Special processing measures for foreign nationals in Canada affected by domestic natural disasters

These instructions provide operational guidance related to a new temporary public policy for temporary residents of Canada directly affected by natural disasters in Canada between April 1, 2026 and November 30, 2028.

This public policy applies to visitors, workers, and students in Canada who were directly affected by a domestic natural disaster and who held valid temporary resident status at the time the event occurred. It provides eligible foreign nationals with additional time to restore their status.

Where the eligibility conditions are met, this public policy allows officers to grant exemptions from the 90‑day restoration requirement and certain related provisions to facilitate the restoration or extension of temporary resident status by allowing clients to apply for restoration of status within 6 months of the date they were affected. Regular application fees apply.

For the purposes of these special measures, the postmark on envelopes containing paper applications will be considered as the date the application was made. For electronic applications, the IRCC submission date will be considered the received date.

Applications submitted under this public policy are not subject to priority processing and should be processed in accordance with regular service standards, unless deemed urgent based on existing specific line of business criteria.

On this page

• Background
• Eligibility
• Affected geographic area
• Intake
• Program-specific special measures
  • Affected visitors
  • Affected workers
  • Affected students
• Document requests
• Immigration medical examination (IMEs)

Background

Certain extreme weather events and natural disasters are becoming an annual occurrence in Canada. For example, in recent years, severe wildfires have occurred across the country.

Per Public Safety Canada’s Emergency Management Framework, a natural disaster in Canada is a social phenomenon that results when a hazard intersects with a vulnerable community in a way that exceeds or overwhelms the community's ability to cope and may cause serious harm to the safety, health, welfare, property or environment of people. Natural hazards and disasters include, but are not limited to, extreme natural events such as floods, hurricanes, storm surges, tsunamis, avalanches, landslides, tornadoes, wildland urban-interface forest fires, and earthquakes.

Experience from previous major flooding and wildfire seasons underscores the importance of ensuring that temporary residents affected by natural disasters in Canada are supported in managing their status.

For foreign nationals directly affected by natural disasters, including visitors, workers, and students, it may be difficult to manage immigration status in Canada due to the disruption caused by the natural disaster. To address this, the Minister has issued the Temporary public policy for foreign nationals in Canada affected domestic natural disasters. 

Eligibility

This public policy includes three categories, each with distinct eligibility requirements. To be eligible for an exemption, a foreign national must meet all the eligibility requirements of one category:

Affected temporary residents seeking restoration of status

1. is in Canada;
2. has been directly affected by a natural disaster in Canada;
3. held valid temporary resident status on the date they were directly affected by the natural disaster;
4. has applied for restoration of temporary resident status within six (6) months of the date they were directly affected by the natural disaster; and
5. has provided, with the application, an attestation explaining when and how they were directly affected by the natural disaster.

Affected workers seeking a work permit renewal and extension or restoration of status

1. is in Canada;
2. has been directly affected by a natural disaster in Canada;
3. held valid temporary resident status and a valid work permit on the date they were directly affected by the natural disaster;
4. within six (6) months of the date they were directly affected by the natural disaster, has applied for:
   • a renewal of their work permit, and;
   • an extension of their authorization to remain in Canada as a temporary resident or restoration of their temporary resident status
5. has provided, with the applications, an attestation explaining when and how they were directly affected by the natural disaster.

Affected students seeking a study permit renewal and extension or restoration of status

1. is in Canada;
2. has been directly affected by a natural disaster in Canada;
3. held valid temporary resident status and a valid study permit on the date they were directly affected by the natural disaster;
4. within six (6) months of the date they were directly affected by the natural disaster, has applied for:
   • a renewal of their study permit, and;
   • an extension of their authorization to remain in Canada as a temporary resident or restoration of their temporary resident status
5. has provided, with the applications, an attestation explaining when and how they were directly affected by the natural disaster.

Valid temporary resident (TR) status

For the purposes of the eligibility criteria set out above, a foreign national is considered to have held valid temporary resident (TR) status if, on the date they were directly affected by the natural disaster, they:

1. were authorized to enter and remain in Canada as a temporary resident under section 22 or 24 of the IRPA; and
2. were within their period of authorized stay as a temporary resident, or had maintained their temporary resident status under subsection R183(5) of the Regulations.

Affected geographic area

Natural disasters are dynamic and may evolve over time, and the precise geographical areas affected may change as the situation develops. The public policy is intended to be facilitative. Officers should exercise discretion to assess how a client is impacted based on the client’s attestation and any other available information.

For wildfires, officers may refer to the following interactive maps for an updated and accurate indication of the affected area to assist in determining client eligibility under these special measures.

