e-4731 (Citizenship and immigration)

On January 9, 2024, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) launched a special temporary resident pathway for extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents currently residing in Gaza. IRCC continues to process applications under this pathway. Movement out of Gaza remains extremely challenging as countries set their own entry and exit requirements and Canada does not control who can exit Gaza. Canada and like-minded countries continue to work with countries in the region to support moving people from Gaza to Egypt. We will continue to use every tool at our disposal to bring extended family members to safety in Canada.

IRCC is also helping individuals who arrive in Canada via the temporary resident pathway to support themselves and acclimatize to their new community by offering free settlement services (language training, employment-related services, housing, etc.) and access to temporary healthcare coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) for three months.

These services, typically reserved for refugees and asylum claimants who do not have access to provincial or territorial health insurance or extended healthcare benefits on arrival in Canada, are offered to individuals who arrived in Canada under the special measures for extended family in Gaza or for Palestinians who arrived via assisted departures. The IFHP serves as a bridge, facilitating orderly transition onto public health insurance.

To support Palestinians already in Canada, IRCC introduced temporary immigration measures to provide access to education and the labour market. As of December 21, 2023, Palestinians already in Canada as well as immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who arrived through assisted departure have access to fee-exempt study and open work permits. Those who arrive in Canada as part of the temporary resident pathway mentioned above, are also eligible for fee exempt study and open work permits. IRCC is also prioritizing all existing and new applications for Palestinians within most family-based streams (family class and overseas dependents of protected persons in Canada).

IRCC is also working to enable access to settlement services for those arriving from Gaza, including those arriving as part of the extended family temporary resident pathway. These free services would include language training, support connecting with the labour market and local community, and other supports, funded under IRCC’s Settlement Program until March 31, 2027. Through the Settlement Program, federally-funded settlement service organizations also offer newcomers a number of non-clinical mental health and well-being supports.

Recent IRCC initiatives have focused on facilitating family reunification and providing facilitative measures or pathways to Canada for those with humanitarian needs. The temporary resident pathway for Palestinians takes into consideration the realities of the situation on the ground. IRCC continues to monitor the situation closely and remains flexible in adapting its responses as these situations evolve. As part of our flexible approach, we have increased the number of temporary resident visa applications that will be accepted into processing from 1,000 to 5,000.

As global displacement intensifies and becomes more complex, Canada is increasingly being called upon to respond to a range of unique humanitarian situations in ways that may include a migration response, including facilitative measures (e.g., waiving of requirements for existing programs) and/or the creation of new programs, using the Minister’s public policy authority under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

When responding to international crises, Canada tailors each response to meet the unique realities on the ground as well as the needs of those who require our support. Right now, the Government of Canada’s focus is on keeping families together and bringing them to safety as quickly as possible. Those who are in Canada may continue to apply through any of our existing immigration programs.

Canada has responded to a number of crises in recent years, employing a mix of measures and supports meant to address the unique needs of each situation. IRCC has implemented a mix of permanent and temporary measures to balance the needs of the population and also the desire of some individuals to return to their country once it is safe to do so.

The government is looking closely at our programs and initiatives to understand their impact on different client groups, with the aim of enhancing equitable access and benefits.

Building on the lessons learned from our recent responses to situations in Gaza, Ukraine, and elsewhere, IRCC is developing a Crisis Response Framework to improve preparedness when responding to humanitarian crises and other pressures. This framework's development will enable us to better comprehend the tools and strategies available for deployment based on the situation's specific geography, partners, and response requirements. It will provide the overarching guiding principles and vision for a successful, whole-of-government and whole-of-system approach to crisis response.

The Government of Canada remains deeply concerned about the crisis in Gaza and we know many Canadians are concerned about the safety of their loved ones.