+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445
What does it mean to be from ADR country? Also for those who have gone for the interview, were your work permit and brown paper collected? Are your work permit and brown paper still Valid to be used?

Thanks
work permit is still valid if it is your first PRRA application. Brown paper is no longer valid. They took it back from me but I asked them to give me back for ID verification purpose. Then, officer gave me back during the interview.
 
work permit is still valid if it is your first PRRA application. Brown paper is no longer valid. They took it back from me but I asked them to give me back for ID verification purpose. Then, officer gave me back during the interview.
That is basically not correct. RPCD/RPID (brown paper) remains valid until time you leave Canada or printed expiry date passes, whichever comes first. Also officers do not seize brown paper during PRRA interview.
 
That is basically not correct. RPCD/RPID (brown paper) remains valid until time you leave Canada or printed expiry date passes, whichever comes first. Also officers do not seize brown paper during PRRA interview.
CBSA officer checked all my IDs and clearly explained every step and situation to me. She specifically said that the brown paper is no longer valid, but I can still renew my work permit if it expires while my PRRA application is being processed. So, was the officer wrong?
 
CBSA officer checked all my IDs and clearly explained every step and situation to me. She specifically said that the brown paper is no longer valid, but I can still renew my work permit if it expires while my PRRA application is being processed. So, was the officer wrong?
did officer tell you how long it will take PRRA decision? thanks alot
 
did officer tell you how long it will take PRRA decision? thanks alot
CBSA officer has no information about IRCC’s PRRA processing timeline. These applications are handled by IRCC - Humanitarian Migration Office, not CBSA, so the CBSA officer wouldn’t necessarily know the current processing times.
 
CBSA officer checked all my IDs and clearly explained every step and situation to me. She specifically said that the brown paper is no longer valid, but I can still renew my work permit if it expires while my PRRA application is being processed. So, was the officer wrong?
If your brown paper is not expired, it is still completely valid. The officer just meant your original refugee claim is closed with RPD, which is why you are in the PRRA stage now. As long as the printed date has not passed, brown paper works fine for ID and health coverage, and you can still renew your work permit.
 
Last edited:
if

I'm also from an ADR country. I received PFL on April, my lawyer responded, and nothing else... no news or additional communication from that time. I actually agree with you on people from ADR countries won't receive PRRA soon. I was considering H&C asap, however my lawyer told me I can't since I still have my refugee claimant active. So, not sure how to proceed. Unfortunately my lawyer is not offering any other path/alternative. They only say: we still have to wait. But I feel like I'm wasting time
Your lawyer is correct on one important point: you cannot submit an H&C application while you have a pending refugee claim.


But based on what you described, it sounds like you have received a PFL and responded to it, but you have not yet received a final C-12 ineligibility decision. Those are different procedural stages.


I would not withdraw the refugee claim simply to file an H&C application without getting specific advice about the consequences. The more useful question right now may be what can be prepared while you wait, and what options become available if IRCC ultimately issues a final ineligibility decision.
 
CBSA officer checked all my IDs and clearly explained every step and situation to me. She specifically said that the brown paper is no longer valid, but I can still renew my work permit if it expires while my PRRA application is being processed. So, was the officer wrong?
On the work permit issue, what the officer told you is broadly consistent with IRCC’s current PRRA instructions.


If this is your first PRRA and you already have a valid work permit, you can continue working until a decision is made on the PRRA or the permit expires, whichever comes first. If you do not have a valid work permit and you submitted your first PRRA on time, you may be eligible to apply for a work permit while the PRRA is pending.


I would treat the brown-paper issue separately. Whether that particular document remains usable for a specific purpose is not the same question as whether you remain authorized to work.


Was this your first PRRA, and what is the expiry date on your current work permit?
 
did officer tell you how long it will take PRRA decision? thanks alot
There isn’t a reliable fixed PRRA processing time that I would use to predict an individual case.


CBSA’s role is important at the beginning of the process because, when removal proceedings start, the officer determines whether you are eligible to apply for a PRRA and provides the notification if you are eligible. The PRRA application itself is assessed by IRCC.


So I would be cautious with estimates such as “a few months” or “one year” unless they come from current official processing information applicable to that case.


If you already received your PRRA package, the immediate issue is actually the filing deadline rather than trying to predict the decision date.
 
Your lawyer is correct on one important point: you cannot submit an H&C application while you have a pending refugee claim.


But based on what you described, it sounds like you have received a PFL and responded to it, but you have not yet received a final C-12 ineligibility decision. Those are different procedural stages.


I would not withdraw the refugee claim simply to file an H&C application without getting specific advice about the consequences. The more useful question right now may be what can be prepared while you wait, and what options become available if IRCC ultimately issues a final ineligibility decision.

@cjulio Given that processing is decades and H&C doesn’t prevent removal I would think about whether it is worthwhile to file an H&C especially if you have limited funds. You may need the funds if the PPRA is denied to hire a lawyer or to reestablish yourself if your home country. There a few very exceptional reasons when H&C would still be a good option because you would get priority processing.