Temporary special measures in response to the crisis in Haiti

These instructions provide operational guidance related to the temporary public policy for Haitian nationals in Canada as temporary residents and the temporary public policy for family members who fled conflict in Haiti.

These updated temporary public policies waive certain processing fees to extend or change the conditions of their temporary stay and facilitate the issuance of fee-exempt study permits, open work permits, and/or temporary resident permits, thereby allowing eligible clients to move between temporary streams.

As some permanent residence applicants in Haiti may have lost their passports and seeking replacements may be time-consuming or difficult given the current circumstances in the country, the updated temporary public policy also waives the requirement to hold a passport or travel document to be approved for a permanent resident visa to travel to Canada.

All standard eligibility and admissibility requirements not otherwise exempted under this or another public policy must be met by clients. Applicants who don’t meet these requirements may have their applications refused.

These temporary public policies took effect November 20, 2025, and will expire on October 27, 2026.

On this page

• Background
• Eligibility
  • Family member definition
  • Eligibility for foreign national family members
  • Valid temporary resident status
• Program-specific special measures
  • Fee waiver to extend or change temporary resident status in Canada
  • Fee waiver for issuance of work permits or extensions in Canada
  • Issuing open work permits in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
  • Fee waiver for issuance of study permits or extensions in Canada
  • Fee waivers for in-Canada biometrics
  • Expired - Fee waivers for limited validity passports, temporary passports, emergency travel documents (ETDs), Canadian citizenship certificates and permanent resident travel documents
  • Refusals
  • Permanent resident visa document exemptions

Background

Haiti has been in a state of unrest for several years, with a recent escalation of gang violence leading to the Prime Minister’s resignation, the closure of the international airport in Port-au-Prince, and the declaration of a state of emergency in the capital region, causing the significant displacement of residents. Country conditions in Haiti remain critical and have not stabilized since violent gangs seized the capital of Port-au-Prince in March 2024.

Special measures are in place to support Haitian nationals in Canada, as well as foreign national family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are in Canada and are unable to return home at this time.

Eligibility

Under these temporary public policies, the following clients may be eligible:

1. A foreign national who meets the following criteria:
   1. a national of Haiti in Canada with valid temporary resident status; and who subsequently applies to extend or change the conditions of their temporary stay as one of the following:
      1. worker
      2. student
      3. visitor
      or
   2. for a new or subsequent temporary resident permit
2. a foreign national who meets the following criteria:
   • is the family member, per the definition of subsection 1(3) of the Regulations, of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada who left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024, and who:
     1. left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024
     2. arrived in Canada on or before April 26, 2024
     3. is in Canada with valid temporary resident status (including temporary residents with maintained status as per subsection R183(5))
     4. has applied to extend or change the conditions of their temporary stay as one of the following
        1. worker
        2. student
        3. visitor
        4. temporary resident permit holder
3. a foreign national who meets the following criteria:
   1. is a national of Haiti
   2. is ready to be approved for a permanent resident visa to come to Canada, but is unable to obtain a passport or travel document as described in section 50(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR)
   3. is outside of Canada

Family member definition

Foreign nationals, including Haitian nationals, are eligible family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, if they meet the definition of “family member” under subsection 1(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR):

1. the spouse or common-law partner of the person
2. a dependent child of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner, and
3. a dependent child of a dependent child referred to in paragraph (b)

A dependent child is a child who is

• under 22 years of age and not married or in a common-law relationship
• 22 years or older and unable to financially self-support due to a physical or mental condition

Extended family members are not eligible and are not included under these measures.

Eligibility for foreign national family members

Foreign national family members who do not hold Haitian citizenship must have been assisted by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in their departure from Haiti between March 1, 2024 and April 26, 2024 to be eligible under these special measures. Possible documentation that foreign national family members could provide to demonstrate eligibility include (but are not limited to): a copy of their passport, travel itinerary, plane tickets, along with proof of relationship (i.e. marriage certificate, proof of common-law relationship, birth certificates for children). However, supporting documents may be limited due to unique circumstances involving assisted departures.

Valid temporary resident (TR) status

To meet the valid temporary resident status requirement in the eligibility criteria set out above, a foreign national must:

1. Be physically present in Canada at the time of application and when a decision is made.
2. Have been authorized to enter as a temporary resident under section 22 or 24 of the IRPA
3. Be within their period of authorized stay as a temporary resident or have maintained their status under section R183(5)

Restoration of temporary resident status

Clients who are eligible for restoration may apply to restore their status at the same time as submitting an application under these measures. However, officers must first render a decision on the application for restoration. Officers should refer to Restoration of temporary resident status for additional guidance.

Program-specific special measures

Fee waiver to extend or change temporary resident status in Canada

Eligible foreign nationals who are applying from within Canada and have valid temporary resident status in Canada are eligible to apply to extend or change the conditions of their stay, free of charge.

Clients who apply to extend or change the conditions of their stay before their existing temporary resident status expires maintain their status as per subsection R183(5) while their application is being processed. Officers should refer to Temporary residents: Maintained status during processing (previously called implied status) for additional instructions.

This does not apply to Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) holders. If the client is applying for a new or subsequent TRP, officers should refer to Temporary Resident Permits for additional guidance.

