MANILA – The immigration applications of Filipinos, affected by super typhoon Yolanda (International name: Haiyan), will be prioritized by Canada.
According to Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) Minister Chris Alexander, they will be prioritizing the processing of applications on request from Filipinos who have been "significantly and personally" affected by the typhoon.
"Request from Filipino citizens temporarily in Canada who wish to extend their stay will be assessed in a compassionate and flexible manner," according to a notice posted on the website of the CIC.
The CIC also set up special email addresses and a dedicated phone line to respond to requests from applicants and their families:
Overseas: Applicants who can demonstrate that they are significantly and personally affected and wish to declare their cases a priority can contact the visa office in Manila directly at manila-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca.
In Canada: Applicants and their family members who wish to declare their cases as a priority can contact situation-philippines@cic.gc.ca or contact CIC's Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100, which has a dedicated crisis line.
"CIC continues to closely monitor the situation and will consider other facilitative measures as necessary," the statement said.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
