Tag: Afghanistan

Prioritizing Applications of Eligible Immediate Family Members joining Afghans currently in Canada

Author: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC Date: 2021/11/10

Due to the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, the government of Canada is actively prioritizing permanent resident applications for Afghans in Canada and abroad.

What does this mean for me?

This means that Canada is prioritizing certain types of applications for Afghan nationals, as a special measure under this initiative and will review and process applications as quickly as possible.

What are the requirements for priority processing?

Your application must be one of the following, and meet specific requirements be prioritized.

Sponsoring a family member (family reunification)

Priority will be given to your application if

you’re a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act
the family member you’re sponsoring is
- an Afghan national outside Canada and
- one of the following family members:
  - your spouse or partner
  - your dependent children (including adopted children)
  - orphaned relatives under the age of 18

You can apply to sponsor other Afghan family members, but your application won’t be prioritized.

Follow the steps to sponsor

your spouse, partner or dependent child (including adopted children)
orphaned relatives under the age of 18

Applying for permanent residence in Canada

Permanent residence as a protected person in Canada

To have your application prioritized, you must meet all the following requirements:

you’re an Afghan national
you’re submitting a protected persons application for permanent residence in Canada and
your application includes dependent Afghan family members overseas

Dependent family members in this situation include

your spouse or partner
your dependent children

Permanent residence for dependants of resettled Afghan refugees

To have your application prioritized, the following requirements must be met:

you’re the spouse, partner or dependent child of an Afghan refugee who has already been resettled in Canada (this person is the principal applicant on the original application to resettle in Canada)
the principal applicant declared you as a dependant on their resettlement application
you’re currently outside Canada and
you’re applying for permanent residence within a year of the principal applicant arriving in Canada

Temporary residence in Canada

New applications for temporary residence will be prioritized as long as they meet the following requirements:

you’re an Afghan national
you’re outside Canada
you’re an eligible family member of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or person registered under the Indian Act and
you’re applying for temporary residence in Canada as a temporary worker, student or visitor

Eligible family members in this situation include:

spouses and partners
dependent children (including adopted children)
orphaned relatives under the age of 18

After you apply under any of the above, visit the IRCC’s priority application processing page. To know more about how to provide additional information on this page, please visit our recent post on special measures for Afghan nationals and family members.

Additional benefits

In addition to prioritizing applications, the government is also waiving fees and a few other requirements on certain types of applications.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents

If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and currently in Afghanistan or another country on your way to Canada, the government of Canada will waive fees for:

1-year passports
urgent travel documents
permanent resident travel documents
proof of Canadian citizenship

Afghan nationals who are immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents

You must:

be an Afghan national and
be an eligible immediate family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and
be travelling to Canada with a family member who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and
currently be in Afghanistan or another country on your way to Canada

If you meet the above requirements, the government will waive:

your temporary resident permit application and biometrics fees and
the requirement to have a valid passport or travel document

Afghan nationals abroad who are approved for permanent residence in Canada

Your biometrics fees will be waived, and the requirement to have a valid passport or travel document, if

you’re an Afghan national
you have a valid confirmation of permanent residence to come to Canada
you don’t have (and can’t get) a valid passport or travel document
you’re outside of Canada when we approve your permanent resident visa

Afghan nationals in Canada as temporary workers, students or visitors

Your application fees will be waived if you’re an Afghan national who is

currently in Canada as a temporary resident (even if your temporary resident status has expired) and
applying to do any of the following:
- extend your temporary resident status (as a temporary worker, student or visitor)
- renew your work or study permit (if applicable)
- restore your temporary resident status, if you lost it (you also won’t be required to restore your status within 90 days of it expiring)
- get a new temporary resident permit because your current one is expiring

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.

To speak with us about pathways that may be best suited for you, reach out to us today.

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Tags: Afghanistan, citizenship, family class, permanent residence, refugees, study permit, Visitor Status, Work Permit

Humanitarian Program for Afghan Nationals in Need of Resettlement

Author: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC Date: 2021/11/10

As part of the special measures for Afghan refugees, the Government of Canada has announced a special humanitarian program to resettle vulnerable Afghan nationals outside of Afghanistan.

Am I eligible for this program?

To be eligible for this program you must meet all these requirements:

you’re an Afghan national
you’re outside of Afghanistan
you don’t have a durable solution in a third country and
you’re part of one of the following groups:
- women leaders
- human rights advocates
- persecuted religious or ethnic minorities
- LGBTI individuals
- journalists and those who helped Canadian journalists.

I think I’m eligible, what do I need to do?

