加拿大移民部部长Marc Miller前些天在X上发了这么一段话：
幽默归幽默，这条推文确实涉及了一个加拿大移民法里十分敏感的问题——因犯罪导致不可入境（criminal inadmissibility）。借着圣诞节的机会，牛顿来借题探讨一下：假设圣诞老人真的有犯罪背景，他有哪些选项可以克服不可入境加拿大。
首先我们要搞清楚圣诞老人的罪行本质。部长的推文里说到圣诞老人的犯罪背景是“petty criminality”，这是轻罪的另一种表达方式，用普通法的专业术语叫做“简易程序罪行”（summary offence）。与“简易程序罪行”相对应的重罪叫“可公诉罪行”（indictable offence）。在加拿大刑法中，有的罪行既可循简易程序又可以循公诉程序发起检控，这种罪行叫做“混合式罪行”（hybrid offence）。根据IRPA s. 36(3)(a)，可轻可重的混合式罪行无论在实际检控过程中是遵循简易程序还是公诉程序，在IRCC判断不可入境时一律视为可公诉罪行。根据以上分析，我们得出结论圣诞老人犯过的罪行只可能是简易程序罪行。
在IRPA s. 36(1)和s. 36(2)分别列举了因严重犯罪和普通犯罪导致的不可入境的各种情况。
Serious criminality
36 (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality for
(a) having been convicted in Canada of an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years, or of an offence under an Act of Parliament for which a term of imprisonment of more than six months has been imposed;
(b) having been convicted of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years; or
(c) committing an act outside Canada that is an offence in the place where it was committed and that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years.
Criminality
36 (2) A foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of criminality for
(a) having been convicted in Canada of an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by way of indictment, or of two offences under any Act of Parliament not arising out of a single occurrence;
(b) having been convicted outside Canada of an offence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an indictable offence under an Act of Parliament, or of two offences not arising out of a single occurrence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute offences under an Act of Parliament;
(c) committing an act outside Canada that is an offence in the place where it was committed and that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an indictable offence under an Act of Parliament; or
(d) committing, on entering Canada, an offence under an Act of Parliament prescribed by regulations.
圣诞老人是外籍人士，不是永久居民，因此第36(1)和36(2)款都有可能对他适用。注意，第36(1)款虽然名义上是严重罪行，但门槛其实很低：即使理论上的最高量刑不超过10年，如果在加拿大被定罪并获刑超过6个月也会构成因严重犯罪导致的不可入境。《刑法典》（Criminal Code）s. 787(1)规定简易程序罪行最高量刑不超过两年减一天，所以虽然概率很低，但还是有一定可能性会触发IRPA第36(1)款的因严重犯罪导致的不可入境。
如果圣诞老人是牛顿的客户，我一定会索要他详尽的犯罪历史法律文档，但在本文里，我们所以只能推测他犯了什么罪。我知道很多读者第一时间都会想到“私闯民宅”。但是，圣诞老人其实不可能犯过“私闯民宅”的罪名，理由有两点：一、根据《刑法典》第348(1)和第349(1)款，私闯民宅罪名成立的前提是必须存在想要实施可公诉罪行的犯罪意图。圣诞老人确实进入了他人的民宅，但是他并没有任何犯罪意图，因此他不可能在加拿大被以s. 348或s. 349的罪名定罪。加拿大外的世界许多国家对私闯民宅的罪名也有严格的犯罪意图要求。如果圣诞老人确实因为私闯民宅在境外某国被定罪，只要他能解释清楚自己并不存在犯罪意图，那么他就可以证明境外的罪名在加拿大不构成违反联邦法律的罪名。二、私闯民宅是严重的罪行，一旦罪名成立就不可能遵循简易程序检控。既然部长说了圣诞老人的罪行是轻罪，那么一定不可能是私闯民宅。
以上分析先就此打住。为方便问题的讨论，我们暂且假定圣诞老人曾多次犯下引起骚乱的罪行（比如送礼物时动静太大惊扰社区居民），这是一个收录在《刑法典》s. 175(1)的简易程序罪行。同时我们也假定他从未因为此罪名在加拿大获刑超过6个月。根据IRPA s. 36(2)(a)和(b)，非因单一事件引起的两次及以上简易程序罪行即构成普通犯罪的不可入境。如果要克服不可入境，圣诞老人有如下若干选项。
选项一：针对境内犯罪记录的记录暂停（record suspension）
这个选项仅针对境内犯罪记录。圣诞老人如果存在加拿大境内的犯罪记录，可向加拿大假释委员会（Parole Board of Canada）申请犯罪记录暂停，法律依据见IRPA s. 36(3)(b)：
Application
36 (3) The following provisions govern subsections (1) and (2):
…
(b) inadmissibility under subsections (1) and (2) may not be based on a conviction in respect of which a record suspension has been ordered and has not been revoked or ceased to have effect under the Criminal Records Act, or in respect of which there has been a final determination of an acquittal;
…
选项二：针对境外犯罪记录的自新（rehabilitation）
这个选项仅针对境外犯罪记录。IRPA s. 36(3)(c)覆盖了两种证明自新的方式：个人自新（individual rehabilitation）或被自动认为已自新（deemed rehabilitation）。
Application
36 (3) The following provisions govern subsections (1) and (2):
…
(c) the matters referred to in paragraphs (1)(b) and (c) and (2)(b) and (c) do not constitute inadmissibility in respect of a permanent resident or foreign national who, after the prescribed period, satisfies the Minister that they have been rehabilitated or who is a member of a prescribed class that is deemed to have been rehabilitated;
