On June 28, 2019 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada substantially changed the guidance that it provides to officers regarding the issuance of Temporary Resident Permits (“TRPs“). The biggest change was the removal of the statement that TRPs could not be issued for administrative convenience. People who do not meet the requirements of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the “IRPA“), and most commonly people who are criminally inadmissible to Canada and who are not eligible to apply for rehabilitation, require TRPs in order to enter or remain in Canada.
Borderlines Podcast #56 – Responding to Deportation Letters, with Michael Greene
We discuss issues involving the deportation of long term permanent residents for criminality. Michael Greene, Q.C. is an immigration lawyer in Calgary. He served as the National Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship & Immigration Section in 2000-2001. He is representing Jaskirat Singh Sidhu in his immigration and deportation matters. 5:45 – What are the grounds for deporting a permanent resident for criminality? 13:00 – How does the appeal process work? 17:00 – What are the factors in deportation. 19:00 – An overview of the history of the law involving the deportation of permanent residents. 26:00 – What is the probability of success for a permanent resident in avoiding deportation once proceedings start? 36:00 – Stays of removal 41:00 – Strategies and tips for responding to procedural fairness letters involving removal. [UPDATE – DECEMBER 20, 2023] The Federal Court in Sidhu v Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2023 FC 1681 has upheld a decision of the Canada Border Services Agency to refer Mr. Sidhu to the Immigration and Refugee Board. Citing the Federal Court of Appeal decision in Obazughanmwen v Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2023 FCA 151, the Court set forth the general principles applicable to … Read More
Ezokola and the Test For Complicity
In 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada in Ezokola v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) created a new test for determining complicity in Article 1F(a) exclusion cases. Article 1F(a) of the 1951 Refugee Convention provides that: The provisions of this Convention shall not apply to any person with respect to whom there are serious reasons for considering that: (a) He has committed a crime against peace, a war crime, or a crime against humanity, as defined in the international instruments drawn up to make provision in respect of such crimes; Pursuant to the Supreme Court of Canada decision in Mugesera v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2005 SCC 40, a crime against humanity is committed when each of the following four elements is satisfied: An enumerated proscribed act was committed (this involves showing that the accused committed the criminal act and had the requisite guilty state of mind for the underlying act); The act was committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack; The attack was directed against any civilian population or any identifiable group of persons; and The person who committed the proscribed act knew of the attack and knew or took the risk that his or her act comprised … Read More
Misrepresentation
Section 40 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act provides that a permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to Canada for directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding a material fact relating to a relevant matter that induces or could induce an error in the administration of Canada’s immigration laws. The general consequence of misrepresenting is a five-year ban from entering Canada. Canada is very strict on misrepresentation. In Bundhel v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2014 FC 1147, for example, Mr. Bundhel had been charged and convicted with an offence, which had been overturned on appeal. Mr. Bundhel would accordingly not have been criminally inadmissible to Canada. Because of this, he put on his immigration forms that he had never been charged or arrested. When it discovered thathehad been previously charged, what is now Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada wrote to him and provided him with an opportunity to explain why he misrepresented. After the immigration officer reviewed Mr. Bundhel’s explanation that it was an innocent mistake, the officer refused the application, and declared the person inadmissible to Canada for misrepresentation. The Court wrote (citations removed): Mr. Bundhel’s complaint that the Officer should have considered the fact that he owned-up to the … Read More
Ministerial Relief Exemption Requests
Foreign nationals who are found to be inadmissible to Canada on the basis of security (including espionage, subversion, engaging in terrorism, or being a member of a group that engages in terrorism), certain human and international rights violations, or organised crime can still visit or immigrate to Canada despite being inadmissible for such serious reasons if they satisfy the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (the “Minister“) that their entry to Canada is not contrary to Canada’s national interest. Such applications are referred to as “Ministerial Relief applications.” In assessing a Ministerial Relief application, Canadian immigration law somewhat confusingly provides that the Minister “may only take into account national security and public safety considerations, but, in his or her analysis, is not limited to considering the danger that the foreign national presents to the public or the security of Canada.” In Thomas v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2022 FC 1169, Madam Justice Heneghan affirmed that tthe Minister is required to consider whether someone is a danger to Canada. Ministerial Relief applications, previously done under ss. 34(2), 35(2), and 37(2)(a) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and now s. 42.1, have long been problematic. As the Government of Canada noted when it … Read More
Inadmissible for Crimes Against Humanity
