published on 22 December 2023 @ 1:55 pm · COMMENT

Special Measures to Facilitate Departure from Gaza for Canadians and Extended Family Members

Due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, since early October the Canadian government has been actively working to facilitate the departure of Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their family members from Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. As part of these efforts, IRCC has now announced new temporary immigration measures to support family members of Canadians from the region, as well as Israelis and Palestinians already in Canada. These temporary measures include:

• Eligibility for fee-exempt study permits or open work permits for family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have left Israel and the Palestinian Territories since the beginning of the current crisis;
• Eligibility for fee-exempt study permits or open work permits for Israelis and Palestinians already in Canada;
• Special measures facilitating temporary residence for extended family members in Gaza who are related to Canadian citizens and permanent residents; and
• Prioritized processing of all permanent residence applications for Palestinians in family-based streams.

Canada will continue to work with partners in the region to facilitate the departure of eligible individuals, and individuals under these measures will still be required to meet all admissibility requirements and applicable permanent residence stream eligibility requirements. More details about these special measures, including how to apply, are expected to be released in the coming days.

filed under: IMMIGRATIONPERMANENT RESIDENCE