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Last verified: June 2026 · Source: justice.gc.ca← Back to Law Explorer
IRPRPART 8 Refugee ClassesDIVISION 1 Convention Refugees Abroad, Humanitarian-protected Persons Abroad and Protected Temporary Residents
r.151

Travel document

Refugee Classes
🍁 In Simple Terms

For resettled people with no passport, Canada issues a temporary travel document. You need a permanent resident visa or temporary resident permit in hand, no valid national passport, no UN or Red Cross document you could obtain within a reasonable time, and no way to travel without it. This is the paper that turns an approval into an actual flight.

Affects: Refugee claimants and protected persons
Legal Text: IRPR Regulation 151

151 An officer shall issue a temporary travel document to a foreign national who has been determined to be a member of a class prescribed by this Division and who (a)holds a permanent resident visa or a temporary resident permit; (b)does not hold a valid passport or travel document issued by their country of nationality or the country of their present or former habitual residence; (c)does not hold a valid travel document issued by the United Nations or the International Committee of the Red Cross and is unable to obtain such a document within a reasonable time; and (d)would be unable to travel to Canada if the temporary travel document were not issued.

📜 Related Sub-Regulations
r.151.1Protected temporary residents class

151.1 (1) The protected temporary residents class is prescribed as a class of persons who may become permanent residents on the basis of the requirements of this section. (2) A foreign national is a protected temporary resident and a member of the protected temporary residents class if the foreign national holds a temporary resident permit and (a)became a temporary resident under a temporary resident permit for protection reasons after making a claim for refugee protection outside Canada under section 99 of the Act; or (b)was issued a Minister’s permit under section 37 of the former Act after seeking admission to Canada under section 7 of the former Regulations or section 4 of the Humanitarian Designated Classes Regulations. (2.1) A foreign national destined for Quebec does not become a member of the protected temporary residents class described in paragraph (2)(a) if they have not received a selection certificate from the Province of Quebec. (3) In subsection (2), former Act has the same meaning as in section 187 of the Act and former Regulations and Humanitarian Designated Classes Regulations have the same meaning as in subsection 316(1) of these Regulations.

In Practice
Official Source: Justice Canada: IRPR r. 151 (authoritative, may differ from this display)
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