Federal government opens up temporary visas for people in Gaza with Canadian relatives
The federal government announced on Thursday that people in Gaza with Canadian relatives can now apply for temporary visas to Canada.
The Canadian government stated that it “remains deeply concerned about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” adding that it has been working to support the assisted departure of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their eligible family members from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza since early October.
As of December 15, the government has delivered 660 Canadians, permanent residents, and their spouses and children out of the Gaza Strip.
Here are the temporary immigration measures for those eligible.
Fee-exempt study or open work permits in Canada
The federal government says beginning today, the following people can apply for a fee-exempt study or open work permit:
- Foreign national family members of Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) who have left Israel and the Palestinian Territories, either with their family members or of their own accord, since the onset of the current conflict.
- Israelis and Palestinians already in Canada who feel unsafe returning to the region at this time.
Those with relatives living in Gaza
The feds also announced special measures to support temporary residence for extended family members in Gaza who are related to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
“We will also prioritize the processing of all existing and new permanent residence applications for Palestinians within family-based streams,” it added in a news release.
Eligible applicants include the spouse, common-law partner, child (regardless of age), grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of a Canadian anchor, as well as their immediate family members (spouse, common-law partner, dependent child, and dependent child of a dependent child). The Canadian citizen or permanent resident must be currently residing in Canada.
“For now, we encourage Canadians and permanent residents who may have eligible family members to start preparing documents, including proof of relationship,” the Government of Canada added.
“The scale of this humanitarian crisis is devastating and the situation on the ground is challenging,” said Marc Miller, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship.
“Israelis and Palestinians in Canada will continue to find safety here and we will do what we can to help loved ones who have fled the region, as well as eligible family members who remain in Gaza.”
Daily Hive reached out to the Minister’s Office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada regarding a launch for the program, with a starting date pegged for Janaury 9, 2024.
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