Important Information on Haiti Earthquake Relief

Friends and relatives in Canada seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in the affected area should contact Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada at 1-800-387-3124.

To make donations:

The Humanitarian Coalition
http://www.humanitariancoalition.ca
1-800-464-9154

Red Cross
http://www.redcross.ca
1-800-418-1111

UNICEF
http://www.unicef.ca
1-800-567-4483

UPDATE FROM CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION CANADA

Update on family class applications through Citizenship and Immigration Canada
for individuals residing in Haiti

For Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons who already have an existing family sponsorship for a relative in Haiti or who are in the process of adopting a child from Haiti, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has indicated that priority will be given to new and existing sponsorship applications where the close family members resides in Haiti. They must, however, identify themselves as being directly and significantly affected by the current situation and notify Citizenship and Immigration Canada. New sponsorship applications should have “Haiti” prominently written on the mailing envelope.

Sponsors and applicants presently in Canada who have applications in process should notify the CIC Call Centre by telephone at 1-888-242-2100 (in Canada only, from 7:00 AM to 7 PM EST, 4 AM to 4 PM PST, Monday through Friday) or by email at question-Haiti@cic.gc.ca in order to identify their existing applications, if they or the family they have sponsored have been adversely affected.

Effective immediately, priority consideration has also been given to pending adoption cases in Haiti. A new unit has started working in the Canadian Visa Office in Port au Prince specifically dealing with existing in-process application files for adoptions by Canadian families. This unit will contact families and work with them to expedite the process. CIC has asked that applicants not contact this Visa Office directly as they are already overwhelmed and working under difficult conditions. Families should, however, contact the CIC Call Centre at 1 888 242 2100 and ask for their files to be flagged as urgent Haiti files.

Also effective immediately, CIC has put in place special immigration measures for Haitian nationals who are currently in Canada. Temporary residents already in Canada may apply to extend their temporary status according to normal procedures. These applications will be considered on an expedited basis and fees associated with these applications will be waived. Those who are unable to support themselves may also apply for a work permit.

Finally, all removals to Haiti have now been temporarily suspended. Although normally the Government of Canada does not deport people to Haiti except in limited circumstances, this now applies in all cases.