Canada offers new avenues for foreign relatives of victims of flight catastrophes to obtain PR

Families of Canadians who perished in air tragedies in Ukraine and Ethiopia may be eligible for permanent residence.

Families of the Canadian victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 and Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 can now apply for permanent residency through a new programmer established by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

According to a government press release, the new permanent residency track is available to anyone who want to move to Canada to help family members who have lost a spouse, common-law partner, or parent.

The family member who is in Canada will have to give a statutory declaration to prove that other family members have close relationships to the surviving family member. Per family unit, a maximum of two members of the extended family are permitted.

A Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or foreigner who has been granted permanent residence must have been the victim of the air disasters.

Canadian nationals or permanent residents made up 85 of the victims on the Ukraine International Airlines plane and 22 of the victims in the Ethiopia Airlines tragedy.

This new approach builds on IRCC's May 2021 policy, which provided a route for family members of these aviation accident victims who were already in Canada to get permanent residence. The coverage expired on May 11, 2022. Family members who qualify can now apply even if they reside outside of Canada.

From August 3, 2022, until August 2, 2023, the public policy for families living outside of Canada is in force.
Eligibility requirements

You must be located outside of Canada to be eligible to apply. You and your family must not be barred from entering Canada.You must be related to a Canadian victim who perished on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 or Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, or to the victim's spouse or common-law partner.

A complete and signed statutory declaration (IMM 0171) from a living relative in Canada is required. Only two major applicants' families may sign statutory declarations on their behalf.

If you were listed on the applicant's application as a non-accompanying family member or if you are the applicant's child and were born after your parent obtained permanent residency, you may also be related to the person who received permanent residence under the Temporary public policy to facilitate permanent residence for in-Canada families of Canadian victims of recent air disasters.

The following are examples of eligible victim's relatives:

- Spouse or civil union partner
- child (of any age)
- grandparent, grandchild, and sibling (including half siblings)
- aunt or uncle (a sibling of their mother or father)
- niece or nephew (the child of their sibling)

Eligible relatives of a victims’ spouse or common-law partner include:

- child
- parent
- grandparent
- grandchild
- sibling (including half-siblings)
- aunt or uncle (the sibling of a victim’s parent)
- nephew or niece (the child of a victim’s sibling)

If your family members are eligible to apply for permanent residency in Canada, you can include them in your application. You must list your family members on your application even if they don't intend to immigrate to Canada. If not, you won't be able to sponsor them in the future.

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