Canada Pauses 36,000 PR Applications Over Ebola Risk

Canada has suspended the processing of about 36,000 permanent residence applications as part of new measures meant to reduce the risk of Ebola exposure in the country.

The decision affects foreign nationals living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and the Republic of South Sudan. The federal government says these regions have a high or very high risk of an Ebola outbreak.

The figures were published in the Canada Gazette on June 12, 2026. The suspensions began on May 27 and are expected to remain in place until August 28, 2026.

Thousands Of PR Files Put On Hold

According to the published data, 36,060 permanent residence applications have been suspended for people who had not yet arrived in Canada as of May 24, 2026.

Uganda accounts for the largest number, with 31,324 suspended applications. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has 4,037 affected applications, while the Republic of South Sudan has 699.

Most of the suspended cases fall under the protected persons category. That group alone includes 30,665 applications. Family class applications make up another 3,409 cases, while economic immigration applications account for 641.

The pause also includes applications under humanitarian and compassionate or public policy grounds, permit holders class, and unspecified immigration categories.

Visa Holders Also Affected

The measures do not only affect people waiting for application decisions. Canada has also suspended permanent resident visas already issued to some people from the affected areas.

About 1,700 permanent resident visa holders are now unable to travel to Canada unless they qualify for an exemption.

Temporary residents are also affected. This includes people with temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorizations, study permits, work permits, and other temporary travel documents.

As of May 26, 2026, 24,548 foreign nationals from the three countries held valid Canadian immigration documents but had not yet arrived in Canada. Of these, 22,816 were temporary residents and 1,732 were permanent residents.

IRCC also had 7,751 temporary resident applications waiting in its inventory as of May 24. These included applications for electronic travel authorizations, study permits, work permits, temporary resident visas, and temporary resident permits.

Exemptions May Apply In Urgent Cases

The measures were introduced under the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order.

Under the order, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration may exempt a foreign national who urgently needs protection or qualifies under humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

This means some cases may still move forward, but only if they meet the exemption rules set out by the government.

First Use Of New Immigration Powers

This is the first time Canada has used powers granted through Bill C-12, which came into effect on March 26, 2026.

The law gives the Governor in Council broad authority over immigration applications, immigration documents, and temporary residents. It allows the government to suspend, cancel, or amend documents such as work permits, study permits, temporary resident visas, and permanent resident visas.

The immigration suspensions were introduced alongside quarantine measures for travellers who recently visited one of the three affected countries. Those quarantine measures began on May 30 and are scheduled to remain in place until August 29, 2026.