Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announces support for Moroccan temporary residents

Ottawa, October 26, 2023—As part of Canada’s response to the situation in Morocco, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has been processing temporary and permanent residence applications received on or before September 8, 2023, from people affected by the devastating earthquake on a priority basis. This includes visitor visa applications for immediate family members of Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents, as well as existing applications for refugee resettlement. Now, we are also taking steps to make it easier for Moroccan nationals already in Canada to extend their stay.

Effective October 19, 2023, Moroccan nationals in Canada can continue to study, work or visit family by applying for an extension of their temporary status free of charge. These special measures are available to those eligible who were in Canada as of September 8, when the earthquake occurred. These measures will make it easier for Moroccan nationals to extend their temporary status in Canada or move between temporary streams.

Recognizing that some people may have lost their travel documents as a result of the earthquake, IRCC will waive the requirement to hold a passport or travel document to be approved for a permanent resident visa to come to Canada. We are also making it easier for Canadian citizens and permanent residents from Morocco to return to Canada by waiving fees for temporary passports, limited-validity passports and emergency travel documents, as well as Canadian citizenship certificates and permanent resident travel documents.

These measures will be in effect from October 19, 2023 to March 12, 2024. More information about how to apply for them will be available on IRCC’s website in the coming days.