Canadian officials announced a new temporary resident pathway for Canadian citizens’ and permanent residents’ extended family members in Gaza.

‌Key Points:

  • The temporary resident visa is a special measure for Israeli nationals and Palestinian passport holders and their family members who live in Gaza, are related to a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who lives or intends to live in Canada and will be supported by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident for a period of one year.
  • Canadian officials confirmed that the temporary measure will end when 1,000 complete TRV applications have been received and accepted for processing or one year after these measures come into effect, whichever comes first.

Additional Information: Eligible family members include a spouse, common-law partner, child, grandchild, sibling, parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, as well as their immediate family members. Once in Canada, eligible family members can also apply for a fee-exempt study permit or open work permit under the special measure to allow for study or work during their stay. TRV recipients will receive access to three months of health coverage as well as settlement services such as language training and job support.

BAL Analysis: The dedicated temporary residence pathway is designed to support family members of Canadians and permanent residents from the region. The government announced new measures to support extended family members who can exit the area and provide them with a temporary safe haven. Applicants who can exit Gaza will also need to meet all admissibility requirements, including biometrics, before they can be approved to come to Canada.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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