CIMM – Crisis Response – March 23, 2026

Key Messages

• As part of the Government of Canada’s response to an international crisis, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) supports Global Affairs Canada’s (GAC) assisted departure and consular operations for Canadian Citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members.
• IRCC can also deploy immigration measures, including a combination of permanent and temporary pathways and discretionary tools, as part of the broader Government of Canada response.
• Situations are examined on a case-by-case basis, and measures are tailored to meet the unique needs of each situation.

Crisis Response Framework

About the Crisis Response Framework

• As part of the government’s commitment to sustainable immigration goals, IRCC uses the Crisis Response Framework to better anticipate, respond to, and manage emerging international crises in alignment with immigration levels planning and Canada’s domestic welcoming capacities.
• Building on lessons learned from recent responses, the Crisis Response Framework includes tools to assess and implement migration responses, and enable coordination with provinces and territories, partners, and stakeholders.

If pressed on current status:

• The Crisis Response Framework will continue to evolve as IRCC integrates real-time lessons learned and best practices from recent responses, as well as continued feedback from provinces and territories, partners, and stakeholders.

Situation in the Middle East

• The Government of Canada is very concerned about the situation in the Middle East and is monitoring the evolving situation.
• Canadians and permanent residents planning to travel onward to Canada must ensure they have the valid travel documents to do so, including for their spouse and dependent children.
• We recognize the challenges Canadians and their family members may face when trying to complete their applications, including the need to travel to another country. We encourage people to make plans consistent with the situation on the ground and their safety, following GAC’s travel advice.
• We urge all Canadians in the region to sign up for the Government of Canada’s Registration of Canadians Abroad service, so that they can receive direct, important updates as the situation evolves.
• Those in the larger region who wish to leave should make sure their travel documents, as well as those of their family members, are up to date and secure at all times, and use commercial options if they are available.
• Our ability to provide consular services to Canadians during an active conflict is limited, with priority given to the provision of essential services. Canada is working on a range of options to support the departure of Canadians from several countries in the Middle East, by both land and air, where conditions allow it and it is safe to do so. If you are a Canadian citizen in the region, you should register with the Registration of Canadians Abroad service.
• Where departure options are offered, Canadians must assess the risks they face and make decisions that are appropriate for their situation. Our focus is to help Canadians make informed decisions, access safe departure options, and provide the necessary consular assistance.
• We continue to monitor the situation and will adapt our response as required.

If pressed on impacts to resettled refugees:

• Some IRCC clients with travel arranged by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (predominantly resettled refugees) have had their flights impacted due to airspace and airport closures. Flights are being rescheduled where possible, and the IOM is providing support to impacted clients.
• Communication was sent to key stakeholders in early March advising them that IRCC and the IOM were monitoring the situation closely, and that the IOM would reach out to all impacted clients to advise of them next steps. Clients do not need to reach out to the department proactively to confirm if their flight is going ahead.

Sudan

Key Messages

• Canada remains deeply concerned with the situation in Sudan and empathizes with those affected. Since the conflict broke out in April 2023, the Government of Canada has taken swift action to support those impacted.
• At the onset of the crisis, IRCC immediately prioritized temporary and permanent residence applications already in its inventory for those affected by the conflict.
• To help keep families together, IRCC facilitated travel with fee-exempt travel documents for those fleeing the conflict and waived fees for biometrics, temporary resident visas, and permits for eligible family members.
• In February 2024, IRCC launched a new family-based pathway to facilitate permanent residence for Sudanese and non-Sudanese nationals impacted by the crisis; this pathway is intended to facilitate approximately 10,000 admissions. Application intake has closed; however, processing and arrivals are ongoing.

In-Canada Supports for Clients

• Clients arriving from Sudan as government-assisted refugees can access resettlement supports, including income support through IRCC’s Resettlement Assistance Program.
• Clients arriving as privately sponsored refugees have access to financial and non-financial support from their sponsors, as well as settlement supports.
• Under the family-based permanent resident pathway, approved clients have access to federally-funded services available through IRCC’s settlement program, similar to all permanent residents, and the Interim Federal Health Program for three months.

Biometric Collection

• Biometric collection was previously paused in Sudan, making it difficult for people who were unable to safely leave Sudan to complete their applications to come to Canada.
• In partnership with the International Organization for Migration, biometric collection for refugee resettlement clients and those under the family-based pathway is now underway in Sudan.
• Biometric collection is available by appointment only for individuals with an application under Canada’s resettlement program.

