Important: This article provides general information, not advice about your individual case. Do not take action—or delay responding to a government letter—without consulting a Canadian immigration lawyer or an authorized immigration professional with relevant expertise.
Compulsory military service in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, also known as the IRGC or Sepah, can raise security inadmissibility concerns under section 34 of Canadian immigration law. The concern may involve membership in the organization, rather than an allegation that you personally committed a terrorist act. Compulsory service does not create an automatic exemption, but the legal grounds and evidence must still be assessed in each case.
Does a CBSA letter mean you will be deported?
Not necessarily. A request for information, a section 44 report, a referral for a hearing and a removal order are different stages. A report alone is not a deportation order. The first step is to identify exactly what document you received and what response is required.
If you are a permanent resident
The priority is to assess how to protect your existing status and respond to the allegations. A security letter or section 44 report does not, by itself, cancel permanent residence.
While you remain a permanent resident, you cannot receive a Temporary Resident Permit or apply for Ministerial Relief under the current provisions. Those options concern people who are neither Canadian citizens nor permanent residents. If permanent residence is later lost, different options may become available—but approval is not guaranteed.
If you have a work or study permit
Your actual immigration status matters, not just the expiry date printed on your permit. Work and study permits are automatically cancelled when a removal order becomes legally enforceable. Other reasons for expiry or cancellation must also be checked.
A Temporary Resident Permit is not automatically available when a security issue arises. IRCC’s current eligibility guidance requires applicants not to hold temporary resident status. Do not deliberately let your status expire to pursue this option.
What legal options may be available?
A Temporary Resident Permit, or TRP, may allow an eligible person to enter or remain in Canada temporarily despite inadmissibility. Section 34 does not create a blanket prohibition on this option, but approval is discretionary. A TRP does not permanently remove the security issue.
Ministerial Relief is different. In an eligible case, the Minister of Public Safety may remove the specific inadmissibility barrier covered by the decision. However, relief does not automatically grant a work permit, study permit or permanent residence. The person must still qualify for the immigration status or permit they seek. Eligibility and timing require careful review.
Act before the deadline
Have your government letters, previous immigration applications and military service records reviewed together. Get advice before submitting a new explanation, travelling or changing your immigration status.
Submitting a TRP or Ministerial Relief application does not automatically stop removal. Challenging a decision and preventing its enforcement may require separate action, including urgent legal advice about Federal Court proceedings.
Read our full guide, “Compulsory IRGC Service and Canadian Immigration,” for a detailed explanation of the available options and links to official sources.(you can find in Documents section)