Section 35 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the “IRPA“) provides that: Human or international rights violations 35 (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of violating human or international rights for (a) committing an act outside Canada that constitutes an offence referred to in sections 4 to 7 of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act; (b) being a prescribed senior official in the service of a government that, in the opinion of the Minister, engages or has engaged in terrorism, systematic or gross human rights violations, or genocide, a war crime or a crime against humanity within the meaning of subsections 6(3) to (5) of the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act; or (c) being a person, other than a permanent resident, whose entry into or stay in Canada is restricted pursuant to a decision, resolution or measure of an international organization of states or association of states, of which Canada is a member, that imposes sanctions on a country against which Canada has imposed or has agreed to impose sanctions in concert with that organization or association. Internal Guideline Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (“IRCC“) has produced a useful internal document … Read More
Attending The 2025 Alcoholics Anonymous Vancouver International Convention with a DUI
Alcoholics Anonymous (“A.A.“) is hosting its 2025 International Convention in Vancouver from July 3-6, 2025. A.A.’s International Convention is a global gathering of A.A. members, friends, and families that occurs every five years. The event typically takes place over a weekend and features a variety of activities, including meetings, workshops, and speaker sessions focused on sharing experiences, strength, and hope related to recovery from alcoholism. The event’s FAQ currently states: Information for those who may have entry issues due to past criminal history: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigratecanada/inadmissibility/overcome-criminal-convictions.html https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/contactircc/offices/international-visa-offices.html For general information members may also access https://www.cbsaasfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html or contact the Border Information Service (BIS) at CBSA by calling: Within Canada Toll-free 1-800-461-9999 TTY (for those with hearing or speech impairments) 1-866-335-3237 Outside Canada Long distance charges apply 1-204-983-3500 1-506-636-5064 Press “0” to speak to an officer during regular business hours – Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (local time) excluding holidays. It further states: If travel to Canada is difficult for some U.S. members, why are we holding an International Convention in Vancouver? The Fellowship of the United States and Canada makes up the General Service Structure of Alcoholics Anonymous in North America, and functions as one entity in spirit and in … Read More
Espionage and Immigrating to Canada
Section 34(1) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act provides, amongst other things, that a foreign national or Canadian permanent resident is inadmissible to Canada for engaging in an act of espionage that is against Canada or that is contrary to Canada’s interests, or being a member of an organization that there are reasonable grounds to believe engages, has engaged or will engage in espionage against Canada or that is contrary to Canada’s interests. It is one of the most serious inadmissibilities in Canadian immigration law. Guidelines Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (“IRCC”) Enforcement Manual 2 – Inadmissibilities contains the following definitions and guidance to officers regarding how immigration officials are to determine whether someone is inadmisisble to Canada for espionage. Espionage is defined as a method of information gathering by spying; that is, the gathering of information in a surreptitious manner, secretly seeking out information usually from a hostile country to benefit one’s own country. Paragraph A34(1)(a) contains two possible allegations that could render a permanent resident or foreign national inadmissible to Canada for acts of espionage: 1. if the act of espionage is against Canada, or 2. if the act of espionage is contrary to Canada’s interests. Espionage “against Canada” … Read More
A37 – Inadmissibility for Organized Crime
Section 37 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (the “IRPA“) provides that a permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to Canada for organized criminality. It states: 37. (1) A permanent resident or a foreign national is inadmissible on grounds of organized criminality for (a) being a member of an organization that is believed on reasonable grounds to be or to have been engaged in activity that is part of a pattern of criminal activity planned and organized by a number of persons acting in concert in furtherance of the commission of an offence punishable under an Act of Parliament by way of indictment, or in furtherance of the commission of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute such an offence, or engaging in activity that is part of such a pattern; or (b) engaging, in the context of transnational crime, in activities such as people smuggling, trafficking in persons or laundering of money or other proceeds of crime. Application (2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not lead to a determination of inadmissibility by reason only of the fact that the permanent resident or foreign national entered Canada with the assistance of a person who is involved in organized … Read More
Rehabilitation Applications
Section 36(3)(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act provides the legislative basis for rehablitation applications. It states that: 36(3)(c) the matters referred to in paragraphs (1)(b) and (c) and (2)(b) and (c) do not constitute inadmissibility in respect of a permanent resident or foreign national who, after the prescribed period, satisfies the Minister that they have been rehabilitated or who is a member of a prescribed class that is deemed to have been rehabilitated. IRCC Rehabilitation Guide The following PDF is IRCC’s United States Criminality Assessment Guide. As well, here is an internal IRCC New York memo which provides context on the number of rehabilitation applications that they receive. Where To Submit IRCC’s preference is that rehabilitation applications be submitted separate from permanent or temporary residence applications. Statistics Jurisprudence In Hadad v. Canada (The Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism), 2011 FC 1503, the Federal Court affirmed several important principles of rehabilitation applications, including that: The Minister should take into consideration the unique facts of each particular case and consider whether the overall situation warrants a finding that the individual has been rehabilitated; rehabilitation is forward looking; and an officer commits a reviewable error if they too much importance to … Read More