• Canadian Wildland Fire Information System interactive map
• CIFFC’s wildfire tracking website

Credible news articles may also be consulted.

If officers have concerns with a client’s attestation and need to confirm whether a natural disaster occurred in the location identified by the client, or to verify details about the natural disaster (including dates), the following steps may be followed:

If the natural disaster is ongoing

1. Confirm whether there is an active natural disaster (e.g., wildfire, flood, severe storm, tornado, earthquake) using official federal, provincial/territorial, or municipal sources. Where available, use maps or geographic tools from these sources to identify the affected area.
2. Compare the affected area with the residential, workplace, or other address provided by the applicant to determine whether it falls within the impacted zone.

If the natural disaster has ended

1. Identify the location of the applicant’s address using a mapping tool.
2. Consult official historical or incident records relevant to the type of natural disaster (e.g. credible news articles, emergency management reports, disaster databases, or government summaries).
3. Confirm whether the applicant’s residential, workplace, or other address or community was within an area affected by the natural disaster during the relevant time period.

This public policy does not limit the authority of officers under section A25.1, and all applications are to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

It remains the responsibility of clients to identify themselves as being directly affected by this emergency.

Intake

All natural disaster-related applications from affected areas and requests for information or guidance should be processed on a case-by-case basis. If deemed urgent based on existing specific line of business criteria, requests should be considered in a compassionate and flexible manner.

Foreign nationals affected by domestic natural disasters are instructed to do the following to flag their application:

• For new online applications, clients are instructed to include the keyword “NaturalDisaster2026” in their application submission to identify themselves as affected persons under these measures.

For clients submitting a webform to request urgent processing, the Client Support Centre (CSC) agents will either review the urgent processing requests and add an urgent incoming correspondence for the responsible office, or send an urgent referral to the responsible office if the application is not yet in the system.

Program-specific special measures

Each temporary resident program has their own document requirements for these special measures. Refer to the appropriate line of business for further information.

Affected Visitors

To identify themselves as “affected visitors”, applicants should provide evidence such as

• a signed letter (attestation) explaining how the natural disaster has affected them
• if applicable, a copy of their proof of residence or temporary stay in an affected area, such as
  • a government-issued identity document
  • a utility bill showing a residential address located in the affected area
  • a hotel receipt

Affected Workers

A worker’s residence or workplace may be impacted by the natural disaster. To identify themselves as “affected workers”, applicants should provide evidence such as

• a signed letter (attestation) explaining how the natural disaster has affected them
• if applicable, a copy of their proof of residence or temporary stay in an affected area, such as
  • a government-issued identity document
  • a utility bill showing a residential address located in the affected area
  • a hotel receipt
• a document with the name and address of their employer
• if applicable, proof that their workplace in the original work permit is not operational due to the natural disaster, for example
  • a signed letter from their employer on company letterhead
  • a media article showing their workplace is not operational
  • a copy of a notice posted on their company’s website

Affected Students

A student’s residence or Designated Learning Institution (DLI) may be impacted by a natural disaster. To identify themselves as “affected students”, applicants should provide evidence such as

• a signed letter (attestation) explaining how the natural disaster have affected them
• if applicable, a copy of their proof of residence or temporary stay in the affected area, for example
  • a government-issued identity document
  • a utility bill showing a residential address located in the affected area
  • a hotel receipt
• the name and address of their DLI
• if applicable, proof that their DLI is not operational due to the natural disaster, for example
  • a signed letter from the DLI on school letterhead
  • a media article
  • an e-mail to students stating that classes are suspended
  • a copy of a notice posted on the institution’s website

The client must continue to have valid status as a student in Canada to be able to return to class once the school has re-opened. If the client needs to apply to extend their study permit, they must include a letter from the registrar of their DLI explaining the situation.

Document requests

If the clients are unable to provide documentation due to a domestic natural disaster, the officer may grant an extension of time for the client to provide the requested documents, on a case-by-case basis.

Non-compliance for requests for additional information

Clients affected by a natural disaster may have been displaced and may not be reachable through the contact information originally provided to IRCC. As a result, a lack of response to a request for additional information should not, on its own, result in a negative decision. Officers should allow ample time for affected applicants to respond and should make reasonable efforts to re‑establish contact before refusing an application for non-compliance.

Immigration medical examinations (IMEs)

New immigration medical examinations (IMEs) are not required specifically as a result of a natural disaster emergency. Standard screening requirements apply, and applicants must complete an IME for officers to finalize an application where required.

Clients who have previously completed an IME may be eligible for an exemption or reassessment as per the IME reassessments and exemptions from a subsequent IME instructions.