Backgrounder - Special immigration measures for local staff in Kandahar who support Canada’s mission in Afghanistan

Please note that this special immigration program closed to applications on September 12, 2011

The Government of Canada will offer special immigration measures for certain Afghan nationals who have served as local staff in Kandahar province.

To be eligible, the individual must provide evidence of:

• Extraordinary and individualized risk as a result of employment and contracts in direct support of the Canadian government in Kandahar; OR
• A non-accidental or non-natural injury, resulting in risk to life or inability to work, due to employment and contracts in direct support of the Canadian government in Kandahar; OR
• Being the spouse of a local staff member who has suffered a non-accidental or non-natural death due to employment and contracts in direct support of the Canadian government in Kandahar. The accompanying dependent children of those who qualify would also be eligible.

In addition, the local staff member must have at least 12 months of cumulative service with the Canadian government in Kandahar.

A committee of senior Canadian officials from departments active in Kandahar, such as the Department of National Defence/Canadian Forces, Public Safety Canada and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, will be put in place to recommend whether the individual meets the selection criteria for participating in this program. If the committee determines that the individual meets the program requirements, the individual will be referred to Citizenship and Immigration Canada for processing and a final immigration decision.

Applicants who qualify for the special measures will also be required to undergo immigration medical screening as well as criminality and security screening by our partners: the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Those who do not qualify may still apply under existing immigration measures, such as the economic and family classes. Those who don’t meet immigration criteria can request humanitarian and compassionate consideration. Such applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

There are an estimated 300 Afghans who are providing direct support to Canada’s mission in Kandahar and may be at risk. Canada expects that up to 50 principal applicants, plus an average of two immediate family members, totalling 150 people, will be eligible each year. There is no cap, however, on the number of people who may become permanent residents under these measures. The annual cost of implementing the special measures is estimated at $3 million a year and will be funded out of existing departmental budgets. The program will conclude in 2011 to correspond with the scheduled end of Canada’s combat mission in Kandahar.