Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has unveiled new, temporary immigration policies aimed at aiding family members of Canadians and permanent residents who are currently in the West Bank and Gaza. This also extends support to Israelis and Palestinians presently in Canada.

The Immigration Minister, Marc Miller, stated that these steps are designed to facilitate the safe exit of Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their qualified family members from the affected areas.

Among these measures is the provision of study or open work permits in Canada, exempt from fees. To qualify, the applicant must be a relative of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who has departed from Israel and the Palestinian Territories, either accompanied by their family or alone, since the onset of the recent regional conflict.

IRCC is giving priority to existing permanent residency applications filed under the family-class sponsorship for Palestinians.

This priority applies to applications involving a spouse, common-law partner, child (of any age), grandchild, sibling, parent, or grandparent of a Canadian or permanent resident, along with their immediate family members.

To be eligible, the Canadian citizen or permanent resident should be living in Canada and able to provide evidence of their relationship, such as:

– A birth certificate of the child or grandchild
– A baptismal certificate of the child or grandchild
– Any other official document identifying the applicant as the parent or grandparent, like a family book or civil registration documents

Further details on these measures will be released shortly. Meanwhile, IRCC has established a special service line for inquiries about these unique measures at 613-321-4243, where collect calls are accepted. This service is available to clients both in Canada and overseas.

Additionally, IRCC advises clients to use the online service and include the keyword “MOME2023” in their IRCC crisis web form submission to ensure their enquiry is given priority. Additionally, permanent residents and relatives of permanent residents and Canadian citizens might qualify to apply online for temporary medical coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program. This coverage is designed to address urgent medical needs following their assisted evacuation from Gaza.