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:

• how settled the person is in Canada

• general family ties to Canada

• the best interests of any children involved, and

• what could happen to you if we do not grant the request. 

Other rules that apply to humanitarian and compassionate grounds:

• You may only ask for humanitarian and compassionate grounds if you are applying for permanent resident status in Canada, or for a permanent resident visa abroad. We will not look at H&C requests from temporary resident applicants.

• You cannot have more than one humanitarian and compassionate grounds application at the same time.

• We will not assess risk factors such as persecution, risk to life, cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. 

• You cannot apply for humanitarian and compassionate grounds if you have a pending refugee claim. If you want to apply, you must withdraw your refugee claim before your Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) hearing.

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Contact us today if you're interested in an H&C application