To:
The Honourable Lena Diab
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Subject: Request to Extend the Temporary Public Policy Supporting Iranian Temporary Residents in Canada

We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Government of Canada extend the temporary public policy introduced in 2023 for Iranian nationals who are already in Canada as temporary residents.

This policy has provided stability and legal clarity to Iranian students, workers, and families who are lawfully present in Canada and who continue to face serious uncertainty due to ongoing conditions in Iran.

Purpose of This Petition

The 2023 public policy has allowed eligible Iranian nationals to:

Maintain valid temporary status in Canada
Apply for open work permits or extend their stay from within Canada
Continue contributing to Canadian workplaces, educational institutions, and communities
This petition does not seek to expand eligibility or bypass Canada’s admissibility requirements. It simply requests continuity of an existing, time-limited measure in light of conditions that have not meaningfully improved.

Current Context

For many Iranian nationals currently in Canada, returning to Iran would involve serious uncertainty and hardship that cannot be reasonably mitigated at this time.

Those affected by this policy are individuals who:

Are already in Canada legally
Have complied with Canadian immigration rules
Are supporting themselves through work or study
Are integrated into Canadian society
Removing this policy while the underlying conditions persist would place many individuals in renewed uncertainty, through no fault of their own.

Why an Extension Matters

Extending this policy would:

Prevent unnecessary loss of status
Reduce administrative pressure caused by repeated status restoration requests
Support continuity in the Canadian labour market and education sector
Uphold Canada’s long-standing humanitarian and pragmatic approach to immigration policy
This is a measured, temporary response to an ongoing situation—not a permanent or political statement.

Respectful Request

We respectfully ask the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to extend the temporary public policy for Iranian nationals for an additional period, aligned with the current realities on the ground.

We make this request in good faith, with respect for Canada’s immigration framework, and with appreciation for the leadership already shown through the introduction of this policy.