Section 25 — Humanitarian and compassionate consideration
Text of provision
(1) Subject to subsection (1.2), the Minister must, on request of a foreign national in Canada who applies for permanent resident status and who is inadmissible — other than under section 34, 35, 35.1 or 37 — or who does not meet the requirements of this Act, and may, on request of a foreign national outside Canada — other than a foreign national who is inadmissible under section 34, 35, 35.1 or 37 — who applies for a permanent resident visa, examine the circumstances concerning the foreign national and may grant the foreign national permanent resident status or an exemption from any applicable criteria or obligations of this Act if the Minister is of the opinion that it is justified by humanitarian and compassionate considerations relating to the foreign national, taking into account the best interests of a child directly affected.
(1.01) A designated foreign national may not make a request under subsection (1)
(a) if they have made a claim for refugee protection but have not made an application for protection, until five years after the day on which a final determination in respect of the claim is made;
(b) if they have made an application for protection, until five years after the day on which a final determination in respect of the application is made; or
(c) in any other case, until five years after the day on which they become a designated foreign national.
(1.02) The processing of a request under subsection (1) of a foreign national who, after the request is made, becomes a designated foreign national is suspended
(a) if the foreign national has made a claim for refugee protection but has not made an application for protection, until five years after the day on which a final determination in respect of the claim is made;
(b) if the foreign national has made an application for protection, until five years after the day on which a final determination in respect of the application is made; or
(c) in any other case, until five years after the day on which they become a designated foreign national.
(1.03) The Minister may refuse to consider a request under subsection (1) if
(a) the designated foreign national fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with any condition imposed on them under subsection 58(4) or section 58.1 or any requirement imposed on them under section 98.1; and
(b) less than 12 months have passed since the end of the applicable period referred to in subsection (1.01) or (1.02).
(1.1) The Minister is seized of a request referred to in subsection (1) only if the applicable fees in respect of that request have been paid.
(1.2) The Minister may not examine the request if
(a) the foreign national has already made such a request and the request is pending;
(a.1) the request is for an exemption from any of the criteria or obligations of Division 0.1;
(b) the foreign national has made a claim for refugee protection that is pending before the Refugee Protection Division or the Refugee Appeal Division;
(b.1) the foreign national made a claim for refugee protection that was determined to be ineligible to be referred to the Refugee Protection Division and they made an application for protection to the Minister that is pending; or
(c) subject to subsection (1.21), less than 12 months have passed since
(i) the day on which the foreign national’s claim for refugee protection was rejected or determined to be withdrawn — after substantive evidence was heard — or abandoned by the Refugee Protection Division, in the case where no appeal was made and no application was made to the Federal Court for leave to commence an application for judicial review, or
(ii) in any other case, the latest of
(1.21) Paragraph (1.2)(c) does not apply in respect of a foreign national
(a) who, in the case of removal, would be subjected to a risk to their life, caused by the inability of each of their countries of nationality or, if they do not have a country of nationality, their country of former habitual residence, to provide adequate health or medical care; or
(b) whose removal would have an adverse effect on the best interests of a child directly affected.
(1.3) In examining the request of a foreign national in Canada, the Minister may not consider the factors that are taken into account in the determination of whether a person is a Convention refugee under section 96 or a person in need of protection under subsection 97(1) but must consider elements related to the hardships that affect the foreign national.
(2) The Minister may not grant permanent resident status to a foreign national referred to in subsection 9(1) if the foreign national does not meet the province’s selection criteria applicable to that foreign national.
Plain English
Section 25 is the humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) provision of IRPA. It gives the Minister (in practice, delegated to IRCC officers) the discretion to exempt a foreign national from the ordinary requirements of IRPA — including inadmissibility grounds — where justified by humanitarian and compassionate considerations.
Section 25(1) requires the Minister to consider the best interests of any child directly affected. This is a mandatory consideration — failure to consider it is a reviewable error.
H&C applications are assessed on the totality of circumstances. Factors considered include: establishment in Canada, family ties, hardship on return, health considerations, and the best interests of children.
Practical effect
H&C is a residual discretionary remedy, not a routine pathway. The Federal Court has consistently held that s 25 is intended to address circumstances that would not warrant relief under other provisions but are nonetheless compelling.
H&C applications cannot be used as a substitute for a refugee claim (s 25(1.3)) — an officer assessing H&C must not consider the risks set out in ss 96 and 97, although country conditions can be considered for other purposes (e.g., hardship of return).
A positive H&C decision grants an exemption from specific requirements; it does not guarantee permanent residence if other grounds of inadmissibility remain unresolved.