You should register for refugee status with either the

United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), or
government of the country in which you now live.

To resettle in Canada as either a government-assisted refugee or a privately sponsored refugee, you need to be:

referred by one of the following
- the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
- the government of the country in which you now live
- one of the other organizations we’re working with for this program
identified by a private sponsor

We’re also prioritizing applications of eligible immediate family members joining Afghans currently in Canada.

A special immigration program for Afghan nationals, and their families, who assisted the Government of Canada is also in place.

Is there any other way to apply?

The Government of Canada is working with international and Canadian partners to implement this new humanitarian program. You cannot apply to this program directly.

These special measures enable Afghan refugees to be settled on two ways.

Government assisted refugees

Under the government-assisted refugees program, the government will resettle Afghan nationals to Canada and provide support for up to one year after arrival.

To meet this requirement, you must be referred by one of the following referral partners:

United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
- Find out about the UNHCR’s process to resettle refugees.
Front Line Defenders (human rights defenders only)
ProtectDefenders.eu (human rights defenders only)

Privately sponsored refugees

You can also resettle to Canada if a group sponsors you as a refugee. Sponsors could be either

a sponsorship agreement holder (an organization that helps support refugees when they resettle in Canada), or
an organization, or group of 5 or more people, in Canada, that has volunteered to sponsor referred refugees.

Sponsor groups would support you for the sponsorship period, which is usually up to 1 year. Their support includes

start-up costs, like furniture and clothing,
ongoing monthly costs for necessities like housing, food, and public transportation,
social and emotional support.

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 help with your application? We’re here for you.

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Tags: Afghanistan, humanitarian, refugees, resettlement

Afghan and Nicaraguan Nationals Exempt from 12-month Bar on Applying for PRRA – IRCC Policy Update

Author: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC Date: 2021/10/20

Afghan Nationals Exempt from 12-month Bar on Applying for PRRA

The IRCC has issued a new policy in line with the government’s objective to expedite and assist Afghan and NIcaraguan nationals to immigrate and settle in Canada. This policy focuses on refugee applications who have received a decision from the Immigration Refugee Board (IRB) or the PRRA officer. Such applicants are now exempt from the 12-month bar to apply for the PRRA based on their IRB or previous PRRA decision.

The decision from the Immigration Refugee Board (IRB) or the PRRA officer should be:

For Afghan Nationals – between October 19th, 2020, and October 18th, 2021, (inclusive)
For Nicaraguan Nationals – between October 30th, 2020, and October 29th, 2021, (inclusive)

Decisions made after the abovementioned dates are subject to the 12-month bar.

What is a PRRA?

A Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) is available to refugee applicants who have received a negative decision from the IRB and are subject to removal from Canada and have been given a notification that they are entitled to a PRRA hearing. Not all applicants would be entitled for a PRRA.

The PRRA is a means to ensure that the refugee applicant is not being removed to a country where they:

would be in danger of torture,
would be at risk of persecution, or
may be at a risk to their life or of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment, should they be removed to another country, including their country of origin.

Who can apply for a PRRA?

Refugee claimants who are not already determined as protected person or people who are recognized as a Convention refugee by another country to which they may be returned, may apply for a PRRA if they are subject to a removal order which is in force, or are named on a security certificate.

What is a security certificate?

A security certificate is issued to remove someone from Canada, if that person is found to be inadmissible for reasons of national security, violating human or international rights, or involvement in organized or serious crimes. It is important to note that only permanent residents or foreign nationals can be subject to a security certificate. The certificate is signed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Minister of Public Safety.

What happens when I receive a PRRA notification?

The removal order issued as a result of the negative decision of the IRB becomes subject to a stay order, pending a decision from the PRRA officer. However, this does not apply to subsequent PRRA notifications, which this policy addresses.

It is important to note that those who have been previously issued a PRRA notification, will not be issued another notification, and can submit their subsequent PRRA following their previous negative decision, subject to the decision of the PRRA officer. Similarly, PRRA applications submitted at Ports of Entry (POE) also do not require a notification to submit their PRRA.

What information can be included in the PRRA application?

This would be any new information that has come to light that was previously not available at the time of the IRB decision; or was not reasonably available or that the applicant could not reasonably have been expected in the circumstances to have presented to the IRB at the time of the rejection of the claim.

How soon should the PRRA be submitted?

The applicant must complete and submit the PRRA to the PRRA officer within 15 days of receiving it, plus another 15 days to submit all evidence to support their PRRA.

Have more questions?

Reach out to our team today.
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Tags: Afghan, Afghanistan, PRRA, refugees, removal