Glossary - Refugee Law
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) gives legal aid certificates to pay for the services of a lawyer. If you get a certificate, a lawyer can bill up to a certain number of hours for specific work they do for you. For example, a certificate might be to prepare an application or to prepare for and represent you at a hearing. The lawyer you choose must be on a list of lawyers approved by LAO and be willing to take your case.
In 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
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.
In Immigration Law, Refugee Law
A removal order says that a person must leave Canada. There are 3 types of removal orders:
In Immigration Law, Income Assistance, Refugee Law
A sponsorship undertaking refers to the period of time when a sponsor is financially responsible for the person they sponsor. It starts on the day the sponsored person becomes a permanent resident and ranges from 3 to 20 years, depending on the family class category the person was sponsored under.
In Employment Insurance, Immigration Law, Income Assistance, Refugee Law
A temporary resident is someone who has permission from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to be in Canada for a specific period of time. This includes visitors, people with some study permits, people with some work permits, and people with Temporary Resident Permits.
Not everyone who’s allowed to enter Canada is a temporary resident. For example, if you make a refugee claim, this does not give you the status of a temporary resident. But you can remain in Canada until your refugee claim process is complete.
In Immigration Law, Income Assistance, Refugee Law
A Temporary Resident Permit is a special permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that lets a person live in Canada for a certain period of time. If IRCC gives someone a Temporary Resident Permit, they agree to let the person stay in Canada temporarily. And they do this even though the person has not met a requirement or is inadmissible to Canada. IRCC can cancel the permit at any time.
In some situations, after being on a Temporary Resident Permit for a certain period of time, the person may be able to apply for permanent resident status.