…
IRPR s. 17定义了个人自新的定明期限（prescribed period）为5年。根据IRPR s. 17(1)，服刑完毕满5年且之后再无其他犯罪记录的申请人可以向IRCC申请个人自新。根据IRCC网站的声明，即使服刑完毕未满5年，圣诞老人也可以提交个人自新申请，但是要在IMM 1444表格的Section A勾选“For Information Only”。在这种情况下，签证官会酌情考虑是否给予临时居民签证。
IRPR s. 18则给出了被自动认为已自新的定明类别（prescribed class）的定义。其中s. 18(2)(b)描述的就是两次或多次简易程序罪行的情况，即服刑完毕5年后即被自动认为已自新，无需另外申请。
选项三：临时居民许可（TRP）
如果以上两个选项都不可行，圣诞老人还可以向IRCC提交临时居民许可的申请。TRP是一种酌情性的补救（discretionary remedy），由IRPA s. 24(1)提供相关法律依据：
Temporary resident permit
24 (1) A foreign national who, in the opinion of an officer, is inadmissible or does not meet the requirements of this Act becomes a temporary resident if an officer is of the opinion that it is justified in the circumstances and issues a temporary resident permit, which may be cancelled at any time.
注意，IRPA s. 24(1)规定的法律测试标准是“视乎情况具有正当理由”（justified in the circumstances），但IRCC的TRP网页显示他们实际可能采用更高的测试标准，即“令人信服的理由”（compelling reasons）。在英文里，compelling要比justified的说服度更加强烈。一般而言，不可入境的原因越严重，你申请入境的理由就必须越正当且令人信服。因此如果是因严重犯罪导致的不可入境（IRPA s. 36(1)），通常情况下很难申请到TRP。幸好圣诞老人的情况是因普通犯罪导致的不可入境（IRPA s. 36(2)），所以希望还是有的。
圣诞老人虽然因为普通犯罪原因不可入境，但是他需要在平安夜之前进入加拿大给全加拿大的孩子们送礼物：这个理由是否正当（justified）？是否令人信服（compelling）？似乎两者都说得通，但是怎么说就是一门艺术。TRP申请的本质是在向IRCC请求网开一面，文书里必须说服签证官，你提供的理由既正当又令人信服。在这种情况下，建议聘请受过专业训练的持牌移民顾问或律师。
选项四：部长救济（Ministerial Relief）
注意这里假设的是一个不符合部长推文的情况，即我们假设圣诞老人现在是因为犯下危害国家与公众安全的罪行而不可入境，具体原因包括以下三种情况（IRPA s. 34、s. 35(1)(b)、s. 37）之一：
Security
34 (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on security grounds for
(a) engaging in an act of espionage that is against Canada or that is contrary to Canada’s interests;
(b) engaging in or instigating the subversion by force of any government;
(b.1) engaging in an act of subversion against a democratic government, institution or process as they are understood in Canada;
(c) engaging in terrorism;
(d) being a danger to the security of Canada;
(e) engaging in acts of violence that would or might endanger the lives or safety of persons in Canada; or
(f) being a member of an organization that there are reasonable grounds to believe engages, has engaged or will engage in acts referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (b.1) or (c).
Human or international rights violations
35 (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of violating human or international rights for
…
(b) being a prescribed senior official in the service of a government that, in the opinion of the Minister, engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide, a war crime or a crime against humanity within the meaning of subsections 6(3) to (5) of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act; or
…
Organized criminality
37 (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of organized criminality for
(a) being a member of an organization that is believed on reasonable grounds to be or to have been engaged in activity that is part of a pattern of criminal activity planned and organized by a number of persons acting in concert in furtherance of the commission of an offence punishable under an Act of Parliament by way of indictment, or in furtherance of the commission of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute such an offence, or engaging in activity that is part of such a pattern; or
(b) engaging, in the context of transnational crime, in activities such as people smuggling, trafficking in persons or laundering of money or other proceeds of crime.
因以上三种情况之一导致不可入境，可以向CBSA申请部长救济。注意这个部长不是移民部（IRCC）部长，而是公安部（PSEPC）部长。部长救济的法律依据见IRPA s. 42.1：
Exception — application to Minister
42.1 (1) The Minister may, on application by a foreign national, declare that the matters referred to in section 34, paragraph 35(1)(b) and subsection 37(1) do not constitute inadmissibility in respect of the foreign national if they satisfy the Minister that it is not contrary to the national interest.
最后，祝大家圣诞快乐！