Urgent - Claiming on a connection

[brandonj]

Hello,

My friend from a conflict zone wishes to claim refugee status. She has been here in Atlantic Canada on a student visa.

She has friends in Toronto and has a stopover there, so would prefer to be there than in Halifax.

Can she make get refugee claim in Toronto after passing through immigration in Halifax, or does she need to make it before moving through immigration in Halifax?

Thank you.

 

[Rob_TO]

Is she currently in Halifax now, or in her home country?
If in her home country, did she recently travel there after being in Canada before? Or is coming to Canada as student for the first time?

If she is traveling to Halifax from outside Canada with a stop in Toroton, she will go through immigration only at the first city she gets to (so Toronto). There will be no immigration to pass through in Halifax from a domestic Toronto flight.

 

[brandonj]

She is in Nova Scotia now.

She will transit through Toronto on her way home very soon.

The central question is: can she claim asylum after passing through immigration out of Canada, or is that her only opportunity?

But if, as you say, she will not encounter immigration until Toronto anyway, then it's a non-issue. Thank you.

 

[scylla]

She is in Nova Scotia now.

She will transit through Toronto on her way home very soon.

The central question is: can she claim asylum after passing through immigration out of Canada, or is that her only opportunity?

But if, as you say, she will not encounter immigration until Toronto anyway, then it's a non-issue. Thank you.

You don't pass through immigration when leaving Canada.

 

[Rob_TO]

She is in Nova Scotia now.

She will transit through Toronto on her way home very soon.

The central question is: can she claim asylum after passing through immigration out of Canada, or is that her only opportunity?

But if, as you say, she will not encounter immigration until Toronto anyway, then it's a non-issue. Thank you.

I really don't understand her situation. As mentioned, there is no immigration at all when leaving Canada. Immigration is only when entering Canada from an international flight.

If she claims asylum here, then she can NEVER return to her home country again. As soon as she claims asylum her passport will be seized and she must then remain inside Canada. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/inside/apply-how.asp

If she's even returned to her home country in recent years voluntarily since she's been in Canada, then her chances for a successful asylum claim will be incredibly difficult. And if her asylum claim is eventually refused she will need to leave Canada and will most likely not be able to return.

 

[brandonj]

Thank you!

 

[canuck78]

Please have your friend consider all the studying she has done that will be useless if her asylum claim is denied. Why did she all of a sudden decide to apply for asylum and not continue with her studies and apply for PGWP which is what I assume she was planning?. She seems to be visiting her family regularly which would be a warning sign for IRB. If she was truly persecuted she would have stayed in Canada for the duration of her studies and her PGWP. We have seen cases where people assume the will just go back to their studies if they don't get asylum and that is not the case they will be returned to their home country and will be denied subsequent study visa, visitor visas, etc