Humanitarian immigration program

Certain categories of people can move to Canada for humanitarian and compassionate reasons.

In certain cases, applicants may be granted permanent residency in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. You can take advantage of this opportunity if:

you are a foreign citizen residing in Canada;
other ways of immigration do not suit you;
you believe that you need to be granted permanent residency on an exceptional basis for humanitarian and compassionate reasons.

The humanitarian program is not a facilitated immigration program. It is a program that can be used in exceptional cases!

If you have lived and/or worked in Canada for some time without valid immigration status and would like to apply for permanent residence, you may apply for permanent resident status on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Under Section 25 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Minister may consider your individual circumstances and grant permanent residence if it is justified on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

This process consists of two steps:

The applicant is allowed to apply for permanent residence in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds;
The applicant is approved for permanent residence in Canada.

An applicant approved at the first stage may still be rejected at the second stage if they do not meet the requirements for permanent resident status.

There are many different instances where permanent residence can be granted in this situation. For example, you have been working in Canada for several years, you have young children who attend school and are connected to your community through a faith-based organization. Or maybe you have a large family in Canada, but you are not eligible for sponsorship and cannot get a job if you return to your country.

Settlement in Canada: this includes elements such as how long you have been in Canada, your involvement in your community, your job, your ties to family here, your education.
Difficulties you will face if you return to your country: this refers to the difficulties you will face if you are forced to live in your own country. This may be related to the political situation, lack of employment, fear of violence or persecution, lack of social services, and other similar factors.
Interests of your children: if you have children, their interests may be an integral part of the application. Being forced to leave Canada may have a big impact on their lives. Canadian law requires immigration officers to be vigilant and consider the best interests of children when dealing with applications on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.