Humanitarian & compassionate

When the rules don’t fit, your life still counts.

An H&C application asks Canada to grant permanent residence based on your circumstances rather than a checklist — your establishment, your family, the children affected, and what leaving would actually cost.

RCIC-led Brampton & London Evidence-led
Strength indicator

How strong is your H&C picture?

H&C is decided on the weight of your circumstances taken together. This gives you an honest first read before you invest years in an application.

Your circumstances

Four of the heaviest factors.

Best interests of the child is a factor an officer must actively consider.
What officers weigh

The factors that decide an H&C.

Establishment in Canada

Employment history, taxes, property, volunteering and community involvement — documented, not merely described.

Best interests of any child

Where a child is affected this must be identified and evidenced specifically, never mentioned in passing.

Family ties and dependency

Who relies on you here, who you rely on, and what separation would practically mean for them.

Health and medical needs

Diagnoses, treatment plans, and whether comparable care is realistically available elsewhere.

Consequences of leaving

The concrete hardship of return — your specific circumstances, not generalised difficulty.

Your immigration history

Time out of status, prior refusals and any misrepresentation are weighed. They get addressed, not hidden.

Who applies

Situations where H&C fits.

H&C is not a catch-all. It works where there is a real, documented human cost to applying the ordinary way from abroad.

Long-established in Canada

Years of work, community, taxes and relationships — a life that cannot simply be transplanted.

Most common

Children affected

A child in Canada whose schooling, health or family unity would be harmed by removal.

BIOC

Family ties

Close family here who depend on you, or on whom you depend, where separation would cause real hardship.

Health considerations

Medical needs that cannot reasonably be met in the country you would return to.

Adverse country conditions

Conditions at home that create hardship even where they fall short of a refugee claim.

Out of status

People who lost status through circumstances beyond their control and built a life here regardless.

How we work

How we prepare an H&C.

01

Assess honestly first

H&C is not right for everyone. We tell you candidly whether your facts support it before you invest years.

02

Build the evidence record

Employment, tax, medical, school, community and country-condition evidence, organised into a coherent record.

03

Address the children properly

Where a child is involved we develop the best-interests analysis in full rather than leaving it to inference.

04

Write the submission

A structured submission tying your evidence to each factor an officer must weigh.

Honest case assessment

Is H&C realistic for you?

These applications take years and cost real money. Before you file one, get a straight answer about whether your circumstances actually support it.

Questions about H&C applications?

We keep every common question — eligibility, documents, timing, fees and processing — answered and updated in one place.

Visit the Help Centre
Related services

Explore your other options.

General information only, not legal advice, and current as of July 2026. Rules, fees and processing times change — confirm current requirements on canada.ca before filing. Contacting us does not create a client–consultant relationship until a written retainer is signed. IRCC makes all final decisions.