Can I ask for a deferral of my removal if I have a pending application?

Yes. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) can be asked to defer, meaning postpone, a scheduled removal date. But simply having an application in the system is not, by itself, a reason CBSA has to grant a deferral. Officers have narrow discretion, and requests generally succeed only where there is something time-sensitive and compelling: a directly relevant decision expected imminently, a documented medical reason travel cannot happen as scheduled, or arrangements needed for a Canadian-born child's care.

A deferral only pauses the physical act of removal so something specific can be resolved. It does not cancel the removal order, grant status, or guarantee the outcome of the pending application. Requests should be made in writing, well before the removal date, with clear supporting documents attached, since officers weigh the request against how imminent and compelling the reason actually is rather than the mere existence of a filed application.

If a deferral request is refused and removal is imminent, options narrow quickly and often require urgent legal steps, so getting advice as soon as a removal date is set is far more useful than waiting until shortly before it.