Glossary
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
Sometimes people can apply to Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent resident status based on what are called humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
The grounds, or reasons, can be almost anything that makes others feel compassion for and want to help the person making the application. For example, a reason people often use is that they would face hardship if they had to return to their home country. They also explain that they’re established in Canada and have created a life here.
Another important factor is whether a child would be directly affected if the applicant had to return to their home country. This is because IRCC must consider what’s in the child’s best interests. It does not have to be the applicant’s child.
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law, Making a refugee claim, Making a claim, Separating or joining claims
Sometimes people can ask for an exception to immigration rules because they have what are called humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
The grounds, or reasons, can be almost anything that makes others feel compassion for the person making the application or a child they’re close to. The reasons often include hardship that they would face if they had to return to their home country and how established they are in Canada. The situation makes others want to help them.
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) holds hearings and makes decisions on immigration and refugee matters. It has 4 parts, called divisions:
- Immigration Division (ID) does admissibility hearings and detention reviews
- Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) decides appeals from some immigration decisions, including appeals of deportation orders and sponsorship applications
- Refugee Protection Division (RPD) holds refugee hearings and decides when a refugee claimant in Canada is a Convention refugee or person in need of protection
- Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) decides appeals from some decisions made by the Refugee Protection Division
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) decides appeals from some immigration decisions, including appeals of deportation orders and sponsorship applications. The IAD is part of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
If you’re not a Canadian citizen, you must meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act if you want to enter or remain in Canada. Being inadmissible to Canada means that you do not meet the requirements.
There are different requirements depending on the immigration status that you’re trying to get or keep.
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
When you apply for a judicial review, you ask the Federal Court to review a decision. This might be because the decision-maker did not do their job reasonably, or the process was not fair.
The Federal Court must agree to review the decision. If the Federal Court agrees, it will have an oral hearing to discuss the decision. If your judicial review is successful, the Federal Court sends your case back for a new decision.
In Family Law, Health and Disability, Mental health, Immigration Law, Refugee Law
A legal aid certificate is a document that says Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) covers the cost of a private lawyer to work on your legal problem for a certain number of hours.
To get a legal aid certificate, you must show that your income and assets are low enough, and that your legal issue is one that LAO covers.
A notary is someone who’s licensed to verify a person’s signature on a document. Each province has its own rules about who can become a notary, also called a notary public.
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.