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Refugee status cessation and PRs applying for citizenship

salem10

Hero Member
Jul 6, 2010
438
75
Ontario, since 2006
Visa Office......
Buffalo
NOC Code......
0711/4131/4121
Pre-Assessed..
Yes
App. Filed.......
10-05-2010
Doc's Request.
Nov 02, 2010
AOR Received.
May 19, 2011 from buffalo
IELTS Request
submitted writtin sample (accepted)
Med's Request
April 14, 2012
Med's Done....
June 10, 2011, again in May 02, 2012 -medical furtherance June29-2012
Interview........
waived
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Waiting
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Waiting
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20-06-2015
I am NO expert. Especially as to how things work for refugees in particular. For example, I do NOT know much about how the special PR-refugee Travel Document works in practice. I am just familiar with the fact that it is the appropriate Travel Document to be used by Canadian PR-refugees.

IN GENERAL, the citizenship applicant's travel documents are considered important evidence and IRCC wants to examine them. This includes any and all passports or other types of Travel Documents which were at all valid or could have otherwise been used during the applicant's eligibility period. The current application form instructs applicants to list all such documents and identify which, if any, the applicant cannot provide. And explain why the document is not available.

Presenting all such documents is NOT a qualifying requirement, as such. Many applicants fail to have this or that Travel Document. They identify them. They explain why they do not have the document. And IRCC evaluates this in conjunction with all the other information and evidence. Whether failing to present one or more such documents has a negative influence in how things go, or more to the point, the extent to which failing to present one or more such documents has a negative influence in how things go, can vary by a lot . . . depending on the other facts and circumstances.

The main thing is whether or not the situation raises questions about the applicant's accounting of days present in Canada. If IRCC is satisfied the applicant meets the presence requirement, that is what matters.


REGARDING VALIDITY DATE of PR CARD:

I am not sure what you are asking. It is ordinarily better to have a valid PR card when applying for citizenship but it is NOT a requirement. If the card is expired that has NO effect on the PR's status.

Many applying for citizenship will want to keep a valid PR card pending processing of their citizenship application, in case they travel abroad while the application is pending. But it is not necessary to renew the PR card and many others do not bother (I did not . . . and I let my PR card expire before I took the oath, although mine was valid when I applied for citizenship).

I do not know if a PR-refugee with the special PR-refugee Travel Document needs to also have the PR card when traveling abroad.
Thank you for all of information and thoughts.

I can easy proof that I meet residency requirements. I have proof of work and pay forms during the past years.
The question is if I don’t mention at all to all of my home passport in my application, is there any issue?

In fact, I don’t have that passport now and it was expired during all of my eligibility period? So, why I mentioned to it?
I do have it in early of 2015, the early beginning of my eligibility period. I forgot about it as we moved few times, it could ended but in some recycle boxes.
 
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Seym

Champion Member
Nov 6, 2017
1,721
843
Thank you for all of information and thoughts.

I can easy proof that I meet residency requirements. I have proof of work and pay forms during the past years.
The question is if I don’t mention at all to all of my home passport in my application, is there any issue?

In fact, I don’t have that passport now and it was expired during all of my eligibility period? So, why I mentioned to it?
I do have it in early of 2015, the early beginning of my eligibility period. I forgot about it as we moved few times, it could ended but in some recycle boxes.
You have to list all passports/travel documents you had during the eligibily period, regardless of you having them today or not.
That includes the home country passport you lost.
Better to explain that you lost a document than to explain why you deliberately hided an information IRCC explicitely asked you for.
 

Fnamavati

Full Member
Apr 29, 2017
47
4
Hey guys..have a question..if a person was convention refugee..got his PR...now applied for citisenship...is the case handled differently??? Or same as all other citizenship applications?
 

dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,435
3,183
Thank you for all of information and thoughts.

I can easy proof that I meet residency requirements. I have proof of work and pay forms during the past years.
The question is if I don’t mention at all to all of my home passport in my application, is there any issue?

