VisaCanada relaxes the risk-assessment waiting period for some Palestinians facing removal
The exemption depends on the date of a final negative protection decision and does not guarantee permission to remain.
Official source date: 2026-09-29
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The final-decision date determines the new exception
Canada has lifted the usual 12-month waiting period for a pre-removal risk assessment for certain nationals and former residents of Palestine. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada announced the change on 29 September 2026 for people who received specified final negative protection decisions between 28 September 2025 and 29 September 2026. This follow-up explains who should check that decision window before relying on the exemption.
The notice covers final negative decisions on a refugee claim, an earlier pre-removal risk assessment, or a related Federal Court decision. It also covers nationals and former residents of Israel, but this article addresses Palestinian readers. People receiving a final negative decision after 29 September 2026 remain subject to the ordinary 12-month period under the notice. Eligibility for assessment is not a favourable decision on the case. Use the dated announcement to identify the relevant decision and date; nationality alone does not establish eligibility.
CBSA must first identify eligibility during removal proceedings
IRCC’s eligibility guidance says a person can apply for a pre-removal risk assessment only when a Canada Border Services Agency officer tells them they are eligible. The procedure evaluates specified risks associated with removal; it is not an overseas visa application or a general application to move to Canada.
The eligibility resource also lists exclusions, including some Safe Third Country Agreement cases, people recognised as refugees in another country to which they can return, people already protected in Canada and extradition cases. Use that resource with the CBSA notification to establish whether the assessment process is available in the individual circumstances. A change to the waiting period does not remove these separate eligibility checks. A person facing removal should resolve the notification and deadline promptly rather than submit an unsolicited form based only on the announcement.
The application deadline is short and document-specific
IRCC’s application instructions give 15 days to submit when the form and guide are delivered in person, or 22 days when delivered by mail. The complete application must be received before the applicable deadline. Use the official How to apply page and the actual notification to calculate the date; the September announcement does not replace it with a new universal filing date.
The required form is IMM5508. Applicants include copies of identity and relationship documents, with the required translations for records outside English or French. Adults in Canada who are also applying need their own applications. Where a refugee claim or earlier assessment was rejected, the instructions limit submissions to qualifying new evidence, including information arising later or not reasonably available for the earlier decision. Clearly explain why the evidence is new. Paid representatives must be authorised, and hiring one does not guarantee approval; any private professional charge is separate from the official assessment procedure.
Keep the case updated and check work permission separately
IRCC’s After you apply page says leaving Canada while the assessment is pending causes the application to be treated as abandoned and rejected. It provides official channels to update personal information, including the secure submission service and web form. Use these channels for changes affecting the case rather than assume an earlier address remains adequate.
For a first assessment application, the page explains that an existing valid work permit allows work until the assessment decision or permit expiry, whichever comes first. A person without a valid permit who filed on time may be able to apply for one. Late or subsequent assessment applications have different restrictions. The assessment application itself should not be treated as a work permit. Use this specific resource to check the actual position before continuing employment. Healthcare eligibility is also conditional, rather than an automatic benefit for everyone mentioned in the country announcement.
A successful assessment and permanent residence are separate stages
IRCC’s decision page says CBSA delivers the assessment result in person. In most accepted cases, the person becomes protected and can then apply for permanent residence. Serious-inadmissibility cases can instead receive a temporary protection from removal without protected-person status.
If the assessment is refused, applying for Federal Court review does not by itself stop removal; a court-ordered stay is needed. Use the decision resource to understand the next official step and obtain qualified assistance where necessary. The waiting-period exemption does not guarantee a particular outcome, a processing date or an automatic extension of unrelated immigration documents.
