Criminal record and the airport security clearance: the DBS in the UK, the RAIC in Canada
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#1 BA Gatwick, two years, and I have a caution from when I was 19 (a drunk night, nothing violent) that I declared, and the criminal record thread on here is a question from one country. The airport clearance differs by country and the applicants with something on the record need the specific version. Here is what I found for the UK and what the crew from elsewhere told me.
The UK
The airside pass requires a criminal record check (the DBS basic or standard depending on the role) and a five year employment history check with the gaps accounted for. A caution is on the record for a period and then filtered under the rules. A spent conviction is not disclosed for a basic check. The airline's HR looks at what is disclosed and decides case by case, and a minor old caution is almost never a problem; a recent offence or anything involving dishonesty or violence is a conversation that may end the application. I declared mine, it was on the certificate, HR asked one question, done.
Canada
The RAIC (the airport pass) is a federal check through Transport Canada including a criminal record check and a security assessment, and it takes weeks. Holly's thread says start it the day of the offer. A record is assessed by Transport Canada, not the airline, and a minor old offence is usually cleared; a pardon (record suspension) helps.
The US
The fingerprinting and the FBI background check for the SIDA badge, plus the airline's own background check. Jenna's and Miami's threads mention it. A conviction is assessed against the TSA's disqualifying offences list (a published list of serious crimes within a period) and minor offences outside the list are not disqualifying. Honesty on the application form is the thing; a found undeclared offence is the end.
The Gulf
The police clearance from the home country must be clean. A caution or a minor offence on the home certificate is a problem at the Gulf carriers in a way it is not in the UK, because the visa process sees it. Crew have been refused the visa for things that the UK would filter. Ask the airline before the event if there is anything on the record.
Europe
The national criminal record extract (the German Führungszeugnis, the French bulletin, the Dutch VOG) for the airport pass, with minor old offences generally filtered and the airline's HR deciding. The Scandinavian versions are similar.
The honest summary
Declare it. The UK, Canada, the US and Europe assess minor old offences case by case and mostly clear them. The Gulf is stricter because the visa sees the certificate. Dishonesty on the form ends it everywhere.
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#2 WestJet, and the RAIC being Transport Canada's decision not the airline's is the thing Canadian applicants with a record should know: the airline cannot help and the pardon does. Noah has the Canadian version right.
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#3 American, and the TSA disqualifying offences list is published and the minor stuff is not on it. The form honesty is the whole thing. An undeclared offence found at the fingerprinting is the end of the offer. Noah has it.
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#4 Emirates, and the Gulf visa seeing the home certificate is the thing UK applicants with a caution do not expect: a thing the UK filters, the UAE visa may not. Ask the airline before the event. Noah's Gulf paragraph is the important one.
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#5 Lufthansa, and the Führungszeugnis for the airport pass filters minor old offences and the airline's HR decides on what shows. The European version is the UK version with different paperwork.
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#6 easyJet, union rep, and I have sat in the HR conversation about a disclosed caution twice and both times it was one question and cleared. The undeclared one is the case I have seen end an application. Declare.
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#7 Leeds, aspiring, and the DBS filtering rules for a caution from years ago is the thing I needed. Declared and filtered is different from hidden and found. Thank you.
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#8 @hollyflies the Gulf visa seeing the certificate is the reason I wrote the Gulf paragraph: a UK filtered caution can be a visa refusal there. Ask before the event, with the exact offence.