Glossary - Immigration Law
If you’re on parole, this means that you were:
- serving a sentence for a crime, and
- released from custody to serve the rest of your sentence in the community.
When you’re on parole, you have to follow certain conditions that were set when you were released. This includes reporting to a parole officer. If you don’t follow the conditions, you can be sent back into custody to serve the rest of your sentence.
In Migrant workers, Immigration Law, Income Assistance, Refugee Law
A permanent resident is someone who has the right to live permanently in Canada. A permanent resident is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents can be ordered to leave Canada for reasons given in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
In Immigration Law, Income Assistance, Refugee Law
After someone becomes a permanent resident, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada gives them a permanent resident card. The card proves that the person has permanent status in Canada and includes details like their name, photograph, and date of birth.
A permanent resident card usually expires in 5 years but can be renewed.
Permanent residents who travel outside Canada need to make sure that they have their permanent resident card and that it is valid at the time they plan to return.
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
A person in need of protection is someone who would likely face at least one of the following risks if they had to return to their home country:
- torture, or
- in some cases, a risk to their life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
A port of entry is a place where people can enter Canada. Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) decides if a person can come into the country.
Ports of entry include international airports, land border crossings, such as border crossings from the United States, and maritime ports, such as the ports at Vancouver and Halifax.
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) is a process that reviews the risk a person would face if sent back to their country. Most people who apply successfully for PRRA become protected persons.
In Immigration Law, Income Assistance, Refugee Law
A protected person is someone who:
- the Refugee Protection Division or the Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board recognizes as a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection
- a visa officer outside Canada accepts for resettlement to Canada as someone who needs protection
Most people who have a successful Pre-Removal Risk Assessment are also protected persons. But this is not true if they’re inadmissible to Canada for certain reasons, for example, they’re considered a security risk. In that situation, they’re not ordered to leave Canada, but Canada Border Services Agency can review the decision to let them remain in Canada.
