Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Temporary Resident Visas for Certain Extended Family (Crisis in Gaza) Remission Order: SI/2024-67

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 158, Number 26

Registration
SI/2024-67 December 18, 2024

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION ACT

P.C. 2024-1306 December 9, 2024

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, on the recommendation of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, makes the annexed Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Temporary Resident Visas for Certain Extended Family (Crisis in Gaza) Remission Order under subsection 23(2.1)footnote a of the Financial Administration Act footnote b.

Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Temporary Resident Visas for Certain Extended Family (Crisis in Gaza) Remission Order

Remission

1 (1) Remission is granted of the fees paid or payable under subsection 296(1) or 315.1(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations in respect of an application for a temporary resident visa referred to in subsection (2) to any person who meets the condition set out in that subsection (2).

Condition

(2) Remission is granted on the condition that, during the period beginning on January 9, 2024 and ending on April 22, 2025, the person has submitted an application for a temporary resident visa in accordance with either

Remission dates

2 The remission of fees referred to in subsection 1(1) is to be made on the following dates:

Coming into force

3 This Order comes into force on the day on which it is registered.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

The Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Treasury Board and of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, has made the Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Temporary Resident Visas for Certain Extended Family (Crisis in Gaza) Remission Order (Remission Order), pursuant to subsection 23(2.1) of the Financial Administration Act.

Objective

In accordance with the response to the crisis in Gaza, the objective is to support the Government of Canada’s approach to offering protection and support to foreign nationals affected by conflicts abroad by reimbursing fees for temporary resident visas (TRVs) and all associated biometrics fees paid by Palestinian nationals and their immediate family members.

Background

Since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the situation in Gaza continues to be volatile. As part of the Government of Canada’s response to the ongoing war and the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, on January 9, 2024, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration launched the Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Temporary Resident Visas for Certain Extended Family affected by the Crisis in Gaza, a temporary pathway for extended family members in Gaza of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The Updated Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Temporary Resident Visas for Certain Extended Family affected by the Crisis in Gaza, signed on April 22, 2024, increased the cap from 1,000 to 5,000 applications. The TRV facilitation in the public policy will expire once 5,000 TRV applications have been accepted into processing or one year after the updated public policy came into effect, whichever comes first.

Palestinians and their immediate family members impacted by the crisis in Gaza who apply to come to Canada as temporary residents under these temporary public policies are required to pay TRV application fees and biometric fees when submitting their applications. A Remission Order is required to reimburse:

  1. Applicants who applied and received a TRV under the public policies;
  2. Applicants who applied under the public policies and received a TRV following facilitation on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds; and
  3. Applicants who will apply under the public policies but will receive a TRV through the regular processing stream because the cap of 5,000 will have already been reached when their application was received.

Implications

Financial implications

The Remission Order will remit fees paid under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations for temporary resident visa fees, and service fees paid for the collection of biometric information.

To be eligible for the remittance of fees, individuals must have applied for a TRV under the public policy or updated public policy between January 9, 2024, and April 22, 2025.

The Order will remit fees in two stages:

The total cost of foregone revenues of the Remission Order is up to $1,295,000, including $991,785 in actual foregone revenue and up to $303,215 in forecasted foregone revenue.

Table 1: Fees to be remitted on coming into force of the Remission Order
Type of applicant Service Fee Volume Foregone Revenue
Actual Forecasted Actual Forecasted
Applicants who paid fees before the coming into force of the Remission Order Temporary Resident Visa $100 5,361 0 $536,100 0
Service fees in relation to the collection of biometric information $ 85 5,361 0 $455,685 0
Expected number of applicants who will pay the fees before the coming into force of the Remission Order Temporary Resident Visa $100 0 450 0 $45,000
Service fees in relation to the collection of biometric information $ 85 0 450 0 $38,250
Totals $991,785 $83,250
Table 2: Fees that will be remitted on April 23, 2025
Type of applicant Service Provided Fee Forecasted Volume Forecasted Foregone Revenue
Expected number of applicants who will pay the fees after the day the Remission Order comes into force up to April 22, 2025. Temporary Resident Visa $100 1,189 $118,900
Service fees in relation to the collection of biometric information $ 85 1,189 $101,065
Total $219,965

Accountability implications

All remissions associated with the Remission Order will be reported in the annual IRCC Fees Reports and IRCC Public Accounts, as required.

Consultation

The Privy Council Office, Treasury Board Secretariat, Finance Canada, and Justice Canada were consulted on this proposal.

Contact

Karim Virani
Director General
International Crisis Response Policy Branch
International Affairs and Crisis Response Sector
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Email: Karim.Virani@cic.gc.ca