclusion order but less than 1 year has passed since the Certificate of Departure date
• The person was removed under an exclusion order for misrepresentation and less than 5 years have passed
• The person was removed under an exclusion order but does not have a Certificate of Departure

An ARC is also required if a person's removal order was issued but they left voluntarily without it being formally "enforced" through the departure process — the absence of a Certificate of Departure means the order technically remains in force.

How to apply for an ARC

An ARC application is submitted to IRCC. Key steps:

1. Obtain the ARC application form (IMM 1203 or the current equivalent) and complete it with details of the removal order, the circumstances that led to removal, and the reasons for wanting to return to Canada
2. Submit a letter of explanation detailing why the person should be allowed to return, addressing the factors that led to removal and any changes in circumstances
3. The ARC application can be submitted simultaneously with a new temporary resident application (TRV, work permit, study permit) — IRCC reviews both applications together
4. Pay the applicable fees — inadmissibility fees increased on 1 December 2025; for current fee amounts, refer to the IRCC ARC document checklist page

What IRCC considers when deciding an ARC

IRCC officers assessing an ARC application consider:

• The reasons for the original removal — serious grounds (criminality, security) weigh heavily against granting an ARC
• Whether the person has addressed the underlying inadmissibility — for example, criminal rehabilitation approval if the removal was for criminality
• The purpose of the return — legitimate temporary purposes (family visit, employment, transit) weigh in favour; a desire to re-establish residence may be viewed with more scrutiny
• Compliance with past removal orders — a person who complied with their removal order voluntarily is viewed more favourably than one who resisted removal
• The overall public interest

An ARC is not automatically granted — even a person who meets the criteria for applying may be refused if IRCC considers it not in the public interest.

ARC and underlying inadmissibility

An ARC deals specifically with the removal order — it does not resolve any underlying inadmissibility that may still apply. A person who was deported for criminal inadmissibility also needs criminal rehabilitation (or a TRP) in addition to the ARC. Both applications should be submitted together. For information on criminal rehabilitation, see the criminal rehabilitation page.

The most common mistake in ARC applications is submitting without a Certificate of Departure — if the applicant cannot produce this document, IRCC may not be able to determine whether the removal order was formally enforced and whether the 1-year exception applies. Applicants who do not have their Certificate of Departure should request it from IRCC before applying for an ARC. For persons deported under a deportation order (particularly for serious criminality or security grounds), an ARC approval is difficult — IRCC applies significant scrutiny to the public interest test, and a detailed letter of explanation addressing the reasons for deportation and demonstrating rehabilitation or changed circumstances is essential. For current ARC fees (which increased December 2025), the application form, and the document checklist, refer to the IRCC ARC page.