If pressed on processing times:

• Historical processing times are approximately 16 months. We are processing applications as quickly as possible, in line with admissions targets.
• In February 2025, IRCC committed to resettle 4,000 Sudanese nationals as government-assisted refugees by the end of 2026, as well as an additional 700 Sudanese refugees through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees program.
• IRCC has prioritized resettlement application processing since the outbreak of conflict.
• IRCC continues to prioritize applications from Sudanese and other impacted nationals, in accordance with admission spaces under the Multi-Year Immigration Levels Plan. We expect arrivals to continue, including individuals who are still in Sudan and those who have fled the country to surrounding regions.

Gaza

Key Messages

• Canada remains deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East and empathizes with those affected.
• IRCC has put measures in place to provide temporary safe haven for Palestinians directly affected by the conflict in Gaza who have Canadian citizen or permanent resident family members in Canada willing to support them.
• On January 9, 2024, IRCC introduced measures (announced December 21, 2023) to provide temporary safe haven for Palestinians directly affected by the crisis in Gaza who have Canadian citizen or permanent resident family members in Canada willing to support them. Intake closed on March 6, 2025, when the intake cap of 5,000 applications was reached. Processing of applications is ongoing.
• In addition to applications processed through the temporary measures, Palestinians have also been able to apply under IRCC’s existing programs.

If pressed on movement out of Gaza:

• The Government of Canada is aware of reports that the Rafah border crossing is closed. We are continuing to monitor this ongoing situation.

If pressed on in-Canada supports:

• Once in Canada, eligible clients may apply for a fee-exempt study or open work permit. Eligible clients may also access supports, such as one-time transitional financial assistance ($3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child), three months of interim health-care coverage, and settlement services.

If pressed on Government of Canada facilitation of IRCC clients from Gaza through Kerem Shalom:

• Limited exits have occurred through the Kerem Shalom crossing. These movements are subject to strict parameters: individuals must have completed eligibility and admissibility requirements, including biometrics, where applicable, and be fully documented. In addition, they must have received approval for exit and entry from both Israeli and Jordanian authorities.

If pressed on Palestinian students in Gaza and Egypt:

• We understand that some students, including those with acceptance letters from Canadian institutions, have been experiencing increased processing times for their study permit applications.
• Applying to a Canadian school does not guarantee entry to Canada, and all prospective international students must meet all requirements before a study permit is approved.

If pressed on security screening:

• To support the movement of Palestinians out of Gaza and to protect the health and safety of Canadians, a multi-stage security screening approach was employed for the family-based pathway.
• By using the enhanced biographic information from applicants, Canada is able to conduct preliminary security screening while people are still in Gaza. Provided no inadmissibility concerns are flagged and where applicable, people who are able to exit Gaza will have their biometrics collected in a third country.
• This is part of standard practice in crisis situations where IRCC does not have a presence on the ground to initiate screening and collection of biometrics, similar to Afghanistan.

If pressed on litigation:

• IRCC is aware that the Federal Court has recently released a decision relating to processing requests for codes from Palestinians seeking to apply under the Gaza measures. We are reviewing the decision.

Ukraine

Key Messages

• Canada remains deeply concerned with the situation in Ukraine and empathizes with those affected.
• Since March 2022, IRCC implemented a series of temporary and permanent measures to support Ukrainians and their family members by providing a temporary safe haven in Canada, recognizing that most will eventually return home when it is safe.

CUAET Current Status

• The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) was a temporary resident program launched on March 17, 2022. Application intake closed on July 15, 2023.
• Under the CUAET, Ukrainians and their family members were able to stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to three years and apply for fee-exempt open work and study permits, as well as extensions of their temporary resident status.
• Individuals who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, under the CUAET have until March 31, 2026, to renew their work permit or apply for a new open work permit or study permit from within Canada, subject to standard fees.
• Ukrainians who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently can also apply for permanent residence through existing immigration programs, such as the family reunification pathways and economic immigration streams.

Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway

• In October 2023, IRCC launched a special family reunification pathway to facilitate permanent residence for Ukrainian nationals in Canada who were immediate or extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Intake for this pathway closed on October 22, 2024. Processing of applications is ongoing.
• As of January 16, 2026, Ukrainians who applied under the Family Reunification Pathway and their family members can also apply to extend or restore their temporary status in Canada while waiting for a decision on their permanent residence application.

Processing Times

• IRCC continues to process applications under the Family Reunification Pathway in line with admission spaces under the 2026–2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
• Historical processing times are approximately 20 months, though wait times are projected to grow.

