BREAKINGVIEWS) Canadian bushfire residents 'free' of passport/immigration documents - waiver of fees if they apply by the end of September, including passports, PR cards and student visas

With Canada's unprecedented large forest fires raging across the country, applications for documents related to immigration and consular work will be issued free of charge to those living in fire areas and directly affected.

In addition, those who have already applied for these documents will be reimbursed for the fee. Immigration Minister Sean Fraser announced on the 12th that special measures have been prepared for those who have to replace important documents or extend or restore their status in Canada due to forest fire damage. According to the report, the government will issue alternative documents free of charge to Canadians, permanent residents and temporary residents directly affected by forest fires.

This includes permanent residency cards, Canadian citizenship certificates, Canadian passports and other travel documents that have been lost, damaged, damaged or inaccessible due to forest fires. International students, temporary foreign workers and other visitors who have been directly affected by the forest fire and whose eligibility to stay expires by September 30, 2023 can also apply for, recover or extend their eligibility to stay in Canada for free.

As a result, temporary workers who are unable to work due to the closure of their workplace due to the fire can extend their stay and stay until the workplace opens again without any worries. In addition, international students will be able to extend their permission to study abroad and complete their studies without fines if their classes are delayed or canceled.

Those who have applied for an extension of their work permit will remain eligible for stay while the application is processed and may remain eligible for work under the existing work permit conditions.

The government will return fees paid when applying for passports, traveler's documents, citizenship and permanent residency (PR Card) between May 6 and June 9, 2023. However, fees incurred in recovering and extending these documents or applying for a visa, study permit, or working permit for temporary residence during this period will not be returned.

The conditions for returning these fees must first reside in the fire area during this period, and the timing of the fire varies from state to state, so the application period must also be checked on the immigration office website. For example, Alberta is from May 6 to June 9, BC is from May 11 to June 9, and Ontario is from May 26 to June 9. You can apply for a return on the immigration office website.

After June 9, various documents can be replaced or issued free of charge. First, passports must be valid for more than six months at the time of loss, damage, or damage, and the name, date of birth, and expiration date of the new passport are the same as existing passports. The fee is free, but you have to pay for your passport photo. If the PR card is issued within the last five years, you can apply for a free replacement, but in this case, you have to pay for the photo.

The government said the special measures were effective until September 30, 2023.


(Editor Youngmin Ahn)
Source: https://cndreams.com/news/news_read.php?code1=5&code2=0&code3=250&idx=31487&page=0