Canada to make it easier for Iranians on temporary visas to extend their stay

Effective March 1, 2023, the Government of Canada is offering new immigration measures to support Iranians.

The Canadian government announced it will:

Make it easier for those in Canada on a temporary work, study, or visitor visa to apply for an extension from inside Canada.

Process applications from Iranians living in Canada on a priority basis.

Introduce a new open work permit pathway for Iranians already living here. Open work permits allow foreign nationals to work in any occupation and for any employer of their choice.

Waive certain processing fees for Iranians who wish to extend their stay in Canada.

Waive passport and permanent resident travel document fees for Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents currently in Iran who wish to leave.

Get a Free Legal Consultation on Extending Your Temporary Stay in Canada

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will announce more details on its website on March 1.

These measures were announced in Vancouver today by Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada's Natural Resources Minister on behalf of Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

The Canadian government noted in its press release that it is "closely monitoring the ongoing needs of Iranians and will adapt our response as needed."

Iran is a top ten source country for newcomers to Canada

The latest data from IRCC shows that Iran was the eighth leading source country for immigrants landing in Canada in 2022. In total, 11,105 Iranians became new permanent residents last year.

Iranian nationals are also the sixth top source country for study permit holders in Canada. There were 21,115 Iranian students in Canada as of December 31, 2022.

The 2021 census shows that there are 200,000 people in Canada of Iranian origin.

About 68 per cent of Canada's Iranian population resides in Toronto and Vancouver.

Get a Free Legal Consultation on Extending Your Temporary Stay in Canada