Seeking Asylum - Unsure of next step

[thrashpossum]

Hello, I finally have the means to afford traveling to Canada and support from a friend there who is willing to help me. I have looked through and began filling out all of the necessary documents to claim asylum. However I don't have a Canadian visa. They are very strict in my country about granting visas so I'm not sure what to do next.

I could apply for a travel visa saying I'm going to visit, but I'm worried about having to lie about my intended reason for traveling and if that would affect my chances of being granted asylum. However if you show any desire to stay in Canada upon arrival they tend to instantly deny your visa application. I'm not sure what to do here... Do I lie for a travel visa and make my asylum claims at the airport when I enter or is there another way to do this?

I'm afraid to talk to the Canadian High Commission locally because as mentioned above, they don't like people trying to stay. I believe its because of problems with a lot of illegal immigrants but I have full intentions of filing all the paper work needed to make my asylum claim to stay there lawfully. Does anyone know what I should do?

 

[Buletruck]

You either have to apply for a TRV and claim asylum in Canada or leave your home country for a third country, apply to the UNHCR and be recognized as a refugee. The second option does not guarantee you will be settled in Canada (or at all).

 

[joksuela]

The question you should be asking yourself is: Is your life in real danger at your home country? (Trinidad and Tobago I assume)

Having "finally" the opportunity to afford to travel to Canada isn't enough to grant you a protected status.

But to answer your question, no, lying about your intentions in the TRV application doesn't affect your future claim. Everyone who arrived in Canada with a TRV to seek asylum said they were traveling for a temporary period.

 

[live&love]

Don’t show any intentions to stay in Canada when you apply for TRV because they will refuse you right away. Once you get to Canada, you will be able to claim asylum & there would be no problem.

You must know that your life must be in danger (or family members). Basically, refugee route isn’t a free ticket to Canada.

 

[thrashpossum]

The question you should be asking yourself is: Is your life in real danger at your home country? (Trinidad and Tobago I assume)

Having "finally" the opportunity to afford to travel to Canada isn't enough to grant you a protected status.

But to answer your question, no, lying about your intentions in the TRV application doesn't affect your future claim. Everyone who arrived in Canada with a TRV to seek asylum said they were traveling for a temporary period.

I understand, I'm definitely unsafe here. However I'm only now turning 20 In January and I had no way to proceed with this process prior. My family doesn't want me to leave and there's a lot of other complications.

(And yes, Trinidad and Tobago)

 

[vensak]

I understand, I'm definitely unsafe here. However I'm only now turning 20 In January and I had no way to proceed with this process prior. My family doesn't want me to leave and there's a lot of other complications.

(And yes, Trinidad and Tobago)

Ok, general crime issues in your country are not reasons to claim asylum (same like general lower income, higher poverty rate, higher unemployment rate or higher corruption rate). If you do not have anything else there, you can count, that your claim will be rejected.
With a rejected claim you will be deported back to your country and as a result you will have big problems to travel in the future.

 

[Wonderland_1010]

I understand, I'm definitely unsafe here. However I'm only now turning 20 In January and I had no way to proceed with this process prior. My family doesn't want me to leave and there's a lot of other complications.

(And yes, Trinidad and Tobago)

In order for a asylum claim to be successful, there must be proven evidence of life threatening situations which have been affected personally towards you such as someone hired assassin to hurt you and your family. Situations like government corruption or bad economy is not a valid reason for asylum claims.

 

[canuck78]

The person could be lgbtq.

 

[thrashpossum]

Ok, general crime issues in your country are not reasons to claim asylum (same like general lower income, higher poverty rate, higher unemployment rate or higher corruption rate). If you do not have anything else there, you can count, that your claim will be rejected.
With a rejected claim you will be deported back to your country and as a result you will have big problems to travel in the future.

I'm well aware, if I didn't qualify for asylum I wouldn't be trying to apply. I'm not a fool. I'm a gay trans man. This country isn't safe for me, I have no protections, people have legal protection if they harm me simply because I'm LGBT+. I've received numerous violent threats, I can't access medical attention I need, insane discrimination. I literally don't leave my house or go to parties because I'm scared of being the next target.

 

[scylla]

I'm well aware, if I didn't qualify for asylum I wouldn't be trying to apply. I'm not a fool. I'm a gay trans man. This country isn't safe for me, I have no protections, people have legal protection if they harm me simply because I'm LGBT+. I've received numerous violent threats, I can't access medical attention I need, insane discrimination. I literally don't leave my house or go to parties because I'm scared of being the next target.

Your challenge will be getting a TRV to travel to Canada. To be approved for a TRV, you need to show you have strong ties to your home country and have no plans on remaining in Canada long term. Ties will be difficult to show given your age.

 

[Buletruck]

In order for a asylum claim to be successful, there must be proven evidence of life threatening situations which have been affected personally towards you such as someone hired assassin to hurt you and your family.

Not true. Asylum can be granted for those with a perceived fear. Probably more difficult to prove for certain individuals/groups, but not impossible for the correct reasons.

 

[thrashpossum]

Your challenge will be getting a TRV to travel to Canada. To be approved for a TRV, you need to show you have strong ties to your home country and have no plans on remaining in Canada long term. Ties will be difficult to show given your age.

Yeah, luckily though, all my family is here, I'm technically still enrolled in a local university. Hopefully I'll figure it out

 

[thrashpossum]

The person could be lgbtq.

the person is indeed

 

[thrashpossum]

In order for a asylum claim to be successful, there must be proven evidence of life threatening situations which have been affected personally towards you such as someone hired assassin to hurt you and your family. Situations like government corruption or bad economy is not a valid reason for asylum claims.

"They are not able to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution based on:

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

[source: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/refugees/claim-protection-inside-canada/eligibility.html]

I've done my research. Can we answer my question at hand? Thanks

 

[scylla]

or is there another way to do this?

To answer this question, you basically have two options:

1) Get an approved TRV. Travel to Canada. Claim asylum either at the airport or from within Canada.
2) Leave your home country and move to another country (other than Canada). Once there, be officially recognized as a refugee by UNHCR. UNHCR will then determine where you will be relocated to live permanently (you don't get to pick). It may be Canada - but relatively low chance it will be given UNHCR has many countries to chose from.