Effective today, this new temporary resident (TR) pathway is being implemented to help extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents (PRs) in Gaza find a “temporary safe haven” in Canada.
Elaborating on measures first announced in December, and enacted by the Canadian government to support the extended family of Canadians in the region, the federal government says that the extended family members of Palestinian Canadians will now be eligible for temporary residence through this new pathway.
These family members of Canadian citizens and PRs include:
- Spouses and Common-law partners
- Children and Grandchildren
- Siblings
- Parents and Grandparents
In addition, immediate family members of any of the above groups—spouse, common-law partner, dependent child and dependent child of a dependent child—will also be eligible through this new pathway. Temporary resident visas issued through this program will be valid for up to three years in length, or until the applicant’s passport expires.
Note: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) clarifies that applicants to this and other special humanitarian measures will still “need to meet all admissibility requirements, including biometrics before they can be approved to come to Canada”.
What happens once eligible persons reach Canada?
IRCC has already begun to outline what will happen once the family members of Canadians eligible for this new TR pathway reach Canada.
According to today’s news release, eligible TRs “can apply for a fee-exempt study permit or open work permit under the measures already announced” once they land in Canada.
“This will help them to better support themselves in Canada while the crisis … continues”, says IRCC.
Additionally, Canada’s immigration department notes that TRs coming to Canada through this new pathway will be given “three months of health coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program” to help address any urgent medical needs upon arrival.
Further, TRs will also have access to “settlement services such as language training and support connecting with the labour market and local community”, according to the IRCC news release.
The above measures will be in place until January 9th, 2025, or until 1,000 temporary resident visa applications have been received and are in processing, whichever comes first. However, the government has also stated that it will be closely monitoring the situation in concert with application volumes, to better address immigration solutions as necessary. IRCC has also declared that where possible it will be prioritizing processing of existing permanent residence applications of Palestinians within family-based streams.
In addition, IRCC has set-up a dedicated service channel for those both in Canada and abroad, at +1-613-321-4243, with collect calls accepted.
