Whether you need an ARC — and how difficult it is to obtain — depends entirely on the type of removal order issued. The three order types have fundamentally different rules. Many applicants don't realize their departure order automatically converted to a deportation order because they didn't leave within 30 days.
Departure Order
No ARC required (if complied within 30 days)Issued when IRCC has determined you must leave Canada, but grounds do not warrant exclusion or deportation.
- You must leave Canada within 30 days of the order becoming enforceable
- You must confirm departure with CBSA at a port of exit
- If you leave within 30 days and confirm departure: NO ARC required to return
- If you do NOT leave within 30 days: the departure order automatically becomes a deportation order
Practitioner note: The departure order is the most recoverable removal order — compliance within 30 days eliminates the ARC requirement entirely. The 30-day window is strictly counted from when the order becomes enforceable, not the date of issuance. Confirm with CBSA at exit — verbal confirmation is not sufficient.
Exclusion Order
ARC required if returning before bar expiresIssued for more serious violations — unauthorized work, misrepresentation. Bars re-entry for a defined period.
- Standard exclusion: barred from Canada for 1 year from the date of departure
- Misrepresentation-based exclusion: barred for 5 years from the date of departure
- After the bar period expires, you can return to Canada without an ARC (subject to regular admissibility)
- If you want to return BEFORE the bar period expires: ARC is required
Practitioner note: The bar period runs from departure, not from the date the exclusion order was issued. Clients who delay departure extend their ban. For misrepresentation-based exclusions, the 5-year bar is fixed — there is no discretion to waive it, and an ARC application before 5 years expires faces an exceptionally high bar.
Deportation Order
ARC always requiredThe most serious removal order. Issued for serious inadmissibility — serious criminality, security, organized crime. Creates a permanent bar.
- Permanently bars you from returning to Canada
- ARC is ALWAYS required for any return after a deportation order
- ARC application requires the removal order to first be enforced (CBSA must have executed the removal)
- If CBSA paid the cost of your removal, you must reimburse those costs as part of your ARC application
Practitioner note: A deportation order is not always issued for criminal grounds — it also arises when a departure order is not complied with (automatic conversion). The distinction matters because a deportation order from departure order non-compliance may be more sympathetically assessed on ARC than one issued for serious criminality. Explain the circumstances fully.
ARC Summary
- ARC fee:$400
- Departure (complied):No ARC needed
- Exclusion (after bar):No ARC needed
- Exclusion (within bar):ARC required
- Deportation order:Always ARC
Related Services
Not sure what type of removal order you received or whether ARC is required? A consultation covers removal order classification and next steps.
Schedule your consultationA consultation is required for case-specific advice.