Ottawa has added Israel and Palestine to its standing list of countries whose nationals can request a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) without waiting the usual twelve months after a failed refugee claim. The exemption, dated 29 September 2026 and publicised on 3 October, applies to people who received a final negative decision between 28 September 2025 and 29 September 2026 from either the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Federal Court or a previous PRRA. A PRRA is Canada’s last-chance protection mechanism, examining whether a person would face persecution, torture or risk to life if removed. Section 112 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act normally forces rejected claimants to wait a full year before re-applying, on the premise that new evidence of risk is unlikely to emerge immediately. The Minister, however, can lift that bar when “conditions in the country change suddenly.” Recent escalations in violence across Israel, Gaza and the West Bank meet that threshold, IRCC says. Practically, the window is tight. Anyone whose claim was refused after 29 September 2026 must still sit out the 12-month bar; those refused earlier than 28 September 2025 have already served the wait and can apply under standard rules. Lawyers are urging affected individuals to move quickly, noting that a positive PRRA decision halts removal and confers protected-person status, while a negative one clears the way for deportation. The exemption mirrors earlier waivers granted for Afghanistan (2021), Ukraine (2022) and Sudan (2023). It reflects Canada’s willingness to respond rapidly to deteriorating security situations abroad, albeit within a tightly defined legal framework. Employers of temporary foreign workers from the region should review staff files, as the risk of sudden removals may temporarily subside for those who qualify to apply. IRCC has not said how many people fall inside the new eligibility window, but immigration lawyers estimate “dozens, not thousands.” The department will monitor conditions on the ground and could re-impose the bar or expand the window as events unfold.
Source: IRCC.com