In fact, I don’t have that passport now and it was expired during all of my eligibility period? So, why I mentioned to it?
I do have it in early of 2015, the early beginning of my eligibility period. I forgot about it as we moved few times, it could ended but in some recycle boxes.
Agree with the observation that the applicant is asked (and therefore required) to list all passports and travel documents that were used, could have been used, or were otherwise at all valid during any part of the eligibility period. If the applicant does not currently have the passport or Travel Document, the applicant still lists it, and then explains why they currently do not have it.

Never a good idea to withhold or conceal or evade, let alone deceive. Misrepresentation is not a mere dead end, it turns things around heading in the opposite direction, with potentially severe penalties along the way. The omission of material information is considered just as much a misrepresentation as is an overt, explicit falsehood.




Hey guys..have a question..if a person was convention refugee..got his PR...now applied for citisenship...is the case handled differently??? Or same as all other citizenship applications?
The requirements are the same. The process itself is mostly the same, except to the extent the individual applicant's situation might trigger this or that non-routine processing.

There are some significant facts which tend to vary versus other classes of immigrants. In particular, refugee's tend to have significantly different backgrounds compared to FSW or family class immigrants. So some variation in particular concerns or issues may arise.

But that is true across the board. Different facts, different backgrounds, suggest different issues. There are, after all, wide variations in how things go for individual applicants, and much of that derives from the different facts and circumstances in the individual case.

Consider this particular topic, for example. Spending time in the home country is very common among many immigrants and is NO issue at all for those who became a PR as members of the family class or a FSW. Refugees who obtain a home country passport and who travel to the home country, in contrast, may be at risk for a cessation referral. Big difference.

It is my impression that many refugees arrive in Canada without being competent in either of the official languages. PRs who obtained status as a FSW, in contrast, have already established language ability that easily meets the requirement for citizenship. But, here too the difference is not especially about being a refugee. More than a few family class PRs will need to obtain and submit proof of language since they had not already demonstrated their ability in one of the official languages.

That is, the requirements are the same. What different immigrants bring to the table, however, varies and can vary widely.
 

AminaChek

Newbie
May 17, 2019
2
0
Hello everyone,
Two days ago my husband got the application from Canada agency Boarder to cease refugee protection, :(
my husband was accepted a s refugee in 2004, got his PR in 2006, apply for Citizenship on 2012 , he passe test on 2014 , and since there we were waiting for 5 years for the ceremony ,
Now, after 15 years they said Okay we cease you protection because you did visit your country, and u asked for passport from them,

like after 15 years!!! my husband all his life is in Canada (House, Wife, Daughter, investment...) he went to his country just for family issue,

by the way, this law came after my husband got PR , so he did't know, and the politic situation became better in this country after 15 years , and he asked for new passport because he didn't get the Canadian passport

Now, I'm wondering if someone can let us know, how long the process will take times? if someone know a good lawyer specialist in this cases in Edmonton or Calgary ? any associations ? if I can sponsor him after, if will get a cessation? if the law will b not applicable for his case because hi passed 10 years since he get the PR?
currently we are discourage and disrupt :(:(:(
Thanks everyone for you sharing and helping,
Amina.
 

Kiven

Newbie
Aug 16, 2018
9
3
Hello everyone,
Two days ago my husband got the application from Canada agency Boarder to cease refugee protection, :(
my husband was accepted a s refugee in 2004, got his PR in 2006, apply for Citizenship on 2012 , he passe test on 2014 , and since there we were waiting for 5 years for the ceremony ,
Now, after 15 years they said Okay we cease you protection because you did visit your country, and u asked for passport from them,

like after 15 years!!! my husband all his life is in Canada (House, Wife, Daughter, investment...) he went to his country just for family issue,

by the way, this law came after my husband got PR , so he did't know, and the politic situation became better in this country after 15 years , and he asked for new passport because he didn't get the Canadian passport

Now, I'm wondering if someone can let us know, how long the process will take times? if someone know a good lawyer specialist in this cases in Edmonton or Calgary ? any associations ? if I can sponsor him after, if will get a cessation? if the law will b not applicable for his case because hi passed 10 years since he get the PR?
currently we are discourage and disrupt :(:(:(
Thanks everyone for you sharing and helping,
Amina.
First Things first, contact a good immigration lawyer. Has he been given a hearing date yet? when did he have contact with CBSA? From the statistics posted today, they guys are going hard, those of us in this situation are in trouble, I face the same issue.
 
