January 20, 2023—Ottawa—The Government of Canada is continuing to take concrete actions to help people directly affected by Hurricane Fiona, in addition to the assistance provided through the Hurricane Fiona Recovery Fund. Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that fees will be waived for those who need to replace vital lost or destroyed documents, including travel documents and citizenship certificates.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will issue free replacement documents for Canadians directly affected by the hurricane. These documents will expire on the same date as the original damaged or lost ones would have expired. Covered documents include permanent resident cards, Canadian citizenship certificates or cards, Canadian passports and other travel documents that are lost, damaged, destroyed or inaccessible due to Hurricane Fiona.
The special measures will take effect retroactively from September 24, 2022, and will continue until further notice. This time frame gives Canadians and permanent residents time to sort out what documents they need to replace and to apply with no fees.
