Who can apply

There are 2 groups who may be eligible to apply for a temporary resident visa (TRV) under these special measures.

Group 1 – Extended family of the Canadian citizen or permanent resident

To be eligible under group 1, you must

• have a passport or travel document issued by the Palestinian Authority
• be in the Gaza Strip on the day your application is submitted
• have an eligible anchor
• be the anchor’s
  • spouse or common-law partner
  • child (of any age)
  • grandchild
  • parent
  • grandparent
  • sibling (half-siblings and adopted siblings included)
• not be inadmissible to Canada for reasons other than financial ones

Group 2 – Family members of the person described in group 1

To be eligible under group 2, you must

• be the family member of somebody described in group 1
  • Per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, family member is defined as a
    • spouse or common-law partner
    • dependent child (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
    • dependent child of a dependent child
• not be inadmissible to Canada for reasons other than financial ones

Medical exam requirements

You must have an immigration medical exam (IME) done if

• you’ve been in any of these designated countries or territories for 6 months in a row or longer and
• you were there within the year before you enter Canada

The same applies to the family members who are coming with you to Canada.

If you need to get an IME, it can be done outside of Gaza.

Find out more about getting an IME..

Who can be an anchor

The anchor must

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• be 18 years of age or older
• be related to the person described under group 1
• live or intend to live in Canada
• be willing to support you and your family members for 1 year to help you settle and integrate in Canada

The anchor must not

• accept payment from you or your family members in exchange for being your anchor
• be receiving social assistance for a reason other than disability
• have an ongoing bankruptcy
• be in default of any sponsorship undertaking, support payment obligation or debt owed to the Government of Canada
• be convicted of a serious crime
• be in jail or prison
• be subject to a removal order in Canada

An eligible Canadian citizen or permanent resident can be the anchor for more than one person described in group 1, as long as they agree to support that person and the eligible family members who come with them through these measures.

What an anchor does

To confirm they intend to support you and your family members, the anchor must complete the statutory declaration form (IMM 5992) (PDF, 1.77 MB) stating they intend to:

• meet you at the airport and get you to where you’re staying
• help you find temporary and permanent housing
• make sure you have food, clothes and other basic needs
• introduce you to life in Canada (for example, public transportation, banking, shopping, rights and responsibilities)
• help you:
  • interpret information
  • open a bank account
  • enrol in provincial and federal programs and benefits (for example, Social Insurance Number, public health insurance)
  • find a family doctor, dentist, eye care and arrange any other medical needs
  • enrol children in school, child care
  • enrol adults in language training
  • access support services to find a job

If you have an existing TRV application in progress  Updated January 13, 2024

If you and your anchor meet the eligibility requirements above, you can ask us to process your existing TRV application under these special measures. Follow the instructions on how to apply for your situation.