Ottawa has processed visa applications for 144 residents of the Gaza Strip, putting them on the right path to reunite with their extended families in Canada – as long as they can cross the border for biometric screening and final approval.

The Canadian Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department has launched a program to issue temporary visas for up to 1,000 people in the besieged Palestinian territories, if their relatives can support them in Canada.

However, Immigration Minister Marc Miller warned that the federal government cannot guarantee people's ability to cross borders outside Gaza, which is under tight control by Israel and Egypt.

The 144 people who have passed most of the application process as of Tuesday will still need to undergo further screening in Egypt, including biometric checks, before being issued a visa.

The Immigration Department began accepting applications on January 9, but has not yet specified how many applications it has received so far.

Meanwhile, the department says the processing time varies from person to person, depending on the information provided.