Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced several facilitative measures in support of Iranian temporary residents, permanent residents, and citizens.
Effective March 1, 2023, Iranian temporary residents in Canada are able to extend their stay in Canada for free by applying to:
- Extend their current temporary resident status
- Change their temporary resident status (for example, from a visitor to a worker)
In addition, Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Iran are now able to apply for the following documents for free:
- limited validity Canadian passport
- Canadian citizenship certificate
- permanent resident travel document
The government has also stated that certain eligible in-Canada applications will be processed on a priority basis.
Finally, it must be noted that, although the IRCC's earlier announcements hinted at a possible change to the Human Rights Defenders Stream, the latest announcement does not provide further details on this matter.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
