There are also humanitarian programs such as the refugee program which allow for people who are in Canada and who are unable to return to their home country to apply for permanent residence. An individual may be considered a Convention refugee if they have a well-founded fear of persecution upon returning to their country of citizenship or country of legal permanent residence. There are five forms of persecution recognized by the international community: race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group (e.g. gender, sexual orientation, etc.) and political opinion.
To claim refugee status, the fear of persecution must be one of these 5 forms. The individual must demonstrate that their country is unable or unwilling to provide them with adequate state protection.