Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Haiti) Remission Order: SI/2025-120

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 26

Registration
SI/2025-120 December 17, 2025

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION ACT

P.C. 2025-902 December 5, 2025

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, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, makes the annexed Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Haiti) Remission Order under subsection 23(2.1)footnote a of the Financial Administration Act footnote b.

Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Haiti) Remission Order

Definition of document

1 In this Order, document means any of the following:

Remission

2 Remission is granted to any person who meets the conditions set out in section 3 of the fees paid or payable set out in any of the following provisions, in respect of a document or the provision of services:

Conditions

3 (1) Remission of the fees referred to in paragraphs 2(a) to (d) is granted on condition that

Foreign nationals

(2) Remission of the fees referred to in paragraph 2(e) is granted on condition that the application for a document or provision of services was submitted to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration by a foreign national who is the family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and who left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024 and arrived in Canada on or before April 26, 2024.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

The Governor in Council, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, on the recommendation of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, pursuant to subsection 23(2.1) of the Financial Administration Act, has made the Certain Fees in Respect of the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Haiti) Remission Order (the Remission Order).

Objectives

The objectives of the Remission Order are to

Background

As part of the Government of Canada’s response to the deteriorating security situation in Haiti, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration implemented special measures for affected Haitian nationals, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not collect fees from Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada associated with travel documents and citizenship certificates to help facilitate their exit from Haiti on an urgent basis. These measures were determined to be in the public interest given that the costs associated with obtaining these documents would have imposed an additional burden on affected individuals trying to leave as a result of the deteriorating security situation in the country, particularly for those seeking to reunite with family in Canada. The Minister of Foreign Affairs also did not collect the Consular Services Fee payable on all Canadian adult travel documents.

These fees were not collected for Canadians and permanent residents of Canada in Haiti, who applied for documents between March 1, 2024, and September 1, 2024, to travel on an urgent basis as a result of the deteriorating security situation in Haiti.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs do not have the legal authority to remit fees for Canadians and permanent residents of Canada in emergency or crisis situations, and the fees were required to be paid under the relevant regulations. An Order in Council is needed to allow for the remission of these fees.

Temporary resident applicants

On May 1, 2024, after assisted departure flights from Haiti had concluded, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration directed that application fees for overseas temporary resident visas, temporary resident permits, and associated biometrics fees be waived retroactive to March 1, 2024. Eligibility was restricted to foreign national family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who left Haiti on or after March 1, 2024, and arrived in Canada on or before April 26, 2024 — the dates that assisted departure took place. Fee waivers cannot be implemented retroactively by public policy. Consequently, a remission order is required in order to reimburse eligible clients.

Implications

The remission of fees incurred because of the implementation of special measures for those affected by the deteriorating security situation in Haiti results in foregone revenues to the Government of Canada, as these fees either will not be collected or have been collected and will be reimbursed to eligible clients who submit a refund request.

The total foregone revenues from remitting these fees is up to $40,605.

Table 1: Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada — Uncollected fees payable for the issuance of identity and travel documents
Fee waived /Service provided  Fee Volume Foregone revenue
Proof of citizenship $75 272 $20,400
Temporary Passport $110 58 $6,380
Consular services fee $25 13 $325
TOTAL N/A N/A $27,105

The Remission Order also provides for the remission of fees for emergency travel documents, passport administrative services, including passport or other travel document replacement and passport pick-up service, but to date, no requests for remission of these fees have been received. Given that the measures have expired, additional requests are not anticipated.

Table 2: Temporary resident applicants — Reimbursements for fees paid for the issuance of identity and travel documents
Fee waived /Service provided  Fee Volume Foregone revenue
Temporary resident visa $100 135 $13,500
TOTAL N/A N/A $13,500

The Remission Order also provides for the remission of fees for the collection of biometric information and for temporary resident permits, but to date, no requests for remission of these fees have been received. Given that the measures have expired, additional requests are not anticipated.

Accountability implications

All remissions associated with the Remission Order will be reported in the annual Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and IRCC Fees Reports and in GAC and IRCC Public Accounts.

Contact

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