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AminaChek

Newbie
May 17, 2019
2
0
First Things first, contact a good immigration lawyer. Has he been given a hearing date yet? when did he have contact with CBSA? From the statistics posted today, they guys are going hard, those of us in this situation are in trouble, I face the same issue.
Thanks Kiven for the answer, we does have a date yet, we just got a copy of the application from CBSA , Do you known how long the process will takes?? Thanks
 

Kiven

Newbie
Aug 16, 2018
9
3
Thanks Kiven for the answer, we does have a date yet, we just got a copy of the application from CBSA , Do you known how long the process will takes?? Thanks
No not really, however from the small research i did. it takes soo long. Looking at the statistics, you can vaguely infer that there is a backlog of about two years, since number of applications made and processed have a huge variance. However, this last quota stats show the highest number of processed application since this whole thing started. It might suggest that they have decided to speed up things or have received some more funding. When did you partner come in contact with CBSA? Like what and when did CBSA find out?
 
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dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,435
3,183
Hello everyone,
Two days ago my husband got the application from Canada agency Boarder to cease refugee protection, :(
my husband was accepted a s refugee in 2004, got his PR in 2006, apply for Citizenship on 2012 , he passe test on 2014 , and since there we were waiting for 5 years for the ceremony ,
Now, after 15 years they said Okay we cease you protection because you did visit your country, and u asked for passport from them,

like after 15 years!!! my husband all his life is in Canada (House, Wife, Daughter, investment...) he went to his country just for family issue,

by the way, this law came after my husband got PR , so he did't know, and the politic situation became better in this country after 15 years , and he asked for new passport because he didn't get the Canadian passport

Now, I'm wondering if someone can let us know, how long the process will take times? if someone know a good lawyer specialist in this cases in Edmonton or Calgary ? any associations ? if I can sponsor him after, if will get a cessation? if the law will b not applicable for his case because hi passed 10 years since he get the PR?
currently we are discourage and disrupt :(:(:(
Thanks everyone for you sharing and helping,
Amina.
I EMPHATICALLY agree with @Kiven: "First Things first, contact a good immigration lawyer." Again, with emphasis, it is time to LAWYER-UP. (Actually, it appears that it was time to at least consult with a lawyer some time ago . . . at least three or four years ago. But what's done is done.) Sorry, but I cannot offer any suggestions let alone outright referrals. Obviously you need a lawyer with experience in refugee cases, thus not just any immigration lawyer . . . assuming you can find such a lawyer in your area.

We have seen few reports (very few reports) of personal experience from individuals actually subject to cessation proceedings, so it is near impossible to adequately figure out how these things typically go, let alone how it will go in your particular case.

The statistics linked by @Kiven suggest that CBSA is actively pursuing what appears to be the more obvious cases, but over the course of the last two years more than a quarter of the cases have resulted in the protected person KEEPING protected person status. My sense is this ratio will decline, that a larger percentage of the cases undertaken will indeed lead to loss of status.

BUT such percentages are NOT what really matters. What really matters are the particular details in the individual case.

What the numbers do reveal, however, is that some refugees can win these. So it can be worth contesting.

Relevant factors likely include how many times the PR has renewed the home country passport and used such passports; and, how many times the PR has traveled to the home country and for how long, the purpose and duration of the trips looming particularly large.

While there is NO H&C relief, if the RPD determines there is cessation of status, then the affected individual who is married to a Canadian citizen or PR should be eligible for sponsored PR in the family class . . . assuming the Canadian spouse meets the eligibility requirements to sponsor and assuming the person who lost protected person status does not have any criminal history which would make him inadmissible.


