Humanitarian and compassionate grounds
Humanitarian and compassionate grounds apply to people with exceptional cases. We assess these applications on a case-by-case basis. Factors we look at include:
Other rules that apply to humanitarian and compassionate grounds:
The Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program lets private groups sponsor eligible refugees abroad. As the private sponsor, you’ll support a refugee for the sponsorship period, usually up to 1 year. The support you provide will include
· start-up costs, such as furniture and clothing
· on-going monthly costs for basic necessities, including housing, food, and public transportation
· supporting refugees socially and emotionally.
Refugee status
Canada offers refugee protection to some people in Canada who fear persecution or who would be in danger if they had to leave. Some dangers they may face include
· torture
· risk to their life
· risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment
To come to Canada as a refugee, you must be referred. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), a designated referral organization, or a private sponsorship group can refer you. You cannot apply directly.
To be referred, you must fall into one of these two refugee classes.
1) Convention refugee abroad class
You may be in this class if you:
· are outside your home country,
· cannot return there due to a well-founded fear of persecution based on
· race
· religion
· political opinion
· nationality, or
· membership in a particular social group. Examples: gender, sexual orientation, etc.
Convention refugees can be sponsored by:
· the Government of Canada (government-assisted refugees),
· a group of people or an organization (privately sponsored refugees), or
· a mix of both (blended visa office-referred refugees).
You can also be a Convention refugee if you have the funds needed to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada. You will still need the UNHCR, a referral organization, or a private sponsorship group to refer you.
2) Country of asylum class
You may be in this class if you:
· are outside your home country, or the country where you normally live, and
· have been seriously affected by civil war or armed conflict, or
· have been denied basic human rights on an ongoing basis.
Country of asylum class refugees can be privately sponsored. You can also be in this class if you have the funds you need to support yourself and your family after you arrive in Canada. You will still need the UNHCR, a referral organization, or a private sponsorship group to refer you.