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Convention refugees, persons in need of protection, and refugee resettlement.
Refugee protection in Canada and refugee resettlement from abroad are different processes. The correct route depends on where the person is and the protection circumstances involved.
A protection decision and a permanent residence application are also distinct steps. Eligibility and supporting evidence need careful review, and a program’s current availability must be checked before treating it as a possible route.
This term concerns people with a well-founded fear of persecution connected to race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. In-Canada protection claims are assessed through the applicable refugee protection process.
This category concerns certain risks on return, including torture, a risk to life or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. The legal requirements differ from those for a Convention refugee.
This resettlement category concerns eligible people outside their home country who cannot return because of a well-founded fear of persecution. Resettlement requires a referral; it is not the same as making an asylum claim inside Canada.
This category may cover people outside their home country or usual country of residence who have been seriously affected by armed conflict or ongoing denial of basic human rights. A referral is required for resettlement.
The EMPP combined refugee or displaced-person circumstances with economic immigration requirements. IRCC currently lists the pilot as closed, so it should not be presented as an open application route.
General information checked against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) guidance on October 9, 2026. Requirements and program availability can change.
