Special Immigration Program for Afghan Families who Assisted the Government of Canada

Canada has recently introduced new special measure programs for Afghan nationals, which will support the objective increasing the eligible refugees to 40,000.

We will be talking about the special measure for Afghan nationals and their families, who have assisted the Government of Canada, in Afghanistan.

The other measures are discussed in the links below:

• Special humanitarian program to resettle Afghan nationals
• Special measures to prioritize applications of eligible immediate family members of Afghans currently in Canada

The special immigration program for Afghan nationals, and their families, who assisted the Government of Canada does not require applicants to be in Canada, or in Afghanistan, nor requires them to go back to Afghanistan to be eligible to have their applications processed.

Am I eligible for this program?

To be eligible for this special program you must meet all the requirements below:

• you’re an Afghan national and your employment involved a significant and/or enduring relationship with the Government of Canada. This could be, but is not limited to
• interpreters who worked with the Canadian Armed Forces
• local staff who currently or used to work at the Embassy of Canada to Afghanistan
• you or your eligible family members were in Afghanistan on or after July 22, 2021 (the date this special program started)
• you’re not inadmissible to Canada

Remember, you don’t need to be in Afghanistan to apply for this program. You can still apply if you or your family has left Afghanistan on or after July 22, 2021, and you and/or your family don’t need to return to Afghanistan to complete your application, or to provide biometrics or to get a medical exam done as part of your application.

Who are eligible as my family members?

For this special program, only the following are considered as family members:

• a spouse or common-law partner
• a dependent child who is
• under 22 years of age and
• not married or in a common-law relationship
• a dependent child of a dependent child (a grandchild) who is
• under 22 years of age and
• not married or in a common-law relationship

De facto dependants will also be eligible under this special program. A de facto dependant is someone who

• depends on a specific family for emotional or financial reasons (or both)
• may live with the family as a member of their household

I meet the eligibility, what do I do next?

If you and your family members meet the eligibility for this special program, visit the IRCC’s dedicated page and follow the steps below.

Step 1

From the first drop-down menu, choose “Situation in Afghanistan.”

From the second drop-down menu, choose “Ask about the special immigration measures for Afghans who helped the Government of Canada.”

Click “Continue” to move forward.

Step 2

Depending on your situation, you should respond to these two questions.

Which of the following applies to you?

• I’m an Afghan national who worked with the Canadian Armed Forces.
• I’m an Afghan national whose employment involved a significant or enduring relationship with the Government of Canada.
• I’m an Afghan interpreter who worked with the Canadian Armed Forces and was resettled to Canada under either the special immigration program (in 2009 or 2012) AND I want to support a member of my extended family in Afghanistan, or in a precarious situation elsewhere.

If you are:

• the principal applicant
• an authorized representative of the applicant
• writing on behalf of the principal applicant

If you are an authorized representative or completing this form on behalf of the principal applicant, you will need to provide additional information about yourself and fill out additional forms to confirm your authorization to act on behalf of the principal applicant.

In this example, we’re choosing the option in bold and italics above.

Click “Continue” to move forward.

Step 3

We’ll assume you currently live in the United Arab Emirates.

Step 4

Fill out this section with your personal information as the principal applicant.

Step 5

If you have previously submitted any application, please provide the following information:

Step 6

This section asks about supporting documents or information about any family members of the principal applicant and their current situation.

In addition, you are required to provide supporting information regarding your engagement with the Canadian government, your or your family’s current situation in Afghanistan. Only upload copies of your passports and documents that show you worked with the Government of Canada (if you have them). You don’t need to send any other documents or photos until you are asked to provide them.

Click on “Review Your Account” once you are ready to submit.

What’s next?

The IRCC will review your request to make sure you’re eligible and contact you if they need anything else.

To know more about the special programs and measures put in place by the government of Canada for Afghan nationals and refugees, visit our blog.

Need to discuss or have us work on your application? We’re here for you.