Arrests, detentions and removals
Removal from Canada

Services

If you receive a Removal Order you cannot legally remain in Canada and must leave the country. Depending on your situation, your removal order may be effective immediately, or after a negative decision if you had made an appeal. If you have questions about your Removal Order you are encouraged to call 1-833-995-0002, Monday to Friday between 8:00 am to 4:00 pm AST, to speak to an officer who can answer your case-specific questions.

There are three types of Removal Orders issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) or the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). These are Departure Orders, Exclusion Orders and Deportation Orders. The form number on the Removal Order indicates what type of order you received.

More information on returning to Canada is available on the IRCC website.

Appealing a Removal Order

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) is responsible for any appeals to Removal Orders. Consult the IRB website for more information.

You may also apply to the Federal Court of Canada for a judicial review of any IRB decision. Consult the Federal Court of Canada for more information.

Refugee Applications and Removal Orders

If you are a refugee claimant, you will receive a conditional Removal Order. If your refugee claim is accepted, the Removal Order will not be enforced. If you become a permanent resident of Canada the Removal Order will be void. If your refugee claim is rejected, the Removal Order will then come into force. Once all avenues of recourse are exhausted, you must leave Canada immediately.

Failure to Leave

Once a Removal Order takes effect, you must leave Canada immediately.

If you fail to appear for a removal interview or a scheduled removal date, the CBSA will issue a Canada-wide warrant for your arrest. Once arrested, the CBSA may detain you in a holding facility before removal.

In order to ensure you leave Canada, the CBSA may assign an escort officer to accompany you on your departure.

Reasons for delays

There are a variety of reasons that can prevent a removal order from being enforced in an expeditious manner, including:

If you can not be removed from Canada because an ADR or a TSR has been imposed, you could be eligible to apply for a work permit or a study permit.

Canadian Victims Bill of Rights

The Canadian Victims Bill of Rights (CVBR) legislation allows Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to notify registered victims when the offender in their case is removed from Canada before their sentence expires.

To facilitate this work, the CBSA must upload and make available all relevant removal file information for reference on CSC's Offender Management System (OMS).

Under current operational guidelines, CBSA officers input the removal date into the OMS data system as part of the departure verification procedures. This occurs immediately after the removal is confirmed (that is, when the foreign national is legally admitted into another country).

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