FOR FORUM SHARED INFORMATION it would be helpful, @AminaChek, if you could offer more contextual information . . . in particular, a rough estimate of frequency and duration of trips to the home country would be useful for others struggling to put their own situations into perspective.



https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/statistics/protection/Pages/RPDVacStat.aspx

Stats for the first quota of the year are out. They do not look good at all. I am literally shivering. Not too sure what to expect.
The stats are sobering. The report from @AminaChek even more so. This is the first report here in a long while reflecting action in the direction toward cessation of status. It is a stark reminder that yes, citizenship applicants who are refugee-PRs who have obtained a home country passport are AT RISK for potential cessation of status.

The stats are NOT alarming, however. And here too the report from @AminaChek offers some context: this appears to be one of the 2019 cessation applications . . . yet it quite clearly derives from a referral at least FOUR or five years ago (from sometime after the test and interview in 2014).

There are only a little more than 400 hundred cessation applications pending . . . whereas the number of refugees who have obtained a home country passport or traveled to the home country is quite likely MANY thousands. While the latter is a guess, given the many TENS of thousands of refugees and protected persons in Canada, even if only a rather small percentage obtain a home country passport or travel back to the home country, the total number should easily be MANY thousands.

This suggests what is consistent with a number of anecdotal reports here (reflecting NO cessation for a number of protected persons who have obtained both a home country passport AND who traveled to the home country), that cessation proceedings are likely triggered by more than just obtaining a home country passport, and indeed likely involve multiple trips to the home country during which some involved a relatively extended stays in the home country (or other more or less obvious criteria, like working or engaging in business in the home country).

To my view the statistics mostly confirm that YES, there is still some RISK of cessation for any PR-refugee who has obtained a home country passport and ESPECIALLY if that person has also actually traveled home. But so far they do not indicate a broad sweep going after most (let alone all) who have obtained a home country passport and traveled home.

The 76 new applications in the first quarter of this year appears to reflect something of a sudden surge in new applications. My GUESS (and it is just a guess) is that CBSA is making an effort to catch up on a backlog of referrals . . . and here too, the report from @AminaChek is consistent with this, since again it appears to derive from an IRCC referral back in 2014 or 2015.

The statistic that is NOT available is the number of referrals.

In any event, the more recent statistics do not appear to indicate any dramatic increase in the RISKS.



RELEVANCY of DATES --

Going back to the post by @AminaChek:

by the way, this law came after my husband got PR , so he did't know, and the politic situation became better in this country after 15 years , and he asked for new passport because he didn't get the Canadian passport

The cessation provisions have been in place and in effect for a long time . . . going back before your spouse became a protected person. Actually these provisions statutorily implement the UNHCR guidelines, which go way back. So NO this is not a new law.

The "new law" is the amendment of the provisions governing loss of Permanent Resident status, the addition of subsection 46(1)(c.1) IRPA in December 2012 . . . which added c.1 stating that a determination of cessation of refugee status for reasons set out in section 108(1)(a) to 108(1)(d) IRPA terminates PR status. Prior to December 2012, once a refugee became a PR his or her PR status would not be affected by a loss of protected person status . . . so there was no reason for CBSA to pursue cessation of protected person status, as it would not affect the person's status to live in Canada.

Technically, however, the cessation of protected person status provisions still applied. SO to be clear, refugees and protected persons were long, long subject to the UNHCR guidelines. There was simply no effective recourse for Canada when protected persons with PR status engaged in actions resulting in cessation of protected person status.


Now, I'm wondering if someone can let us know. . . if the law will b not applicable for his case because hi passed 10 years since he get the PR?

I have NOT seen any hint of any limitation such as this. There are a number of actual cases in which the PR-refugee's trips to the home country long preceded the December 2012 change in law date and the courts upheld the loss of status, including loss of PR status which necessarily results in rejecting the citizenship application.

THE KEY FACTORS, as to whether there is a chance to get the application withdrawn or dismissed, are mostly about how often and for how long he traveled to the home country . . . the purpose matters, of course, but how the RPD will assess the purpose depends a lot on the frequency and duration of trips there. Obviously, the more trips there have been, or the longer the stays have been, the greater the risk that the application will be granted.