The following fees for eligible clients under these temporary special measures are to be waived:

• extension of temporary stay – exemption code 999
• temporary resident permit – exemption code 999
• biometrics – exemption code B11

Officers should refer to the fee list: Fee list.

Fee waiver for issuance of work permits or extensions in Canada

These measures include a fee waiver for initial work permit applications, including open work permits, and work permit extensions in Canada.

The following fees for eligible clients under these temporary special measures are to be waived:

• initial or renewal of work permit – exemption code 999
• open work permit holder – exemption code P03
• temporary resident permit (if applicable) – exemption code 999

Officers should refer to the Fee list.

Regular work permit application

Applications submitted in the regular work permit categories under section R204 to R208 for Haitian nationals should be processed as per the instructions for the specific work permit category.

Applications submitted with an LMIA for nationals of Haiti should be processed as per the instructions: Labour Market Impact Assessment Review.

Public policy open work permit application

These temporary public policies allow eligible temporary residents in Canada to submit an application for a fee exempt open work permit while remaining in Canada. This will allow foreign nationals in Canada to support themselves while in Canada.

Fee waiver for issuance of study permits or extensions in Canada

These measures include a fee waiver for initial study permit applications and study permit extensions in Canada.

The following fees for eligible clients under these temporary special measures are to be waived:

• initial or renewal of study permit – exemption code 999
• temporary resident permit (if applicable) – exemption code 999

Officers should refer to the fee list: Fee list.

Study permit validity must be tied to the specified period of study (and passport validity). All applicants must submit their application for a fee-exempt study permit or extension by following the instructions to apply for a study permit or to extend their study permit. Clients who apply for an extension or to change their status before it expires will maintain their existing status while their application is being processed. Officers should refer to Temporary Residents: Students for additional guidance.

Fee waivers for in-Canada biometrics

All individuals required to do so must provide their biometric information in support of their application. However, under these measures, the biometrics enrolment fee is waived.

For more information on biometrics and fees

• Biometrics collection and screening
• Biometric fee

Officers should refer to the Fee list.

All other standard eligibility and admissibility requirements must be met by clients.

Expired - Fee waivers for limited validity passports, temporary passports, emergency travel documents (ETDs), Canadian citizenship certificates and permanent resident travel documents

Under these measures, the following clients may be eligible for fee waivers:

• Canadian citizens or permanent residents who have applied on or after March 1, 2024, and on or before September 1, 2024, for any of the following documents:
  • a citizenship certificate—if the client does not have a certificate for passport issuance (as eligible via the online application or through the paper stream via Canadian consular services)
  • a passport
    • a 1-year limited validity passport (fees are waived)
    • a full validity passport (fees apply)
    • a temporary passport (fees are waived)
  • an emergency travel document (ETD)
  • a permanent resident travel document

The following fees for eligible clients under these temporary special measures are to be waived:

• first time or replacement of Canadian citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship)
• temporary passport, issued in conjunction with a one-year limited validity regular passport
• emergency travel document
• replacement fee for lost or stolen passport
• passport pick-up service fee
• consular fee, only applicable to adult applications
• permanent resident travel document

Officers should refer to the Fee list.

Refusals

Officers may encounter applications submitted from clients who are ineligible for these temporary public policies, who do not meet other standard eligibility requirements or who are found to be inadmissible to Canada. If an officer has determined that the applicant does not meet eligibility requirements or who are found to be inadmissible to Canada, the application should be refused.

Officers should record their reasons for decision as per the instructions in: Decision making: Standard of review and process for making a reasonable decision.

If a refusal is warranted due to the applicant not meeting the eligibility requirements of these temporary public policies, officers should select “Other” ground, and include the following comment:

You do not meet the eligibility requirements under the temporary public policy for nationals of Haiti in Canada as temporary residents or the temporary public policy for family members who fled conflict in Haiti

Permanent resident visa document exemptions

These special measures also waive the requirement for nationals of Haiti to hold a passport or travel document to be approved for a permanent resident visa to come to Canada.

As per the ministerial instructions (PDF) issued under subsection A15(4), the Single Journey Travel Document (SJTD) [IMM 5565] is issued under limited and exceptional circumstances to specified client groups that do not possess, or cannot obtain, an acceptable passport or travel document. If the client is approved for a permanent resident visa and where the minister has issued a public policy under section A25.2 waiving IRPA requirements to possess an acceptable passport or travel document for visa processing and to enter Canada, refer to the SJTD page for further guidance and instructions on the issuance process.

Normally, a copy of the passport or travel document should be uploaded to the application. However, there may be instances where the passport or travel document is not included:

• If the application is processed and ready for a visa, the client is informed via the ready for visa letter of instructions regarding passport validity and is told what to do if the passport has expired or is no longer valid. However, the officer can ask the client to provide an explanation as to why they did not provide the passport or travel document (for example, it has expired or was destroyed).
• If the application is new or has not been processed, the client needs to indicate the reasons for not providing the passport or travel document. If the client is unable to provide an explanation, the client should be advised to obtain a valid passport or travel document.

All other standard eligibility and admissibility requirements must be met by clients.