Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, has announced new measures to support Turkish and Syrian temporary residents in Canada who are unable to return home due to the destruction caused by earthquakes in the region.
Effective from March 29, 2023, Turkish and Syrian nationals in Canada can apply for an extension of their status free of charge to continue studying, working, or visiting family. An open work permit pathway will also be available for those nationals. Additionally, the requirement to hold a passport or travel document to be approved for a permanent resident visa to come to Canada will be waived. Canada is also waiving fees for temporary passports, limited-validity passports, emergency travel documents, Canadian citizenship certificates, and permanent resident travel documents for Canadian citizens and permanent residents from Türkiye and Syria to return to Canada. Canada is prioritizing processing applications for those affected by the earthquakes, including visitor visa applications for immediate family members of Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents. UN partners in the area will provide temporary shelter for refugees in Canada’s resettlement process who have been seriously impacted while they wait for their applications to be processed.
At NPZ Law Group, our U.S. and Canadian lawyers seek to assist clients with regard to employment and family immigration issues. If you or your friends or family should have any questions about any aspect of U.S. and Canadian Immigration Law, please feel free to contact us at info@visaserve.com or you can call our office at 201-670-0006 (ext. 104). We look forward to being able to assist you.