Ministerial Instructions 22 (MI22): Ministerial Instructions concerning Foreign Nationals affected by the U.S. Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”

Pursuant to the authority found in subsection 24(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, I, Ahmed Hussen Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, hereby issue the following instructions:

Officers who are conducting assessments of foreign nationals who are citizens of Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq and who are seeking to travel to the United States from Canada but are refused entry due to the U.S. Executive Order entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” (hereinafter affected foreign nationals) may consider issuing a short-term temporary resident permit lasting up to 180 days.

The following criteria may be considered in deciding whether to issue a TRP to affected foreign nationals:

• The affected foreign national had made travel arrangements to enter the United States and is not able to enter the United States due the above named Executive Order and:
  1. holds a visa or other document that is normally required to enter the U.S., and,
  2. is not inadmissible to Canada for any reasons other than that failure to obtain a visa under section 7 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) or an electronic travel authorization under section 7.1 of the IRPR and

The objective of these instructions is to ensure that foreign nationals present in Canada and who are affected by the above named Executive Order are able to maintain temporary resident status in Canada until they are able to resume travel to the United States or otherwise leave Canada at their earliest opportunity.

The present instructions are to be considered by officers for applications for a temporary resident permit made until 11:59 pm EDT April 30, 2017.