the CanadaVisa Team - 23 October, 2012
Originally, only about 450 Afghans were expected to move to Canada through the program. However, since the program ended it has now become clear that over 800 individuals were approved to become Canadian Permanent Residents.
Afghan interpreters were highly valued by Canadian forces throughout their efforts in Afghanistan. In addition to providing on-the-spot translation, they often took on tasks such as liaising between soldiers and the local population. During 2006 and 2011, at least 6 interpreters were killed alongside Canadian forces, and others were wounded.
Many interpreters faced risks within their community after Canada withdrew its troops. For this reason, the Canadian government created a program to fast-track permanent residency applications made by these individuals. To qualify to be fast-tracked, interpreters must have worked for the Canadian government for 12 months and to show that their lives were in danger as a result.
