Canada introduces special measures to help temporary residents impacted by natural disasters

Canada has introduced new temporary immigration measures for temporary residents – including international students, temporary foreign workers, and visitors – who are directly affected by domestic natural disasters within the country.

Natural disasters include wildfires, storms, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes.

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Under these new measures, impacted temporary residents will be able to

Replace their status documents; and
Apply to restore or extend their status in Canada.

Under this policy, eligible temporary residents will have up to six months from the date they were directly impacted* by the natural disaster to restore their temporary resident status (work or study permit). Normally, foreign nationals have 90 days to restore their temporary resident status after losing it. Under these new special measures, the government has approximately doubled the time required to apply.

The special measures took effect on April 1, 2026, and are expected to remain in place until November 30, 2028.

Temporary residents applying to extend their status before the expiry of their current work or study permit also continue to benefit from maintained status while their application is being processed. This allows them to keep working during that period.

Who is eligible?

In order to qualify for this measure, one must:

Have had a valid temporary resident status as a student, worker, or visitor on the date they were impacted by the disaster; and
Have been directly affected by the disaster in Canada between April 1, 2026, and November 30, 2028.

Those who held a temporary resident permit (TRP) and wish to extend their stay must apply for another TRP.

* IRCC has also established a definition for what constitutes being "directly affected" by a natural disaster under this policy, which temporary residents must fall under to be eligible.

How to apply

The steps to apply to restore status are similar for visitors, international students, and temporary foreign workers:

Apply to restore your status using the correct application for your category.
Apply online if possible; use paper only if you qualify to do so.
Include a signed attestation letter explaining when and how the natural disaster affected you, and include the code “NaturalDisaster2026.”
Provide proof you lived in or were staying in the affected area, where applicable, such as ID, a utility bill, or a hotel receipt.
Depending on status, submit supporting documents:
- For workers: employer details and proof that their workplace is not operating
- For students: DLI details and proof that their school is closed
Submit the application properly:
- Online: upload documents under “Client Information”
- Paper: write “NaturalDisaster2026” on the envelope and first page

Note that standard fees for restoration of status and related services still apply.

More detailed information on applying under this public policy can be found on IRCC's webpage.

You may qualify for urgent processing

Foreign nationals who would like to be considered for urgent processing can submit a request through IRCC's webform.

Under “What do you need to do?” they must choose “Request Priority Processing for my existing application.”
Under “Tell us about your situation” they must type “NaturalDisaster2026” and include why they need their application prioritized.
They must then complete all other required fields.

IRCC also announced relief for foreign emergency services personnel coming from visa-required countries to assist during a natural disaster. These workers will be exempt from regular application and biometric collection fees, a move the department says should speed up their travel to Canada and support faster emergency response efforts.

In 2025, approximately 1,595 foreign emergency services personnel (on both electronic travel authorizations and temporary resident visas) came to Canada to help fight wildfires.

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