Secondary School & University as a Refugee Claimant

[dao.c]

Hi everyone,

I'm a refugee claimant and will be starting Grade 12 this coming school year. Like most students, I'll be applying to multiple universities during my final year.

My concern is the timing of my refugee hearing and what happens if there is a negative decision during Grade 12 or shortly after graduation. Based on current timelines, there is a realistic chance this could happen, and I'm trying to understand the practical impact on my education.

If I were removed from Canada during Grade 12, I would likely have to repeat several years of secondary education because my Canadian high school coursework and diploma would not be directly accepted into the regular university pathway where I would be returning. In my country of origin, Canadian high school diplomas are not sufficient on their own for direct university entry, so this would effectively mean losing years of progress.

And worst of all, there is a great chance that the Educational Ministry in my country of origin wouldn't let me start high school all over again (I wouldn't want to anyways, but as an absolute last resort) as, to my knowledge, I am seen as a person who has "withdrawn from the right to high school education".

Also I'm concerned about the possibility of my hearing taking place during university and getting rejected then.

If it helps, I'd also like to mention that I'm from a country with historically very high rates of acceptance. (But that doesn't reassure me in any way)

I'm also aware that after a refugee refusal there are typically 12-month bars on H&C applications and other in-Canada options like PRRA/TPR-related processes, so I understand those are not immediate solutions.

What I'm trying to figure out are the realistic options for someone in my situation, specifically:
Are administrative deferrals of removal ever granted in cases where a student is close to graduating high school, has a confirmed university admission, or already attending university?
Are there any temporary measures or discretionary options that can allow someone to finish Grade 12 or begin university before removal is enforced?
In practice, how often do educational disruption factors get considered in deferral requests or similar situations?

I would appreciate any of your experiences in a similar situation.

Thanks in advance.

 

[canuck78]

Hi everyone,

I'm a refugee claimant and will be starting Grade 12 this coming school year. Like most students, I'll be applying to multiple universities during my final year.

My concern is the timing of my refugee hearing and what happens if there is a negative decision during Grade 12 or shortly after graduation. Based on current timelines, there is a realistic chance this could happen, and I'm trying to understand the practical impact on my education.

If I were removed from Canada during Grade 12, I would likely have to repeat several years of secondary education because my Canadian high school coursework and diploma would not be directly accepted into the regular university pathway where I would be returning. In my country of origin, Canadian high school diplomas are not sufficient on their own for direct university entry, so this would effectively mean losing years of progress.

And worst of all, there is a great chance that the Educational Ministry in my country of origin wouldn't let me start high school all over again (I wouldn't want to anyways, but as an absolute last resort) as, to my knowledge, I am seen as a person who has "withdrawn from the right to high school education".

Also I'm concerned about the possibility of my hearing taking place during university and getting rejected then.

If it helps, I'd also like to mention that I'm from a country with historically very high rates of acceptance. (But that doesn't reassure me in any way)

I'm also aware that after a refugee refusal there are typically 12-month bars on H&C applications and other in-Canada options like PRRA/TPR-related processes, so I understand those are not immediate solutions.

What I'm trying to figure out are the realistic options for someone in my situation, specifically:
Are administrative deferrals of removal ever granted in cases where a student is close to graduating high school, has a confirmed university admission, or already attending university?
Are there any temporary measures or discretionary options that can allow someone to finish Grade 12 or begin university before removal is enforced?
In practice, how often do educational disruption factors get considered in deferral requests or similar situations?

I would appreciate any of your experiences in a similar situation.

Thanks in advance.

You can sometimes stay a removal until the school year finishes. It will depend on your case and at what point in the school year you receive a removal order. If an asylum claimant you would a be considered an international student at many universities and would have to pay international tuition so that may be a factor when it comes to whether you can attend university or delay your studies until you have more permanent status or return home. When did you claim asylum? Processing can take years.

 

[dao.c]

You can sometimes stay a removal until the school year finishes. It will depend on your case and at what point in the school year you receive a removal order. If an asylum claimant you would a be considered an international student at many universities and would have to pay international tuition so that may be a factor when it comes to whether you can attend university or delay your studies until you have more permanent status or return home. When did you claim asylum? Processing can take years.

The international student fees are a massive problem of course, but they are secondary as I need to be able to stay in Canada for that. I too have read that removal can be delayed 'till the end of a school year, but is it ever possible to delay it for an entire program, especially under the circumstances I explained above?
Thank you.

 

[canuck78]

The international student fees are a massive problem of course, but they are secondary as I need to be able to stay in Canada for that. I too have read that removal can be delayed 'till the end of a school year, but is it ever possible to delay it for an entire program, especially under the circumstances I explained above?
Thank you.

Stays of removal are for a short periods of time more like weeks to months not years. If you haven’t even gotten the result of your asylum claim you are years away from a removal order even if the claim gets denied, RAD also gets denied and so is JR. Those are the options most pursue to try to become a protected person.

 

[dao.c]

Stays of removal are for a short periods of time more like weeks to months not years. If you haven’t even gotten the result of your asylum claim you are years away from a removal order even if the claim gets denied, RAD also gets denied and so is JR. Those are the options most pursue to try to become a protected person.

Thanks for the answer, that's what I'd already thought. I just wanted to know if there was another path I was missing.
I guess I'll wait and hope for the best.