Gay Pakistani Man close to being kicked out of home - What can I do?

[AGayPakistani]

In the last two years, I have been preparing my escape. Being gay in Pakistan has not been easy; constantly paranoid that someone will turn me in, hiding my life from the family, the indescribable loneliness that comes from holding a secret.

At first I decided to look into the Canadian “express entry” route. I was finishing up my Master's degree in mass communication and have had 4 years of experience as an online gaming and tech writer. Once I graduated this fall, I took the English proficiency exam (IELTs). The results are barely below the requirements (8 in listening and spoken, 6.5 / 6 in reading/writing).

I am a 29 year old male, no criminal record, and also have practically nothing in the bank.

However, things have taken a turn for the worse in the last couple of weeks which has forced me to re-evaluate this process:

My mother and older brother have discovered my sexual orientation. It started with verbal threats and then my brother assaulted me. The intensity is elevating each day and I've been loitering in the streets in order to avoid my home. I have already been disowned by my immediate family and it is only a matter of time before I lose my housing as well. My mom robbed me of most of my income for house payments. Most importantly, the family members who agreed to finance the migration fees have now rescinded their aid. I no longer have the luxury of time and skilled migration has shifted into asylum.

Me and my boyfriend of 2 years (he helps as much as he can from the US) have been endlessly researching asylum and what steps need to be taken. I was already securing my personal documents and the situation with my family only adds to my pile of persecution examples. I have read up on the BoC and what to do in preparation for the claim hearing.

My main concern is securing a visa (I have no penny to my name. One look at my finances and the embassy will know I'm plotting escape and reject me) and getting safe travel to Canada.

I read that I could receive free legal aid for my hearing but I'm not sure. Any help or experience will help. My biggest issue here is at the time of bank statements, embassies here expect to see upward of USD 5000 - 10000 steady in your bank, and I barely have pennies and dimes in my bank account due to me always giving all my earnings to my mother as she strong armed them out of me. I can't ask such a massive sum from anyone I know either. In Pakistan it is considered a kings ransom.

I am open to any options or other avenues you all have to offer.

Thank you for listening.

 

[zardoz]

In the last two years, I have been preparing my escape. Being gay in Pakistan has not been easy; constantly paranoid that someone will turn me in, hiding my life from the family, the indescribable loneliness that comes from holding a secret.

At first I decided to look into the Canadian “express entry” route. I was finishing up my Master's degree in mass communication and have had 4 years of experience as an online gaming and tech writer. Once I graduated this fall, I took the English proficiency exam (IELTs). The results are barely below the requirements (8 in listening and spoken, 6.5 / 6 in reading/writing).

I am a 29 year old male, no criminal record, and also have practically nothing in the bank.

However, things have taken a turn for the worse in the last couple of weeks which has forced me to re-evaluate this process:

My mother and older brother have discovered my sexual orientation. It started with verbal threats and then my brother assaulted me. The intensity is elevating each day and I've been loitering in the streets in order to avoid my home. I have already been disowned by my immediate family and it is only a matter of time before I lose my housing as well. My mom robbed me of most of my income for house payments. Most importantly, the family members who agreed to finance the migration fees have now rescinded their aid. I no longer have the luxury of time and skilled migration has shifted into asylum.

Me and my boyfriend of 2 years (he helps as much as he can from the US) have been endlessly researching asylum and what steps need to be taken. I was already securing my personal documents and the situation with my family only adds to my pile of persecution examples. I have read up on the BoC and what to do in preparation for the claim hearing.

My main concern is securing a visa (I have no penny to my name. One look at my finances and the embassy will know I'm plotting escape and reject me) and getting safe travel to Canada.

I read that I could receive free legal aid for my hearing but I'm not sure. Any help or experience will help. My biggest issue here is at the time of bank statements, embassies here expect to see upward of USD 5000 - 10000 steady in your bank, and I barely have pennies and dimes in my bank account due to me always giving all my earnings to my mother as she strong armed them out of me. I can't ask such a massive sum from anyone I know either. In Pakistan it is considered a kings ransom.

I am open to any options or other avenues you all have to offer.

Thank you for listening.

Is there any good reason that an internal relocation within your country is impossible? I agree that obtaining a TRV is extremely unlikely, given your circumstances. Your BoC, on the face of it, is very weak for an asylum claim.

 

[Buletruck]

So with your bf in the US, I don’t understand why Canada is your preferred destination. Why not travel to the US and claim there and be with your bf?
Your assessment of your finances and the effect on a TRV are correct. No/insufficient fund will lead to a refusal. Large deposits that can’t be explained or don’t match employment history will also result in a refusal. If it’s immediate reprieve you are looking for, it’s unlikely Canada is a good option at this point.