IN the meantime, in addition to at least consulting with a competent, reputable immigration lawyer with refugee experience, probably a good idea to visit the IRCC website and be reviewing family class sponsorship for PR requirements, and doing what you can to make sure the Canadian spouse is in a position to sponsor him for PR again if that becomes necessary.

PLEASE REPORT BACK WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO SHARE ABOUT HOW THIS GOES.

My impression is this topic has more than a few lurkers who are among those at risk for cessation. There is much we remain in the dark about. Anecdotal reports help expand our collective knowledge and understanding.
 

dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,435
3,183
Two fairly recent Federal Court decisions regarding cessation may be of interest to those affected by this issue.

Yuancai Jing http://canlii.ca/t/hx631
Obtained home country passport and then renewed it, and traveled to home country for two or more months at a time on three occasions, and traveled to other countries using the second home country passport. Cessation of refugee status upheld by Federal Court January 2019


Ezaz Ud Din http://canlii.ca/t/hzn0j
Refugee granted PR Feb 2007
Obtained home country passport and traveled to home country "on numerous occasions." Duration of stays ranged from one to four months. Renewed the home country passport and traveled to home country using it twice, each time for three weeks.
Cessation of refugee status set aside by Federal Court April 2019 . . .
. . . this is NO guarantee Din gets a favourable outcome overall, the case is returned for reconsideration by a different RPD member.

Difference between these two cases? Din apparently made a much stronger presentation of evidence as to efforts taken to avoid the dangers he faced in the home country, with no practical indication of obtaining home country protection, and explicitly did NOT intend to reavail himself of the home country's protection.

Illustrates that these cases can be won by the refugee-PR . . . and relative to that, the evidence of intention to NOT reavail oneself of home country protection is a key factor.

NOTEWORTHY twist: Din's reasons for travel to the home country were largely economic, related to settling business and pension related matters. Jing's reasons for travel to the home country were largely related to caring for his ill father, one trip, and ill mother another trip. Canada tends to be more sympathetic toward those who have a compelling family health reason than it does toward those who make decisions based on personal economic advantage or convenience. Went the other way in these two cases.

The number of home country trips and duration of the stays looms large in these cases, as it has in many other cessation cases. For obvious reasons: the more a person actually uses the home country passport the more that evidence voluntarily and intentionally availing oneself of that country's legal authority, i.e. its protection. And the more often and longer the individual is in the home country, the more that affirms that intention.

The decision in Din warrants a cautionary caveat: Justice Russell appears to put a lot of weight on the RPD's purported failure to consider whether Din "actually obtain[ed] protection" from the home country. Many other decisions consider obtaining and using a home country passport to constitute obtaining and relying on that country's protection . . . that is, by virtue of obtaining a travel document from the country and using it.

Justice Russell posed it this way:
"The RPD did not consider whether, by giving the Applicant a Pakistani passport, the state was also granting him actual protection. There was significant evidence in this case to suggest that it was not, and that the Applicant did not acquire actual protection."​

Justice Russell acknowledges the argument that only in exceptional circumstances will an individual be able to rebut the presumption of re-availment where the individual has obtained a home country passport and used it . . . but appears to discount or at least distinguish what the RPD and other justices have ruled about this.

In contrast there are numerous cases affirmatively citing Justice Fothergill's decision (upholding a determination of cessation) in Abadi http://canlii.ca/t/gn0cx where it is stated:
"It is only in “exceptional circumstances” that a refugee’s travel to his country of nationality on a passport issued by that country will not result in the termination of refugee status."​

Note that in this case, the individual PR involved, Sajjad Shamsi Kazem Abadi, became a PR in 2001 . . . he used a home country passport to return to the home country briefly for a wedding in 2006 and then again, with a renewed passport, went there for three weeks to visit an aging parent in 2014. Cessation action initiated by CBSA border officer referral upon his arrival at the PoE. But this cessation action was commenced by the Harper government when it appears to have taken a very strict and severe approach (much more so than now, or at least so it appears) . . . and this individual was still a PR nearly twenty years after arriving in Canada because of a criminal record, which tends to make matters more difficult.
 

Fnamavati

Full Member
Apr 29, 2017
47
4
Hi,

I require some advise on my case.

