CIMM - IRCC Special Measures: Flight PS752

Key Messages

• My Department put in place special measures to help family members of the victims of the recent Ukraine International Airlines tragedy in Iran. This includes Canadians, permanent residents and those holding temporary status in Canada.
• We are helping family members who need to:
  • Travel to Iran;
  • Obtain travel documents on an urgent basis;
  • Remain in Canada temporarily; or,
  • Travel to Canada for funerals or to handle personal affairs of victims.
• We are also expediting requests for visas and other required travel documents. While regular application screening still applies, we are able to issue visas to grieving families in a matter of hours instead of weeks.

Supplementary Messages

• Other needed travel and status documents, such as permanent resident cards and permits, are also being processed much quickly than they would under normal circumstances.
• IRCC is reducing costs for families by waiving fees for these travel documents.

Supporting Facts and Figures

Security Screening

• Individuals seeking assistance in these cases will still need to undergo security screening before coming into Canada.
• A visa is only issued when the decision maker is fully satisfied that each applicant does not pose any threat to the health, safety or security of Canada.

Definition of Family Members

• In this context, family members includes immediate family and other relatives and individuals considered to be like family, whether or not related by marriage, common-law partnership or any legal parent-child relationship.
• Visa officers will review every request received and make assessments of appropriate family ties on a case by case basis seeking further guidance as needed.

Canadian Passports

• Canadian passports issued under these special measures with the fees waived will be valid for one year, as the purpose is to accommodate immediate travel.
• However, clients can choose to get the 5- or 10-year passport at the regular cost, but the expedited services fees are waived.

Background

• On January 10, 2020, the Department put in place special measures to help family members of the victims of the recent Ukraine International Airlines tragedy flight PS752 in Iran. This includes Canadians, permanent residents and those holding temporary status in Canada.
• Assistance was provided to those who needed to travel to Iran, to those in urgent need of travel documents, and to those who were temporarily in Canada.
• Assistance was also provided to family members who needed to travel to Canada for funerals or to take care of the victims' personal belongings and who required a visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA) on an urgent basis.
• Special measures for affected family members included priority processing and fee waivers/reimbursements on applications for Canadian citizenship certificates, Canadian passports, permanent resident cards and travel documents, as well as electronic travel authorizations (eTA), temporary resident visas or extensions of temporary resident status that are received between January 10, 2020 and June 30, 2020.
• The Department continues to support the family members of those affected by Flight PS752 on a priority basis and has a dedicated email account and telephone number to address inquiries
• Guidelines for officers and web notice:
  • On February 7, 2020, the Department issued an Operational Bulletin with instructions on how to expedite urgent travel for the family members of the victims of the crash while keeping program integrity.
• Thus far, the Department has processed a little over 215 applications under these special measures.
• A web notice outlining specific measures was posted on the Department’s website on January 16, 2020. To date, there have been 35,238 (up from 34,501) visits to the English version of the notice and 3,052 (up from 3,033) to the French.