Does Canada have a temporary immigration program to help me?
Sometimes, the Government of Canada creates temporary immigration programs to help people in a specific country or region that's in crisis.
For example, the government has made programs for people place they are from countries that are:
- at war,
- dealing with violence and unrest, or
- dealing with a natural disaster like an earthquake or famine.
Canada also has a temporary program that lets refugees from any country resettle in Canada if they have the education, work experience, and language skills to work in certain jobs.
Every program has different rules about who can apply.
And each program offers something different. For example, some let people work, study, or visit Canada without paying applications fees. Others let people apply to live here permanently.
All these immigration programs:
- are temporary, and
- usually have limits on how many applicants they accept.
The government can change, extend, or cancel a program at any time. Check the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website for updates before you apply.
Get legal help
It's important to get legal help from an immigration lawyer if you want to apply for one of these programs. Immigration law is complicated. There are many different rules and time limits.
If you do not qualify for a temporary program, you may have other options. An immigration lawyer can explain all the options you have to come to Canada or stay in Canada.
Current programs
Canada has temporary immigration programs for:
Refugees from all countries: Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot
Haiti
Hong Kong
Iran
Israel
Lebanon
Palestine
Sudan
Ukraine
Yazidis and survivors of Daesh in Iraq
Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP)
| Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP)For refugees or displaced people outside Canada | This program is for any refugee outside Canada who has the education, work experience, and language skills to work in certain jobs in Canada.They can get travel visas for themselves and their family members and become permanent residents.There are other benefits too. For example, people applying may not have to pay some fees and they may get a loan to help with travel costs.There are different programs people can apply to under the EMPP. And each program has its own conditions.For example, there is a program for people who have a job offer in Canada and a program for people without one.For more information:
The deadline to apply is June 12, 2025. Some programs limit the number of applications they process each year. |
Haiti
| Haiti | Haitian nationals and passport holders in Canada with valid temporary status can apply without paying the fee for:
People can also apply if they're in Canada with a valid temporary status and they:
But they must be a family member of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident who also left Haiti. Some Haitians applied for Canadian permanent residence and were approved but cannot give Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) their passport or travel document due to the crisis in Haiti. For Haitians in that situation, IRCC may give them a travel document to come to Canada. These policies are in place until November 19, 2025. IRCC has guidelines on how they process applications under the special measures for people from Haiti. |
Hong Kong
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong residents who graduated from certain Canadian study programs or have specific Canadian work experience can get permanent residence for themselves and their family members. They must apply for permanent residence by August 31, 2026.And they may be able to get an open work permit while waiting for the decision on their permanent residence application. They can apply for work permits until May 2029.To apply under these programs, they need a valid passport issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or by the United Kingdom to a British National Overseas. |
Iran
| Iran | Iranians in Canada with valid temporary status who arrived in Canada on or before February 28, 2025 can get the following without paying the fee:
Apply by February 28, 2026. |
Israel
| Israel | Until July 31, 2025, there's a policy for the following people in Canada:
They can apply without paying the fee for:
There's temporary health coverage for those who came through assisted departures. |
Lebanon
| Lebanon | Until July 31, 2025, there's a special program for the following people if they're in Canada with valid status:
People who left Lebanon with the help of the Canadian government on or after September 29, 2024, are also eligible. These people may be able to apply for the following from within Canada without paying the fee:
The first-generation limit on citizenship might apply to you if
|
Palestine
| Palestine | There was a program to grant a temporary resident visa (TRV) to people in Gaza who are the extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stopped accepting new applications to the program on March 6, 2025.Gazans who came to Canada through this program can apply for a work or study permit in Canada. They may be eligible for 90 days of healthcare coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP).Their TRV is usually valid for up to 3 years.Watch this CLEO webinar to learn more about the special immigration measures for Gazans.Financial help
After arriving in Canada, Gazans can apply for a one-time payment of $3,000 for each adult and $1,500 for each child. This amount is not taxed. To be eligible they must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status and:
Immediate family members of this person are also eligible if they arrive in Canada by March 31, 2025. People are also eligible for this financial help if they were part of the Government of Canada assisted departures out of Gaza or the West Bank between November 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024. Palestinians in Canada Until July 31, 2025, there's also a policy for the following people in Canada:
They can apply without paying the fee for:
There's temporary health coverage for those who came through assisted departures. |
Sudan
| Sudan | Starting February 25, 2025, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is accepting 1,700 applications for permanent residence from people from Sudan. They can apply if they:
The extended family member must support the applicant and any family members that come with them for one year. They must also show enough income or funds to meet this financial requirement. The applicant's extended family member can now live anywhere in Canada including Quebec. But applicants cannot live in Quebec after they arrive in Canada. They can live anywhere else in Canada. Sponsoring refugees from Sudan Canada has a program allowing groups of 5 people and community groups to privately sponsor refugees outside Canada to become permanent residents. Usually, the refugee needs a Refugee Status Determination. This is a document from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or a foreign country that says the person is a refugee. Starting April 30, 2025, groups of 5 people and community groups can sponsor Sudanese nationals as refugees without a Refugee Status Determination document. This ends when IRCC accepts 160 applications for processing, or on December 31, 2025. Whichever comes first. Contact the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (SSP) for free legal help if you're interested in sponsoring a refugee. Sudanese nationals in Canada with valid temporary resident status and a valid Sudanese passport can apply without paying the fee for:
There's also a policy to help people in Canada who:
They can apply without paying the fee for:
They must have valid temporary resident status both when they apply and when IRCC decides their application. Canadian citizens and permanent residents in SudanCanadian citizens and permanent residents affected by the conflict in Sudan do not pay any fees to get travel documents, citizenship certificates, or permanent residence travel documents. People must apply by October 27, 2025. |
Ukraine
| Ukraine | People in Canada whose Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) application was approved before February 4, 2024, and arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, can apply for:
They can apply for these until March 31, 2026, and must pay the application fees. All Ukrainians and their family who are in Canada as temporary residents can access free settlement services until March 31, 2026. |
Yazidis and survivors of Daesh in Iraq
| Yazidis and survivors of Daesh in Iraq | Canada had a program to give permanent residence to family members of a previously resettled Yazidi person or survivor of Daesh who now lives in Canada as a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is not accepting new applications under this program. IRCC is processing applications already submitted and is contacting family members in Canada who have applied. IRCC will accept up to 400 applicants and their families. |
