IRCC declares temporary measures for people impacted in Lebanon. Individuals who left Lebanon on or after September 29, 2024, might be eligible to apply for an open work permit, study permit, or status extension at no cost once they arrive in Canada.
Canada’s government states that the temporary measures will offer support to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members who have left Lebanon during the current unrest. These measures will be in effect until July 31, 2025.
Who Is Eligible?
IRCC declares temporary measures for people impacted in Lebanon. Well, the immigration department states that the following individuals might take advantage of the new measures:
- Lebanese nationals in Canada with valid temporary resident status
- Non-Lebanese foreign national family members of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who:
– Left Lebanon on or after September 29, 2024
– Are in Canada with valid temporary resident status
- Non-Lebanese foreign nationals who are affected by the first-generation limit on citizenship as well as their foreign national family members who:
– Left Lebanon on or after September 29, 2024
– Are in Canada with valid temporary resident status
- People who left Lebanon with the help of the Government of Canada on or after September 29, 2024.
The department defines immediate family as:
- The spouse or common-law partner of the person
- A dependent child of a Canadian citizen/ permanent resident or of their spouse or common-law partner
- A dependent child of a dependent child
To be eligible, all Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members must have the necessary travel documents.
These measures will also affect Lebanese nationals who are presently unable to return to Lebanon. Eligible individuals might apply regardless of whether they left on flights arranged by Global Affairs Canada or by other means.
Global Affairs Canada states that it has helped 1,200 Canadians, permanent residents, and their families leave Lebanon to date.
IRCC states that it has increased processing capacity for files from the region and is working to ‘process applications from Canadians, permanent residents, and their family members in Lebanon as quickly as possible.’
Part Of A Suite Of Measures
IRCC declares temporary measures for people impacted in Lebanon. Throughout the current conflict in the Middle East, Canada’s immigration department has taken steps to facilitate the arrival and settlement of people impacted.
In December 2023, IRCC declared that it would prioritize the family-class permanent residence applications of eligible individuals in the region who are Canadian citizens or permanent resident-sponsored. Moreover, the government also declared that it would facilitate the issue of fee-exempt study and work permits to these individuals.
In January, IRCC announced that it would process 1,000 applications for Temporary Resident Visas for Palestinians who were in Gaza at the time and had immediate family members who were Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Under this policy, individuals who landed in Canada would have access to settlement services upon arrival, including interim health coverage, language training, and employment support. This figure was later revised to 5,000 applications in May.
Moreover, on October 16, the immigration department announced that it would provide financial assistance to individuals arriving through these pathways in addition to the services it was already providing.
More than 4,000 people have already applied through IRCC’s temporary pathway, 733 of whom have been approved to come to Canada. As of October 5, 334 people have landed in Canada through this policy.
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