I was granted convention refugee status in 2014, I got my PR in 2015. This year in February I applied for citizenship coz I met physical presence criteria.

My citizenship application was delivered at the Sydney processing center on Feb 06, 2019. Since then I have been waiting for AOR. I am following citizenship feb 2019 forum and everyone got AOR except me.

I have NO travel record in past 4 years, my home country passport expired in 2016 and I never renewed it.

I raised this with CIC as to why I haven't received AOR and they gave me response below:

Thank you for contacting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

We verified the information you provided and can confirm that your application was received.

A note on file indicates that the processing office is currently analyzing the information provided with your application in order to make a determination whether you meet the requirements to apply for citizenship.

If further information is needed, the responsible office may contact you.

We hope the information provided is helpful in assisting you with your enquiry.

We would also like to suggest the following online services that might be helpful to you with any immigration, refugee and/or citizenship future requests:

Has anyone expired something like this before? Any experience like this please kindly share. I am getting bit worried....TIA
 

Fnamavati

Full Member
Apr 29, 2017
47
4
@Fnamavati it can sometimes take 4 or 5 months for AOR. You're unlucky, but there's nothing unusual.
Good luck!
Thanks @Seym...is it because of Refugee status since in their response cic mentioned they are analysing information?

I am following this forum...is there any other possible reason ceasation of PR considering I never renewed my home country passport nor did i visit my home country, infact I don't have any travel history
 

dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,435
3,183
Thanks @Seym...is it because of Refugee status since in their response cic mentioned they are analysing information?

I am following this forum...is there any other possible reason ceasation of PR considering I never renewed my home country passport nor did i visit my home country, infact I don't have any travel history
Based on what you report it is very unlikely there is a cessation issue.

As @Seym observed, there can be widely different timelines even for how long it takes to get AOR.

Moreover, as I previously observed in response to an earlier query by you:

The requirements are the same. The process itself is mostly the same, except to the extent the individual applicant's situation might trigger this or that non-routine processing.

There are some significant facts which tend to vary versus other classes of immigrants. In particular, refugee's tend to have significantly different backgrounds compared to FSW or family class immigrants. So some variation in particular concerns or issues may arise.

But that is true across the board. Different facts, different backgrounds, suggest different issues. There are, after all, wide variations in how things go for individual applicants, and much of that derives from the different facts and circumstances in the individual case . . .

. . . the requirements are the same. What different immigrants bring to the table, however, varies and can vary widely.
One difference for refugees is that some may be subject to proceedings to vacate their refugee or protected person status. There were 363 applications to vacate status allowed last year, for example, which is THREE times the number of cessation applications allowed in 2018. And most years (but not all) the number of new applications to vacate status is larger than the number of new cessation applications. (Most recent statistics can be seen here: https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/statistics/protection/Pages/RPDVacStat.aspx )

Vacating status is a separate topic from cessation, the latter being the subject here. The only grounds for vacating status are misrepresentation or withholding material information in the process of becoming a refugee. You do NOT hint there is any such concern in your situation, and unless you are aware of some reason to be concerned about this (you know your facts, your background) it is very unlikely this is an issue. If you have some reason for concern about this, perhaps there is some discussion of this topic in the conference specifically about refugee related topics.

MOSTLY YOU NEED TO WAIT. You mostly need to wait to hear from IRCC (or possibly CBSA if indeed there is an issue as to the validity of your refugee status, which is NOT to suggest that is at all likely; there is merely the possibility).

SO WAIT and WATCH for communications from IRCC. And respond accordingly.

NOTE: there are many, many little things that can be off in the application, resulting in some delay, or in the application being returned as incomplete, or some other sort of non-routine processing, MOST of which are NOT a big deal, NOT a significant let alone serious problem. So, again, for now it is all about WAITING and WATCHING for communication from IRCC, and responding accordingly.

BOTTOM-LINE: The vast, vast majority of qualified applicants who properly completed the application, who have not engaged in misrepresentation at any stage of their immigration process, HAVE NO REASON TO WORRY . . . EVEN IF THERE IS SOME DELAY in their particular case.