 

[scylla]

In the last two years, I have been preparing my escape. Being gay in Pakistan has not been easy; constantly paranoid that someone will turn me in, hiding my life from the family, the indescribable loneliness that comes from holding a secret.

At first I decided to look into the Canadian “express entry” route. I was finishing up my Master's degree in mass communication and have had 4 years of experience as an online gaming and tech writer. Once I graduated this fall, I took the English proficiency exam (IELTs). The results are barely below the requirements (8 in listening and spoken, 6.5 / 6 in reading/writing).

I am a 29 year old male, no criminal record, and also have practically nothing in the bank.

However, things have taken a turn for the worse in the last couple of weeks which has forced me to re-evaluate this process:

My mother and older brother have discovered my sexual orientation. It started with verbal threats and then my brother assaulted me. The intensity is elevating each day and I've been loitering in the streets in order to avoid my home. I have already been disowned by my immediate family and it is only a matter of time before I lose my housing as well. My mom robbed me of most of my income for house payments. Most importantly, the family members who agreed to finance the migration fees have now rescinded their aid. I no longer have the luxury of time and skilled migration has shifted into asylum.

Me and my boyfriend of 2 years (he helps as much as he can from the US) have been endlessly researching asylum and what steps need to be taken. I was already securing my personal documents and the situation with my family only adds to my pile of persecution examples. I have read up on the BoC and what to do in preparation for the claim hearing.

My main concern is securing a visa (I have no penny to my name. One look at my finances and the embassy will know I'm plotting escape and reject me) and getting safe travel to Canada.

I read that I could receive free legal aid for my hearing but I'm not sure. Any help or experience will help. My biggest issue here is at the time of bank statements, embassies here expect to see upward of USD 5000 - 10000 steady in your bank, and I barely have pennies and dimes in my bank account due to me always giving all my earnings to my mother as she strong armed them out of me. I can't ask such a massive sum from anyone I know either. In Pakistan it is considered a kings ransom.

I am open to any options or other avenues you all have to offer.

Thank you for listening.

A TRV will not be approved without at least $5-$10K in your account (you need to show you can pay for your airfare and stay while you are in Canada). Even if you have these funds, there's no guarantee of approval and still quite possible you'll be refused based on other factors. Without funds, there's no point applying.

The alternative is to move out of Pakistan to another country - and once you're there, be declared as a refugee by UNHCR. UNHCR will then determine where you were be relocated to live (you don't get to chose the country the country where you are relocated). There's some small chance this could be Canada - much higher chance it will be somewhere else. If Canada is in fact selected, you'll be looking at approximately another 2-3 years wait time before you are here.

 

[Wholahay]

Is there any good reason that an internal relocation within your country is impossible? I agree that obtaining a TRV is extremely unlikely, given your circumstances. Your BoC, on the face of it, is very weak for an asylum claim.

This is the boyfriend checking in. To be frank, Pakistan is just a toxic environment for gays no matter where he goes. He wants to come to North America because of the LGBT freedoms.

Even though I do live in the US, we agreed on Canada for two reasons: 1) he has the uncle who is a citizen and 2) since he's from a Muslim country, we thought immigration to the US would be difficult given the current climate. I'm only 23 so the most I can do is scrounge up is about $1000 for a plane ticket.

If there is any avenue for America, we're all ears. Our situation is so tough because of the lack of money plus the fact that he's in a third world country.

The alternative is to move out of Pakistan to another country - and once you're there, be declared as a refugee by UNHCR. UNHCR will then determine where you were be relocated to live (you don't get to chose the country the country where you are relocated). There's some small chance this could be Canada - much higher chance it will be somewhere else. If Canada is in fact selected, you'll be looking at approximately another 2-3 years wait time before you are here.

I guess the same roadblocks apply though. Wouldn't he need to get a visa (and thus, prove the money in the back) in order to move to a third country? Please shed some light on this. Honestly, I don't care about the distance. I just want him to be safe.

 

[scylla]

This is the boyfriend checking in. To be frank, Pakistan is just a toxic environment for gays no matter where he goes. He wants to come to North America because of the LGBT freedoms.

Even though I do live in the US, we agreed on Canada for two reasons: 1) he has the uncle who is a citizen and 2) since he's from a Muslim country, we thought immigration to the US would be difficult given the current climate. I'm only 23 so the most I can do is scrounge up is about $1000 for a plane ticket.

If there is any avenue for America, we're all ears. Our situation is so tough because of the lack of money plus the fact that he's in a third world country.

