Resettlement from outside Canada: Convention refugees abroad class—Who can apply

To be eligible, you must meet the definition of a convention refugee.

You are a convention refugee if you are outside your home country, or the country where you normally live, and can’t return to that country because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on:

• race
• religion
• political opinion
• nationality or
• membership in a particular social group, such as women or people with a different sexual orientation.

You must also be:

• outside Canada, and want to come to Canada
• referred by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), another referral organization or a private sponsorship group and
• selected as a government-assisted or privately sponsored refugee, or have the funds needed to support yourself and any dependants after you arrive in Canada.

You will have to pass a medical examination and security and criminal checks. You can find more information on these topics in the I Need To… section on the right-hand side of this page.

Some people are not eligible

You are not eligible for Convention Refugee Abroad Class if:

• you have another “durable solution” (a secure offer for protection), such as an offer of resettlement in another country
• you voluntarily regain your citizenship in your home country
• you voluntarily regain the protection of your home country
• you acquire citizenship in another country and have the protection of that country
• you voluntarily return to live in the country which you had left or
• the reasons for your fear of persecution no longer exist.

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Related Links

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• Private sponsorship of refugees