When deciding on a Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds cases, the officers not only determined if you meet the eligibility criteria for the program. In fact, the officer considers your case to understand whether your circumstances are outstanding and extraordinary enough to make an exemption from standard procedure.

The key to a strong H&C application is you need documents as evidence to support your claim. These documents will prove your ties to Canada and the reason you need to remain here. Some of the factors that can be considered for an individual(s) are:

• how established or settled they are in Canada
• their ties to Canada, including family ties
• what would happen if family members were separated
• their physical health or mental health concerns
• the impact on their lives of family violence they have experienced or will experience if they have to return to their home country
• hardship or difficulties they might face if they were sent back to their own country and more.

The decision on an H&C application is “discretionary”. This means that immigration officers have a lot of freedom in deciding these applications. But they must base their decisions on the evidence and they must consider all of the evidence as a whole when deciding whether the application is strong enough.

• send the best possible evidence to support the application, and
• explain all of the reasons to stay in Canada.

If there are mistakes in the application or the supporting evidence is not strong, the application may be denied.