I guess the same roadblocks apply though. Wouldn't he need to get a visa (and thus, prove the money in the back) in order to move to a third country? Please shed some light on this. Honestly, I don't care about the distance. I just want him to be safe.

He really needs $5-10K to have a chance of the TRV being approved. IRCC expect to see that he can pay for the flight as well as accommodations, food, etc. Note that for the TRV, other factors will be assessed (not just funds). This includes ties to the home country (i.e. employment, property ownership) and also travel history (IRCC likes to see previous travel to countries such as the UK or US that require visas).

No - the same roadblocks will not apply by going to another country and being recognized as a refugee by UNHCR. He can chose a country where he can travel visa-free or where the requirements to obtain a visa are very low/easy. Again, the downside of this option is that he will have zero control over which country is selected for resettlement. So quite a low chance that will end up being Canada. If it is Canada, 2-3 year wait to get here.

Looking at other options... Study permit to Canada isn't feasible. That requires a bank balance of at least $25K. Work permit isn't feasible either. This requires you to find an employer in Canada willing to offer a job and also able to obtain an approved LMIA (long and expensive process with no guarantee of approval). It's effectively impossible to find employers willing to go through this process. Immigrating through an economic immigration program would be a good option if he has the required points to be selected (right now that's 440+ points through Express Entry) - however the downside of that is you still need to have around $2-3K to go through the application process and have another $13K in savings to be able to fund your settlement in Canada.

 

[Buletruck]

Can’t speak for a US visa, but Canada is (IMO) extremely difficult for a TRV. The onus is going to be on him to provide significant proof of ties to his home country. That will include, finances, job and work history, and travel history. With essentially no funds, a chance at a visa of any sort (TRV, student, etc) are extremely limited. An uncle in Canada isn’t necessarily going to help. And the more refusals you recieve, the lower the chances of subsequent visas. Also keep in mind, Canada and the US share immigration history directly.
Personally, if the situation is that dire, he should consider relocating in Pakistan, save up sufficient funds and apply for a US visa.

 

[zardoz]

Can’t speak for a US visa, but Canada is (IMO) extremely difficult for a TRV. The onus is going to be on him to provide significant proof of ties to his home country. That will include, finances, job and work history, and travel history. With essentially no funds, a chance at a visa of any sort (TRV, student, etc) are extremely limited. An uncle in Canada isn’t necessarily going to help. And the more refusals you recieve, the lower the chances of subsequent visas. Also keep in mind, Canada and the US share immigration history directly.
Personally, if the situation is that dire, he should consider relocating in Pakistan, save up sufficient funds and apply for a US visa.

In fact, an uncle in Canada is going to be more of a problem than a benefit, as it skews the balance of the ties to Pakistan vs ties to Canada in the wrong direction. I would predict that this fact alone will further reduce the chances of a successful TRV application.

 

[Wholahay]

Thanks everyone for your help and information. We're gonna sit down tomorrow and correct course, hoping for some good resettlement anywhere!

 

[szaib002]

I think Canada is a better option. LGBTQ+ people have more rights and protections here than the US. I would recommend seeking an asylum in Canada despite the popular opinion on here.

There are a lot of resources and support once you're here.

 

[scylla]

I think Canada is a better option. LGBTQ+ people have more rights and protections here than the US. I would recommend seeking an asylum in Canada despite the popular opinion on here.

There are a lot of resources and support once you're here.

Popular opinion here wasn't about the success of an asylum claim in Canada.

The issue is getting to Canada. This requires either a TRV (which based on the information provided most likely has nil chance of being approved). Or it requires the applicant to leave his country, be identified as a refugee by UNHCR and then selected for resettlement in Canada.

That's the main problem faced here.

 

[canuck78]

I think Canada is a better option. LGBTQ+ people have more rights and protections here than the US. I would recommend seeking an asylum in Canada despite the popular opinion on here.

There are a lot of resources and support once you're here.

US and Canada have similar laws to protect LGMTQ people. Having a partner with an established life win the US and a US citizen makes in much easier to stay in the US if married.

 

[szaib002]

US and Canada have similar laws to protect LGMTQ people. Having a partner with an established life win the US and a US citizen makes in much easier to stay in the US if married.

I don't think that's true.

 

[szaib002]

Popular opinion here wasn't about the success of an asylum claim in Canada.

The issue is getting to Canada. This requires either a TRV (which based on the information provided most likely has nil chance of being approved). Or it requires the applicant to leave his country, be identified as a refugee by UNHCR and then selected for resettlement in Canada.

That's the main problem faced here.

*eyeroll*