In-Canada Supports

• Ukrainians and their family members who arrived in Canada under the CUAET measures by March 31, 2024, were eligible for federally-funded emergency temporary accommodation and could apply online until June 30, 2024, for a one-time financial assistance payment to help meet basic needs upon arrival in Canada ($3,000 per adult; $1,500 per child).
• All Ukrainians and their family members with valid temporary resident status in Canada were eligible for settlement services until March 31, 2025.
• While federally-funded settlement services will no longer be available to Ukrainians on temporary status after that date, we understand many Ukrainians are accessing similar programs and services through community groups, including Ukrainian-Canadian organizations, provincial, territorial, and local governments in the cities or towns where they live.

If pressed on validity of passports and travel documents:

• Generally, all foreign nationals applying for permanent or temporary residence in Canada are required to provide a valid passport or travel document as per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
• However, if applicants cannot meet these requirements due to compelling and exceptional circumstances, IRCC officers may consider their situations on a case-by-case basis.

Hong Kong

• There are two permanent residence pathways (the Pathways) for Hong Kong residents, launched in 2021:
  • Stream A is for those who have graduated from a post-secondary designated learning institution in Canada with a degree, diploma, graduate or post-graduate credential in the three years preceding the date when their application is received by IRCC.
  • Stream B targets former Hong Kong residents who have gained a minimum of one year of full-time authorized work experience in Canada (or the equivalent in part-time work) in the three years preceding the date when their application is received by IRCC.
• Applicants have to be in Canada when they apply for the pathways and at the time they are granted permanent residence. They do not have to be in Canada while their application is being processed.

If pressed on lengthy processing times:

• To maintain a sustainable immigration system that supports both newcomers and communities, the Government of Canada is aligning immigration levels with Canada’s economic needs and system capacity. This balanced approach includes adjustments across immigration categories, including humanitarian pathways.
• As a result, fewer admissions under the humanitarian pathways will lead to longer wait times, particularly in-high demand pathways such as the Hong Kong Permanent Resident Pathways.

If pressed on impacts of processing times:

• We understand that long wait times lead to uncertainty. We remain committed to mitigating the impacts of growing wait times where possible, while returning to sustainable immigration levels.
• Applicants are eligible to apply to maintain their status and ability to work in Canada for up to three years while their permanent residence application is in process under a special measure launched in May 2024.

If pressed on Hong Kong Permanent Resident Pathway applicants needing to have been “Approved in Principle” before applying for a work permit:

• Applicants to the Hong Kong Permanent Resident Pathways can apply to extend their status and ability to work in Canada while their permanent residence application is in process, under a special measure launched in May 2024. They do not need to wait until their permanent residence application has been “Approved in Principle.”
• They are eligible once they have received an Acknowledgement of Receipt for their Hong Kong Permanent Resident Pathway application.

If pressed on the Mandatory Provident Fund:

• IRCC does not have any influence in the administration of the Mandatory Provident Fund.
• Financial institutions in Canada must abide by the local laws wherever they operate.
• We understand that lengthy processing times may delay access to pension savings funds for some applicants. We are processing applications in line with admissions targets in the Levels Plan.

If pressed on ability for internationally trained professionals from Hong Kong to practice in Canada:

• Internationally trained health professionals (doctors, nurses, etc.) from Hong Kong can work in Canada as temporary or permanent residents, subject to the licensing requirements determined by the province or territory where they practice.
• IRCC and other federal departments continue to work with provinces and territories to strengthen support and services for clients undertaking the licensing process, both before or after arriving in Canada.
• In December 2025, IRCC announced a new Express Entry category for international doctors working in Canada to stay here. This category builds on ongoing efforts, in place since 2023, to prioritize healthcare professionals through Express Entry. This initiative is separate from the Hong Kong Permanent Resident Pathway.

Key Facts and Figures

• 44,800 persons have applied as of January 31, 2026. Of these:
  • 14,000 persons have been processed to a final decision, with 98% being approved. Over 13,000 persons have become permanent residents; and
  • 31,900 persons remain in the processing inventory.

Iran

• Canada remains deeply concerned by the systematic and gross human rights violations by Iran.
• In response to the instability in Iran, IRCC introduced special measures in February 2023 to support Iranian temporary residents in Canada.
• These measures have since been renewed for one year and currently allow eligible Iranian temporary residents to extend their work permits, providing them with continued access to employment in Canada.
• While study permit holders were previously included under similar measures, they may now continue to extend their permits through regular in-Canada processes.

Afghanistan/Pakistan

If pressed about the security situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan:

• Canada is monitoring the situation developing between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• The Mission in Islamabad remains open and continues to provide services.
• If pressed on refugee impacts, see refugee resettlement note.

Ethiopia

If pressed on the security situation in Ethiopia:

• Canada is monitoring the situation in Ethiopia, including in areas around the borders between Ethiopia and Sudan, and Ethiopia and Eritrea.
• We cannot speculate on future policy decisions.