After the tragic explosion in Beirut Canada is offering special immigration for those that were affected. The Minister of Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that indicates the efforts to assist those who were affected by the explosion in Beirut.
Canada’s Assistance for Lebanese Canadians and Their Families
There are several measures that Canada intends to take that will help those affected by the Beirut tragedy.
- Consular Services to be addressed quickly
“The Government of Canada’s first priority is ensuring that affected Canadians and their families have the consular assistance and other support they need to navigate this difficult time. Canada is setting up a task force on Lebanon to support the delivery of consular services, and to ensure that questions related to immigration can be quickly addressed.”
- Lebanese Citizens in Canada on temporary basis can extend their stay
“Lebanese citizens in Canada on a temporary basis are also able to extend their stay in Canada if they are unable to return home because of the explosion. Canada will waive the cost of documents related to renewing their status for them as well as for Canadians and permanent residents in Lebanon who need to come home.”
- Funding $30 million in Humanitarian and Development assistance for Lebanese
“These commitments are further to a pledge of up to $30 million in humanitarian and development assistance for the people of Lebanon. This funding will help trusted partners like the Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition to address immediate humanitarian needs and support early recovery efforts.”
- Canadians and permanent residents in Lebanon have the right to return to Canada, subject to public health measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- There is also an immediate family exemption at the border for foreign nationals who are related to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, subject to having a valid temporary resident visa, the 2-week mandatory quarantine, and a visit that is not less than 15 days.
- International students from Lebanon are able to travel to Canada provided they had a valid study permit issued before March 18, 2020.
- Canada’s partners at the United Nations Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration have recently started to resume refugee resettlement operations, and we will continue to prioritize and resettle the most urgent cases.
- IRCC’s ability to process applications is limited by the global pandemic, but we are focused on prioritizing applications for Canadians and permanent residents returning to the country, vulnerable groups, and people who perform essential services.
More information on Immigrating to Canada from Lebanon
VisaPlace Immigration News Contributor
Ella Bergquist
Hello! I am one of VisaPlace's many immigration news contributors. Comment below if you have any questions or comments about this article.
