Important Changes to Humanitarian and Compassionate Applications

Several changes have recently been made to the humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. A person cannot have two H&C applications pending at the same time and H&C decision makers will no longer consider risks that are assessed within Canada’s refugee protection process.  

Risk of persecution based on grounds set out in the Refugee Convention or risk of torture or of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment will not be assessed. H&C decisions will continue to focus on establishment in Canada, best interests of the child, relationships in Canada, hardships that affect the foreign national and the country of origin’s ability to provide medical treatment.