In Canada, there is a pathway to permanent residency called the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA).
In simple terms, an immigration officer evaluates how risky it would be for you to return to your home country based on several factors, including:
- The risk of being subjected to torture.
- The risk of losing your life or being subjected to cruel treatment or forced, violent medical intervention.
- Fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, or membership in a particular social group (e.g., individuals with nontraditional sexual orientations, taboo professions, etc.).
Only those who have received a deportation notice from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are eligible to apply.
This application package is submitted on paper only, with a processing time of 6–8 months (sometimes even faster). Generally, the process does NOT involve a hearing to reach a decision. However, in rare cases, a hearing may be your right and could even save you from deportation. During the processing time, you are protected from deportation with a "protective" status.
When is a hearing your right? If you previously applied for refugee status and were denied, and then submitted a PRRA application with a document that was unavailable at the time of your original refugee claim, you may qualify for a hearing.
This program is also available to individuals with a criminal record (since a criminal record automatically disqualifies you from obtaining permanent residency through any other programs). However, in such cases, the applicant cannot use the fear of persecution as a factor—only risks to life, torture, or forced violent medical intervention.
Know your rights.
