Remote employers in Canada usually run a background check after a conditional job offer, with your written consent. The most common checks are a criminal record check, employment and education verification and references; credit checks and vulnerable sector checks apply only to certain jobs. For remote jobs the check is usually done online through a screening company. Here is what can be checked, how it works and how to spot a fake “background check fee”.
When the background check happens
The usual order in Canada is: interviews, a conditional offer, then the check. The offer letter or an email names the screening company and says the offer depends on satisfactory results. You then receive a link to a consent form and an identity check. Results often take a few days for a basic check, longer when fingerprints are needed.
The check is one step in the hiring process described in our guide to applying for remote jobs in Canada. If a “company” wants your personal data for a check before any interview or offer, be careful – that is a common way scammers collect ID documents.
The types of checks
| Check | What it shows | Typical for |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal record check (name-based) | Criminal convictions in the national police database, searched by name and date of birth | Many employers, especially finance, government contractors, support roles handling payments |
| Police information check | Convictions plus some local police information; scope depends on the police service | Roles with more trust or access |
| Vulnerable sector check | Adds pardoned sexual offences; only for positions of trust or authority over children or vulnerable people | Childcare, health care, education, social services |
| Certified (fingerprint) check | Confirms or rules out a record through the RCMP’s fingerprint repository | When a name-based search finds a possible match, or for some government work |
| Employment and education verification | Whether your past titles, dates and degrees are accurate | Most professional roles |
| Reference checks | What former managers say about your work | Most roles |
| Credit check | Your credit history, not your score alone | Roles handling money or financial data |
A name-based search can return a “possible match” if someone with the same name and birth date has a record. That doesn’t mean you have one; it means fingerprints are needed to confirm. The RCMP explains the different checks on its website.
How an online check works for remote jobs
- Consent: you sign a consent form that names the checks. No legitimate check is done without it.
- Identity verification: you photograph your ID (for example, a driver’s licence or passport) and often take a selfie, which software compares with the ID photo.
- Your information: name history, date of birth and addresses for the last years; for employment checks, past employers and dates.
- Results: the screening company reports to the employer. You can ask for a copy of what was reported about you.
Accredited screening companies in Canada, such as Certn or Triton, do this on employers’ behalf. Vulnerable sector checks are the exception: they are requested through the police service where you live and may require a visit in person or fingerprints.
Your rights during a check
- Consent and purpose: the employer should tell you what it checks and why. A check should relate to the job – a credit check makes sense for a payroll role, less so for a chat support role.
- Credit checks: several provinces have consumer reporting laws that require the employer to tell you, and in some cases get your consent, before pulling your credit report.
- Record suspensions: a pardoned conviction (record suspension) does not appear on a standard criminal record check. Federal and some provincial human rights laws also limit discrimination based on a pardoned conviction or, in some provinces, a record unrelated to the job.
- Accuracy: if the report is wrong, say so right away and ask the screening company how to dispute it. Name mix-ups happen.
No legal advice: the rules on credit checks and records differ by province and by employer type. For a specific situation, contact your provincial human rights commission or privacy commissioner, or a legal clinic.
Who pays – and the fake background check fee
In most hiring processes, the employer pays for the background check. Some jobs, typically volunteering or vulnerable sector roles, ask you to get a check from your local police yourself and pay a small fee to the police service.
A well-known scam turns this around: after a chat “interview”, the fake employer sends you a link to a site that charges for a background check, a “clearance certificate” or a “premium ID”. The site belongs to the scammers. Signs to watch:
- You never had a live interview with a person on camera or by phone.
- The check site isn’t a known screening company or police service, or the domain looks slightly off.
- Payment by gift card, crypto or e-transfer to an individual.
- They ask for your SIN for the check. A criminal record check identifies you by name, date of birth and ID; if your SIN is requested, ask why.
If you already shared your SIN or ID with a fake employer, follow the steps in what to do if you gave your SIN to a scammer, and read our guide to remote job scams in Canada.
How to prepare
- Make sure the dates and titles on your resume match what former employers will confirm.
- Tell your references in advance and give them the company’s name.
- Have a valid photo ID and your address history for the last five years ready.
- If you know something will come up – a record, a gap, a name change – raising it calmly before the check usually goes better than having it discovered.
Common questions
Can an employer run a background check without my consent?
For criminal record and credit checks, no – consent forms are standard and police services require written consent for employment checks. Employers can look at public information such as your LinkedIn profile.
How long does a background check take?
An online criminal record check often takes a few days. Checks that need fingerprints, or verification from employers abroad, can take several weeks.
Do remote employers outside Canada run Canadian checks?
Some do, through international screening companies. Vulnerable sector check results, however, are only released to organisations in Canada.
Will a background check show my previous salary?
Employment verification usually confirms titles and dates. Whether a former employer shares more depends on its policy; you can ask what will be verified.
More on this topic: our guide Applying for Remote Jobs in Canada: Resume, Cover Letter and Video Interview puts this article in context.
