Those who left Lebanon on or after September 29, 2024, may be eligible to apply for an open work permit, study permit, or status extension at no cost once they arrive in Canada.

Canada’s government says the temporary measures will offer support to permanent residents, Canadian citizens, and their immediate family members who have left Lebanon during the current unrest.These measures will be in effect until July 31, 2025.

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Who is eligible?

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says the following individuals may take advantage of the new measures:

• Lebanese nationals in Canada with valid temporary resident status;
• Non-Lebanese foreign national family members of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who:
  • left Lebanon on or after September 29, 2024, and
  • are in Canada with valid temporary resident status;
• Non-Lebanese foreign nationals who are affected by the first-generation limit on citizenship as well as their foreign national family members who:
  • left Lebanon on or after September 29, 2024, and
  • are in Canada with valid temporary resident status;
• People who left Lebanon with the help of the Government of Canada on or after September 29, 2024.

The department defines immediate family as:

• the spouse or common-law partner of the person;
• a dependent child of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident or of their spouse or common-law partner; or
• a dependent child of a dependent child.

All Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and their immediate family members are required to have the necessary travel documents to be eligible.

The measures will also impact Lebanese nationals who are currently not able to return to Lebanon. Eligible individuals may apply regardless of whether they left on flights arranged by Global Affairs Canada, or by other means.

Global Affairs Canada says it has helped 1,200 Canadians, permanent residents, and their families leave Lebanon to date.

IRCC says it has increased processing capacity for files from the region and is working to “process applications from Canadians, permanent residents, and their family members in Lebanon as quickly as possible.”

Part of a suite of measures

Throughout the current conflict in the Middle East, Canada’s immigration department has taken steps to facilitate the arrival and settlement of people impacted.

In December of 2023, IRCC announced that it would prioritize the family-class permanent residence (PR) applications of eligible (Israeli and Palestinian) individuals in the region who were sponsored by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. In addition, the government also announced that it would facilitate the issue of fee-exempt study and work permits to these individuals.

In January, IRCC announced that it would process 1,000 applications for temporary resident visas (TRVs) for Palestinians who were in Gaza at the time and had immediate family members who were Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Under this policy, individuals who landed in Canada would also have access to settlement services upon arrival, including interim health coverage, language training, and employment support. This figure was later revised to 5,000 applications in May.

The immigration department also announced on October 16 that it would provide financial assistance to individuals arriving through these pathways, in addition to services it was already providing.

More than 4,000 people have already applied through IRCC’s temporary pathway, with 733 of them approved to come to Canada. As of October 5, 334 people have landed in Canada through this policy.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration