Fee Paid or Payable for the Acquisition of Permanent Resident Status (Certain Afghan Nationals) Remission Order: SI/2025-124

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 26

Registration
SI/2025-124 December 17, 2025

FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION ACT

Fee Paid or Payable for the Acquisition of Permanent Resident Status (Certain Afghan Nationals) Remission Order

P.C. 2025-906 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 and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, under subsection 23(2.1)footnote a of the Financial Administration Actfootnote b, remits the fee paid or payable for the acquisition of permanent resident status under subsection 303(1)footnote c of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulationsfootnote d to certain Afghan nationals whose application for permanent residency was approved under a temporary public policy issued under section 25.2footnote e of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Actfootnote f and signed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on June 28, 2023.

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 and the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, pursuant to subsection 23(2.1) of the Financial Administration Act, has made the Fee Paid or Payable for the Acquisition of Permanent Resident Status (Certain Afghan Nationals) Remission Order (the Remission Order).

Objective

The objective of the Remission Order is to remit the fee for the acquisition of permanent resident status (the right of permanent residence fee) that was not collected for certain Afghan nationals whose application for permanent residency was approved under a temporary public policy issued under section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and signed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on June 28, 2023.

Background

The Government of Canada deemed it was in the public interest to relocate Afghan nationals and their families at risk of being targeted by the Taliban following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. As part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to welcome at least 40 000 vulnerable Afghans to Canada by the end of 2023, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration introduced numerous special measures and programs to assist at risk Afghans.

As part of these measures, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) did not collect the right of permanent residence fee from Afghan nationals approved for permanent residence under the temporary public policy signed by the Minister on June 28, 2023. Although not collecting the right of permanent residence fee was consistent with other similar measures put in place for Afghan nationals, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration does not have the legal authority to remit this fee in emergency or crisis situations, and the fee was still legally payable under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. An Order in Council is needed to allow for the remission of these fees.

Implications

The remission of fees incurred from not collecting the right of permanent residence fee for eligible Afghan nationals whose application was approved under the temporary public policy on or after June 28, 2023, results in foregone revenues to the Government of Canada, as these fees were not collected. The total cost of foregone revenue from remitting fees is $38,525.

Uncollected right of permanent residence fee for Afghan nationals approved for permanent residence under the temporary public policy signed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration on June 28, 2023.
Fee waived / Service provided Fee Volume Foregone revenue
Right of permanent residence fee $575 67 $38,525

Accountability implications

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

Consultation

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

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