Application for a permanent resident visa under the updated temporary public policy for extended families of former Afghan interpreters – Approval and post-approval

On this page

• Pre-departure services
• Final decision and issuing documents
• Travel to Canada
• Support for settlement in Canada
• Non-accompanying family members

Pre-departure services

Applicants under this public policy are not considered refugees; however, they have been provided with special authorization to access the same pre-departure services as government-assisted and privately-sponsored refugees.

The suite of services, which is delivered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) provides direct supports to clients to assist them with the overseas process (e.g., transportation to/from interview, interpreters during interview, transportation to/from immigration medical exam, etc.).

The processing office should contact IOM when pre-departure services are required for an applicant under this public policy. These clients would also be eligible for Pre-Departure Medical Services under the IFHP, where available.

Final decision and issuing documents

The permanent residence application may be approved for principal applicants and accompanying family members once all eligibility and admissibility requirements are met. The processing office will:

• ensure that the principal applicant and their family members are still admissible, including by ensuring that medical results and background checks that brought the officer to conclude that they were admissible are still valid;
• enter a final decision of “approved” in the Global Case Management System (GCMS);
• issue an approval letter with next steps;
• generate the counterfoil and Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) document for the applicant and all accompanying family members;
• issue a single journey travel document (SJTD-MI) if the applicant does not have a valid passport to travel to Canada.

Fee exemption codes are not required in GCMS. As these applications are created and being processed under the REF-OVS application category, these fees are not required in GCMS.

Travel to Canada

Immigration Loan Program (ILP)

All individuals applying for permanent residence are eligible to apply for immigration loans through the ILP.

The ILP will provide eligible applicants with access to funding through loans used to cover a number of expenses, including travel to Canada.

When officers are facilitating the issuance of loans for applicants under this program, they are encouraged to assess similarly to the assessment for refugees, based on their similar financial situation.

Travel arrangements to Canada

Processing offices should use the services offered by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) if the applicant requires assistance with making travel arrangements. Transportation loan forms should be signed by these applicants.

Support for settlement in Canada

Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP)

Eligible applicants under this public policy will have access to IFHP coverage. This includes in-Canada basic health care benefits (for example, hospital and physician services) until they qualify under their provincial or territorial health insurance program, as well as up to one year of coverage for extended health care benefits (for example, dental services, vision care, and mental health counselling) and prescription medication.

In-Canada IFHP coverage and certificates are automatically created in GCMS upon completion of the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) process and issued at the POE by CBSA officers.

Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) income support

Applicants admitted under this public policy are eligible for partial RAP income support. This will be a lump sum payment equivalent to 3 months of RAP income support, intended to assist individuals with covering the costs for food and other basic needs for the first 3 months in Canada.

SN will be responsible for contacting the point of contact designated as the former LCA based on the email address included on the NAT, in order to make arrangements to distribute the RAP income support lump sum payment to clients by direct deposit.

Non-accompanying family members

The one-year window provision [as per section 141 of the Regulations] does not apply to non-accompanying family members of the principal applicant under this public policy.

Once the principal applicant is a permanent resident they may apply to sponsor their family members under the family class, should they be eligible. As IRCC provided an exemption from the requirement to be medically examined for the non-accompanying family members, these cases will not be subject to paragraph R117(9)(d), as per subsection R117(10) and subject to subsection R117(11).