A policy note published on February 25 confirms that more than 17,800 immigration applications have been reviewed since Canada expanded section 35(1)(b) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) to cover anyone who has held senior positions in the Iranian regime since June 23, 2003. As a result, dozens of individuals have been found inadmissible or removed, and hundreds more are under active investigation. (law360.ca)
The measure builds on Ottawa’s 2022 designation of Iran under IRPA for “gross and systematic human-rights violations,” but dramatically broadens its reach by eliminating the need to prove personal complicity in abuses. Simply occupying a senior role in government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or state-owned entities can now trigger a bar on entry or lead to deportation if the person is already in Canada.
Lawyers say the standard of proof remains lower than in criminal proceedings, relying largely on open-source evidence and classified government intelligence. Affected individuals have limited recourse beyond seeking a discretionary exemption from the Minister of Public Safety or challenging the finding in Federal Court.
![Canada widens immigration inadmissibility net for senior Iranian officials]()
For those wrestling with these complex admissibility rules, VisaHQ’s Canada platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can provide practical assistance—offering eligibility assessments, document checklists and application tracking that help applicants, employers and counsel spot potential red flags early and navigate requests for ministerial relief or further judicial review.
For Canadian employers, universities and NGOs with Iranian nationals in senior research or management roles, the change raises due-diligence obligations. HR and mobility teams are advised to screen candidates for past public-sector experience in Iran to avoid hiring disruptions or reputational risk.
The government argues the expansion is necessary to hold Tehran’s leadership accountable for repression at home and destabilising activities abroad, but critics warn it risks sweeping up those who had no role in human-rights abuses, including technocrats and diplomats posted overseas.
The measure builds on Ottawa’s 2022 designation of Iran under IRPA for “gross and systematic human-rights violations,” but dramatically broadens its reach by eliminating the need to prove personal complicity in abuses. Simply occupying a senior role in government, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or state-owned entities can now trigger a bar on entry or lead to deportation if the person is already in Canada.
Lawyers say the standard of proof remains lower than in criminal proceedings, relying largely on open-source evidence and classified government intelligence. Affected individuals have limited recourse beyond seeking a discretionary exemption from the Minister of Public Safety or challenging the finding in Federal Court.
For those wrestling with these complex admissibility rules, VisaHQ’s Canada platform (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) can provide practical assistance—offering eligibility assessments, document checklists and application tracking that help applicants, employers and counsel spot potential red flags early and navigate requests for ministerial relief or further judicial review.
For Canadian employers, universities and NGOs with Iranian nationals in senior research or management roles, the change raises due-diligence obligations. HR and mobility teams are advised to screen candidates for past public-sector experience in Iran to avoid hiring disruptions or reputational risk.
The government argues the expansion is necessary to hold Tehran’s leadership accountable for repression at home and destabilising activities abroad, but critics warn it risks sweeping up those who had no role in human-rights abuses, including technocrats and diplomats posted overseas.
