Local North Vancouver MP and federal minister Jonathan Wilkinson announced new measures to support Iranian temporary residents in Canada. He announced these measures on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, and they will be effective on March 1.
These measures will make it easier for Iranians who wish to extend their temporary status in Canada and move between temporary streams, allowing Iranians to continue studying, working, or visiting family by applying for a new permit from inside Canada.
An open work permit pathway will be made available for Iranians already in Canada as well. Applications from Iranians in Canada will also be processed on a priority basis. “During this time of great uncertainty for the Iranian people, Canada remains committed to fighting for the cherished values of freedom and democracy around the world. With these new measures, we hope to ease the hardship faced by members of the Iranian-Canadian community by giving them a safe place to live and work,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources.
The Government of Canada is also waiving certain processing fees for Iranians who wish to extend their stay in Canada, and will also waive passport and permanent resident travel document fees for Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents in Iran who wish to leave.
Canada continues to explore changes to other programs, like the Human Rights Defenders stream, one of the few programs in the world with a dedicated, permanent immigration program for those who protect and promote human rights. We are closely monitoring the ongoing needs of Iranians and will adapt our response as needed. These measures build on previous actions against the Iranian regime’s flagrant suppression of Iranian people’s freedoms and human rights.
“Canada will not stand idly by in the face of these aggressions as the Iranian regime continues its ongoing human rights violations. Our government is continuing to stand up for the people of Iran by making it easier for Iranians who wish to extend their stay here in Canada to be with their families, and allowing them to continue to work and study in safety. We will continue to work closely with the Iranian-Canadian community in its resolve to shed light on the repressive actions of the Iranian regime,” said Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
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