Hundreds of Iranian Conscripts in Canada Hit by Inadmissibility Letters Over IRGC Service

CBC News has uncovered that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sent roughly 50 procedural-fairness letters on August 6—and potentially hundreds more—to Iranian permanent-residence applicants who completed compulsory military service with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The letters warn recipients they may be found inadmissible under Canada’s terrorism provisions unless they rebut the concerns within 30 days. The controversy stems from Canada’s July 2024 decision to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity. Although the government pledged to differentiate low-level conscripts from active or senior IRGC members, recent letters appear to apply the designation broadly. Affected families, many of whom have lived and worked in Canada for years, say they feel "betrayed" and plan to protest on Parliament Hill on September 22. Immigration lawyers argue that a blanket approach both overburdens IRCC and risks violating the principle of individualized assessment in Canada’s immigration law. They warn that short response windows, combined with the complexity of proving a lack of involvement in IRGC activities, could push applicants into status loss and eventual removal proceedings handled by the Canada Border Services Agency. For employers, especially in manufacturing hubs like Windsor and Winnipeg, sudden loss of key staff could disrupt operations. Companies are advised to inventory employees who hold Iranian passports and are awaiting PR decisions, and to prepare contingency labour plans. Legal experts recommend assembling documentary evidence—such as discharge papers, protest participation records and affidavits—to demonstrate that the individual’s service was compulsory and non-combatant. The case highlights a perennial tension between national-security objectives and humanitarian immigration policy. Observers expect the Federal Court to be asked to clarify whether mere conscription into a now-designated organisation automatically triggers inadmissibility—an interpretation that could affect military conscripts from other sanctioned regimes.