Remission Order in Respect of Certain Fees for the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Port of Beirut Explosions): SI/2024-19
Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 158, Number 10
Registration
SI/2024-19 May 8, 2024
FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION ACT
P.C. 2024-389 April 19, 2024
Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, on the recommendation of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, makes the annexed Remission Order in Respect of Certain Fees for the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Port of Beirut Explosions) under subsection 23(2.1)footnote a of the Financial Administration Actfootnote b.
Remission Order in Respect of Certain Fees for the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Port of Beirut Explosions)
Definition of document
1 In this Order, document means any of the following:
- (a) a passport, as defined in section 2 of the Canadian Passport Order;
- (b) a certificate of citizenship, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Citizenship Act;
- (c) a travel document issued to a permanent resident under subsection 31(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
- (d) a permanent resident card provided or issued under subsection 53(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations;
- (e) an emergency travel document.
Remission
2 Remission is granted to any person who meets the conditions set out in section 3 of the fees paid or payable under any of the following:
- (a) paragraphs 7(c), 9(a) and (b) and items 10 and 14 of the schedule to the Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations;
- (b) section 4 of the Consular Services Fees Regulations;
- (c) item 6 of the schedule to the Citizenship Regulations;
- (d) section 315 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.
Conditions
3 Remission is granted on the condition that
- (a) at some time during the period beginning on August 13, 2020 and ending on January 31, 2021, the person was in, or had their residence in, an area affected by the Port of Beirut explosions;
- (b) a document that was issued to that person was — while it was valid — lost, damaged, destroyed or rendered inaccessible as a result of the Port of Beirut explosions;
- (c) during the period beginning on August 13, 2020 and ending on January 31, 2021, that person, or a person acting on their behalf, made an application in accordance with applicable regulations for the issuance of a document bearing, if applicable, the same expiry date as the document referred to in paragraph (b);
- (d) that person, or the person acting on their behalf, included with the application a declaration made by that person, or on their behalf, stating that the document to be replaced was lost, damaged, destroyed or rendered inaccessible as a result of the Port of Beirut explosions; and
- (e) the fees in question have not been remitted under section 11 of the Passport and Other Travel Document Services Fees Regulations.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order.)
Proposal
The Governor in Council, on the recommendation of the Treasury Board, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, considering that it is in the public interest to do so, has made the Remission Order in Respect of Certain Fees for the Issuance of Identity and Travel Documents (Port of Beirut Explosions) [the Remission Order] pursuant to subsection 23(2.1) of the Financial Administration Act (FAA).
Objective
The purpose of the Remission Order is to remit the fees for the issuance of travel documents and certificates of Canadian citizenship for those impacted by the August 2020 Port of Beirut explosions.
The objectives of the Remission Order are consistent with the Government of Canada’s approach to other recent crises for which various fees were remitted for documents issued to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons whose documents had been lost, damaged, destroyed, or rendered inaccessible.
Background
On August 4, 2020, two explosions took place at the Port of Beirut resulting in high numbers of fatalities and injuries and leaving hundreds of thousands without a place to live.
On August 13, 2020, as part of a wider Government of Canada response to the explosions in Beirut, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, along with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced several facilitative measures, including the waiving of fees for certain documents and related services for Canadians and permanent residents in Lebanon who wanted or needed to come to Canada as a result of the explosions. Costs associated with obtaining these documents would have imposed an additional burden on these individuals.
While the special fee measures implemented by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) assist individuals whose lives were affected by the Port of Beirut explosions, the fee is still legally payable under the relevant regulations. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration does not have the legal authority to direct that fees for Canadians and permanent residents not be collected in emergency or crisis situations, and a remission order is required to extinguish the debt.
Implications
The Remission Order applies to fees payable for applications received between August 13, 2020, and January 31, 2021, to issue Canadian travel documents abroad, including passports, emergency travel documents, and temporary passports, permanent resident travel documents, and certificates of Canadian citizenship for those who needed these to apply for Canadian passports, all of which fall under the responsibility of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. The Remission Order also applies to consular services fees for adult travel documents, which fall under the responsibility of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Applications already in process prior to August 13, 2020, are not considered eligible for remittance under this Order.
Financial implications
The total cost of foregone revenues from remitting fees payable to the Crown for the issuance of permanent resident travel documents, citizenship certificates, and Canadian travel documents is $10,830, including $900 for the consular services fee.
| Service provided | Volume | Fee waived | Foregone revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Canadian citizenship | 2 | $75 | $150 |
| Permanent resident travel document | 45 | $50 | $2,250 |
| Emergency travel document – Adult | 8 | $50 | $400 |
| Emergency travel document – Child | 3 | $30 | $90 |
| Temporary passport | 64 | $110 | $7040 |
| Consular services fee | 36 | $25 | $900 |
| TOTAL | $10,830 | ||
Accountability
All remissions associated with the Remission Order will be reported in the annual Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and IRCC Fees Reports and in GAC and IRCC Public Accounts, as required.
The fee remittance for travel documents, permanent resident cards, and citizenship certificates only applies to documents for individuals in the named group. IRCC used electronic systems to verify that the fee remittance only applies to documents and services for individuals travelling back to Canada as a result of the August 2020 Port of Beirut Explosions.
Consultation
The Privy Council Office, Treasury Board Secretariat, Finance Canada, GAC and Justice Canada were consulted on this proposal.
Contact
Lisa Bokwa
Director General
Passport Program Policy
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
365 Laurier Ave W
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5K2