Immigration Rights
Work permits, permanent residency, refugee rights, detention and removal, sponsorship, and non-citizen rights in Canada.
Covered in this guide:
If you're a non-citizen in Canada, your rights run through the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). IRCC processes applications; CBSA handles enforcement, detention, and removals. The Charter protects you too — Section 7 applies to everyone physically here. If you're detained, CBSA must bring you for review within 48 hours, then at 7 days, then every 30 days. Refugee claims go to the independent Immigration and Refugee Board, with appeal rights.
Key Laws
Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA)
S.C. 2001, c. 27
Entry, status, refugee claims, enforcement, removal
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Part I, Constitution Act, 1982, ss. 7, 10, 15
Due process, right to counsel, equality for non-citizens
Citizenship Act
R.S.C. 1985, c. C-29
Citizenship acquisition, revocation, and rights
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
SOR/2002-227
Detailed rules for permits, sponsorship, and admissibility
Canadian Passport Order
SI/81-86
Passport issuance, refusal, and revocation
Work Permits
Canadian work permits come in two basic flavours. An open work permit lets you work for any Canadian employer. An employer-specific permit ties you to one job with one employer — and that tie is what...
Permanent Residency
There are several routes to permanent residency in Canada, but most paths converge on three: Express Entry, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), and family sponsorship.Express Entry is the federal point...
Refugee and Asylum Rights
The principle Canada is bound by — and the foundation of the whole refugee regime — is non-refoulement: a state cannot return a person to a country where they face persecution. It is the single most i...
Detention and Removal
Immigration detention is permitted under IRPA on three statutory grounds: identity in doubt, flight risk, or danger to the public. Those are the levers CBSA uses.The procedural protection that makes d...
Sponsorship Rights
Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor family members to come to Canada. The dominant stream is spousal sponsorship — roughly 12 to 15 months for outland applications, longer for inland...
Rights of Non-Citizens
The Charter protects everyone in Canada — not just citizens. The text uses the word "everyone" deliberately. Key protections that don't turn on status:Section 7 — life, liberty, and security...