On August 22, 2023, the Government of Canada published an update regarding special processing measures for those directly affected by the 2023 wildfires throughout Canada. According to the latest update, the replacement of temporary resident visa counterfoils is included under this temporary policy, provided that the temporary resident visa being replaced is valid for 30 days or more. For Canadian citizens or permanent residents who intend to replace a passport, citizenship certificate, or permanent resident card, these measures will apply retroactively from the initially reported sightings of the fires and/or the declarations of a state of emergency in the affected regions. These dates are as follows: May 6, 2023, for Alberta; May 11, 2023, for British Columbia; May 26, 2023, for Ontario; May 28, 2023, for Nova Scotia; May 29, 2023, for New Brunswick; and June 1, 2023, for Quebec. Applications falling under these special measures should be given priority processing if they are urgent based on the prevailing specific line of business criteria. These measures will continue to be in place until September 30, 2023.
