Program delivery update: Updates to Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) consideration pages
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
August 27, 2026
Program delivery instructions (PDIs) have been adjusted to include minor updates, and other instructions have been created to provide guidance to officers when assessing and processing humanitarian and compassionate applications or requests.
Updated instructions
- Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations
- Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations: Intake and foreign nationals whose H&C can be assessed
- Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations: Assessment and processing
- Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations: Requirement to apply for permanent residence from outside Canada
- Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations: Hardship and the H&C assessment
- Humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations: Dealing with inadmissibility
New instructions
- The humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations: Initial Assessment of an H&C Application
- Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) considerations: Referral procedures
Deleted instructions
- Balance between discretion and consistency
- Onus on applicant
- Threshold of proof