A group of Canadian families of Palestinian origin have taken the Canadian government to court against delays in a temporary special visa scheme set up for their relatives stranded in Gaza. Canada launched the Temporary Resident Pathway for Palestinian Extended Family in Gaza on January 9, 2024, a few months after Israel’s military offensive in Gaza intensified.
The special visa aimed to provide a lifeline for Gazans with Canadian relatives, offering them temporary residency for up to 36 months amid the war. Designed for extended family members such as parents, siblings, children or grandchildren of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, the programme required Canadian sponsors to submit an online form with documentation to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Once reviewed, IRCC would issue unique reference codes to applicants in Gaza, allowing them to proceed with formal visa applications.
Initially limited to a thousand applications, the programme was expanded to 5,000 slots as it turned out to be hugely popular. Canadian authorities kept a cutoff date of April 22, 2025, or when all spots were filled. By January 28, 2025, IRCC had accepted 4,873 applications, almost hitting the target. However, not all applicants have benefited equally. Eleven families—representing 53 individuals, including 27 babies and children—submitted their applications within a month of the programme’s launch in January 2024, yet more than a year later, none of them have received their reference codes. They have also received no rejections for incomplete submissions or explanations for the delays, leaving them frustrated.
These families have filed a lawsuit on February 6 in the Federal Court of Canada. The suit alleges that inefficiencies in the visa programme have prolonged their relatives’ exposure to “life-threatening and inhumane conditions” in Gaza. Affidavits reveal the applicants have endured airstrikes and bombings, often without warning, as the enclave became increasingly unliveable. Half of the group are children, heightening the stakes.
The lawsuit does not demand immediate visas or exit assistance from Gaza, which are beyond Canada’s control. Instead, it seeks a court order to compel IRCC to issue the reference codes, a basic step the families argue has been unjustly withheld for over a year.
Right from the beginning, families and lawyers have criticised the programme’s confusing and convoluted process, including invasive questions about scars or medical history that exceed usual requirements. They also noted the inconsistent nature in processing the applications: while some applicants received codes promptly, others, like the litigants, remain in the dark. IRCC attributes the delays to a “large volume” of submissions and external challenges, such as restricted movement out of Gaza, which they say complicates processing. However, the lawsuit does not seek visas or exit assistance, just the reference codes needed to submit applications.
As the April 22 deadline looms and Gaza’s conditions worsen, the families are growing increasingly desperate. “They’re afraid of losing their opportunity,” said a lawyer representing them, voicing isappointment in the Justin Trudeau government that has not explained why, after a year, their loved ones remain trapped in Gaza.