Immigration Updates Living in Canada Newcomers to Canada

New Permanent Resident Pathway: Families of flight PS752 victims

By: Mariam Baher

On October 28, 2024, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), announced a new pathway to permanent residency in Canada for the families of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752) victims.

On January 8, 2020, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 (PS752) was shot down after takeoff from Tehran, Iran, by two Iranian surface-to-air missiles. This resulted in the loss of 176 lives aboard that flight, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents. In response to this tragedy, Canada has introduced this new pathway which opened on October 28, 2024, and will remain open until October 27, 2025.

The new pathway allows eligible family members of victims who were Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or individuals who were approved to work or study in Canada, an opportunity to apply for permanent residency. This also includes most family members who were not eligible under previous policies.

This initiative is representative of Canada’s ongoing commitment to support families with ties to the country and serves as a way to provide justice and accountability for the victims of the tragedy. Over the past four years, Canada has committed to honoring the memory of those lost in the PS752 tragedy in various ways.

In October 2023, Canada launched the Flight PS752 Commemorative Scholarship Program. This program offers 176 one-year scholarships over five years for students studying at colleges and universities in Canada. Over 30 students were selected for the current academic year, some of these students had ties to the victims of the tragedy.

Accordingly, in October 2023, Canada reached a milestone in its Safer Skies Initiative, an initiative presented by the Canadian government in 2020 to enhance safety and security for commercial airlines travelling in or near conflict zones, by working with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to conduct training workshops.

From now until October 27, 2025, there is a unique opportunity to apply for permanent residency through the newly established pathway and we encourage family members of the victims to assess the options available to them. Our team at Canadim is here to guide you every step of the way and to provide support as you navigate this tragedy.