The hearing is over and the Refugee Protection Division has accepted your claim. After months or years of waiting, that decision changes almost everything about your position in Canada. It does not finish the process. Being recognized as a protected person is a status, not permanent residence, and there are steps to take and a few things to avoid in the months that follow.
The decision and the Minister’s right to appeal
A positive decision is usually delivered orally at the end of the hearing or in writing afterwards. Keep the Notice of Decision and any written reasons. You will need them for every application that follows.
The Minister can appeal a positive decision to the Refugee Appeal Division within a short window, and in some cases can apply to the Federal Court instead. These challenges are uncommon, but if you receive any correspondence from the Minister or the RAD after your acceptance, get advice quickly. Our post on Minister’s interventions explains how they work.
Applying for permanent residence
Once the claim is accepted, you can apply for permanent residence from inside Canada as a protected person. Do not wait. Your family reunification and citizenship timelines all count from the day you become a permanent resident.
The application asks you to list every family member, whether or not they are coming to Canada, including a spouse or partner and every child. A family member who is left off generally cannot be sponsored later, as we explain in our post on undeclared family members. If you are unsure whether someone counts, ask before you file.
You will also complete an immigration medical examination and provide police certificates where required. Disclose anything of concern to your lawyer early.
How long permanent residence is taking
Protected person permanent residence applications are among those most affected by the annual limits in the Immigration Levels Plan. IRCC now reports that a large share of these applications are waiting for admissions space, rather than being actively processed.
To reduce that backlog, the government announced a one-time initiative to move approximately 115,000 protected persons in Canada to permanent residence over 2026 and 2027, in addition to the regular targets. It is not a separate application. It applies to protected persons already on the pathway to permanent residence.
If your application has been waiting a long time with no activity, our post on the levels-plan waitlist explains when a delay may become one the Federal Court will act on.
Family members outside Canada
If your spouse, partner or dependent children are abroad, include them in your permanent residence application so their files are processed with yours. If a family member was listed but not processed with you, they can still apply within one year of the day you become a permanent resident. After that window closes, the only route left is a regular family class sponsorship. Our family reunification page covers the options.
Working, studying and health coverage
Protected person status lets you keep working and studying in Canada. If your work permit is expiring while your permanent residence application is in process, apply to renew it before it lapses. Interim Federal Health Program coverage bridges the gap until provincial health insurance. In Ontario, protected persons can apply for OHIP once they have the decision in hand.
Travel: the mistake that can undo everything
Do not travel to the country you were found to need protection from. Do not renew or use that country’s passport, and do not obtain new documents from its consulate. Any of these can be treated as evidence that you have voluntarily placed yourself back under that country’s protection, which is grounds to cease your refugee status. If protection is ceased on those grounds, permanent residence obtained as a protected person is lost with it, even years later.
For travel elsewhere, protected persons can apply for a Refugee Travel Document. Our post on cessation and vacation explains how status can be lost.
Keeping your file in order
Tell IRCC whenever your address changes. Keep copies of everything you submit and receive. If your family situation changes, update your application.
If your original claim contained an error or omission, even an innocent one, raise it with your lawyer now. A misrepresentation discovered later can lead to an application to vacate the decision.
Looking ahead to citizenship
Time in Canada as a protected person before you become a permanent resident counts toward the physical presence requirement for citizenship, at half value, up to a set maximum. Keep a record of your travel dates from the day your claim was accepted. Our post on the physical presence requirement walks through the calculation.
How we can help
At Kabir & Alam, we represent people from the first day of a refugee claim through permanent residence, family reunification and citizenship. Read more about our refugee law practice or book a consultation with us.
This post is general information about Canadian immigration law and is not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts. Speak with a lawyer about your situation before making decisions.