Humanitarian and Compassionate Ground

Humanitarian and compassionate grounds give the rare opportunity to applicants to become permanent residents of Canada. Permanent residency may be granted based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds on a case-by-case basis or under specific public policy considerations under exceptional circumstances. In 2019, There are a total of 4,681 permanent residents admitted under this discretionary ground.

Mandatory Requirements: 

• How well the applicant has integrated into Canada.
• Family ties to Canada.
• The best interests of any children, if applicable.
• The implication and hardship of the H & C request if not granted.

Supportive Requirements:

• You may only ask for humanitarian and compassionate grounds if you apply for permanent resident status in Canada or a permanent resident visa abroad.
• Applicants must not have more than one humanitarian and compassionate grounds application.
• Risk factors i.e, persecution, the risk to life, cruel and unusual treatment or punishment will not be assessed.
• Applicants are not allowed to apply for humanitarian and compassionate grounds if they have a pending refugee claim or received negative decisions from the IRB within the last 12 months. There is an exception for an applicant with children under 18 who would be adversely affected if removed from Canada or proof that the applicant or dependants suffer from a life-threatening medical condition that cannot be treated in their home country.
  
  

Certain people are found ineligible.

A “designated foreign national”  cannot apply for humanitarian and compassionate grounds until five years have passed since the day becoming a designated foreign national.

Level plan 2021 to 2023 Notice – Supplementary Information for the 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan – Canada.ca

• Inadmissible applicants can apply for H & C if they have an exceptional case.
• An applicant under a removal order can apply for H & C if the eligibility criteria are met. However, this will not prevent removal from Canada.

• Paper – Based application

To submit your permanent residence application under the H & C ground, fill out your application forms accurately and completely on a computer. Validate the forms, print out all the forms, including the barcode page, date, and sign the forms.

• Pay your application fees
  The estimated cost per Adult is $1,050 for a permanent resident application. Make payment for permanent resident application, print the receipt of payment, and attach it to your document. See the break down below:

See the breakdown of the fee.

• Submit your application by mailing it to the address found in the application guide.
• Biometrics: Applicants may be required to give their biometrics for permanent residence applications. You must give your fingerprints and photos.  Visit this link to learn more about how to give your Biometrics. Estimated Cost – $85 Individual, $170 Family.
• Processing Time: The processing time for H & C application is 22 to 36 months.

Programs delivery update on the intake of applications for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations changes to the bar on making an H&C application. There is now a 12-month bar for failed refugee claimants from applying for humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations unless they qualify for an exception on the basis of either inadequate medical or health care in the country of origin leading to a risk to life upon removal or the best interests of a child. News release