Measures to support Ukrainians and their family members – post Canada–Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
These instructions provide updated operational guidance on the processing of applications to support Ukrainian nationals and their family members seeking temporary residence in Canada following the conclusion of most of the Canada–Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) measures on March 31, 2024, and the expiry of the temporary public policy for foreign nationals who applied under the CUAET measures and whose applications were pending as of February 4, 2024.
Special measures are in place for Ukrainians and their family members who arrived in Canada under the CUAET measures on or before March 31, 2024, to provide continued access to apply from within Canada for a study permit or open work permit, or to renew an existing work permit. These measures originally took effect on August 13, 2024, and have been extended until March 31, 2026. These measures apply to applications received on or after August 13, 2024, as well as applications that were pending on that date.
For more information on the previous measures to support Ukrainian nationals and their family members, refer to: Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) measures.
On this page
- CUAET holders who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024
- Unprocessed CUAET applicants
- Approved CUAET visa holders who did not yet travel to Canada
- Approved for an open work permit under CUAET but did not yet travel to Canada
- Non-CUAET applications
- Refusals
CUAET holders who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024
Eligibility: Ukrainian nationals and their family members who were granted temporary resident status following facilitation under the CUAET measures, arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, and hold valid temporary resident status.
These clients are eligible for facilitated access to a new study permit, a new open work permit or a work permit renewal.
Eligible clients may apply to renew their open work permit even if their status does not expire within the next year, as long as they apply by March 31, 2026. The validity period of the renewed open work permit is subject to the client’s passport and biometrics validity, as well as the discretion of the processing officer, but could be for up to 3 years from the date of decision. These applications are subject to standard fees.
Please refer to the updated public policy for more information.
CUAET holders who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024 and who seek to extend their status as a visitor by applying for a visitor record, or to extend their study permit, can apply under regular pathways subject to standard fees and program requirements.
Important
For any applications received on or after April 1, 2024 and which were pending on August 13, 2024, from CUAET holders in Canada applying to renew an existing open work permit or for a new study permit or open work permit that did not include the applicable fees, officers should provide the applicant an opportunity to submit the required fees before returning the application as incomplete. Applicants must have arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024.
Applications received on or after August 13, 2024 that do not include the applicable fees, should be returned as incomplete.
Note: Temporary residents in Canada who don’t currently have a study permit are subject to the new cap on study permit applications. Study permit applicants are required to provide a provincial attestation letter (PAL) from the province or territory where they plan to study, unless they meet one of the exceptions. Eligible clients applying for a new study permit under these measures are exempt from these requirements based on a public policy as part of a migration response to a crisis.
Note: A TRP holder may apply for a subsequent TRP prior to the expiry of their existing TRP should they wish to remain in Canada. However, TRP holders, including individuals applying for an initial TRP, do not benefit from maintained status. In addition, they cannot renew their work or study permit or continue to work or study until a decision is made on their TRP application.
Ukrainian passport delays
The department is aware of the difficulty and delays Ukrainian clients are experiencing in regard to renewing their passports.
All clients in Canada must apply to extend their status, ideally before the expiry date of their current visitor record, work or study permit. If temporary residents (excluding temporary resident permit holders) apply before the expiry date, they can continue working or studying with maintained status until we make a decision on their application.
Officers can request a written explanation from the client if it is not possible to get a passport extended before the expiry date of their current passport and their visitor record, work or study permit. Officers can request a copy of the client’s expired passport and a letter explaining that they have applied to get their passport extended, and will submit their new passport as soon as it’s received.
Unprocessed CUAET applicants
Effective August 1, 2024 , a public policy was implemented to provide continued facilitative measures for certain Ukrainian nationals and their family members who were approved for a CUAET visa without sufficient time to arrive in Canada, and who had not arrived in Canada by March 31, 2024 (referred to as unprocessed CUAET applicants). These clients temporarily had access to some in-Canada benefits if they arrived on or before December 31, 2024.
This public policy expired on December 31, 2024.
Note: Despite the expiry of this public policy, any remaining CUAET visa applications which were submitted on or before July 15, 2023 will be processed to completion. Ukrainians and their family members whose visa applications are approved may still travel to Canada after the expiry of the above-noted public policy as long as their visas remain valid, but will do so as regular temporary resident visa holders. Border services officers will determine their authorized length of stay.
Those who were provisionally approved an open work permit with their CUAET visa will have their open work permit finalized at the POE and issued, as long as their letter of introduction remains valid.
Officers processing eligible clients can continue to reference the following suite of PDIs for instructions: Ukraine: Program delivery instructions.
Approved CUAET visa holders who did not yet travel to Canada
Ukrainians and their family members who were approved for a CUAET visa, but who were not approved for a work permit with their CUAET visa application and who did not yet travel to Canada, are no longer eligible for any facilitation, either at the POE or in Canada.
Important: Approved CUAET visa holders who are still overseas would still be able to arrive at any point during the validity of their visa, and will be treated as regular visitors to Canada at the port of entry. Border Services officers will determine their authorized length of stay.
Approved for an open work permit under CUAET but did not yet travel to Canada
Eligibility: Ukrainians and their family members who were approved for an open work permit under the CUAET measures at the time of initial application who did not yet travel to Canada.
These CUAET visa holders are eligible to have their open work permit finalized at the POE and issued, as long as their letter of introduction remains valid. Officers should review the client’s visa counterfoil to verify if the client was approved for a work permit.
These clients are not eligible for any in Canada supports (financial assistance, temporary accommodations or POE facilitation (waiving of bona fides and financial inadmissibility requirements). CUAET visa holders had to arrive by March 31, 2024, to be eligible for transitional financial assistance and temporary accommodations.
Work permit issuance at the POE or from within Canada
Clients who were provisionally approved for a work permit with their CUAET visa and who arrive at the POE on or after April 1, 2024, are eligible have their open work permit finalized upon arrival at a POE and issued under the CUAET measures, as long as their letter of introduction remains valid. Border Services officers should follow the procedures below to issue the work permit at the POE. Officers should review the client’s visa counterfoil to verify if the client was approved for a work permit.
Some CUAET holders who were approved in early 2022 were issued a regular V1 counterfoil, but may have a work permit approval letter as evidence of their eligibility for a POE issued OWP.
To allow CUAET OWP holders to access in-Canada supports under the CUAET such as provincial or territorial health care, officers must include special program code (SPC) UAC3 and the following visible remark on the OWP: “CUAET/AVUCU”.
Approved application for an OWP
If the client has an approved application for an OWP, officers are encouraged to issue the OWP with a validity up to 3 years (or until passport validity, whichever comes first).
If the client does not have valid IME results, impose the following visible remark on the OWP: “CUAET/AVUCU”, impose 1 of the following
- Designated countries: “Not authorized to work in 1) child care, 2) primary or secondary school teaching, 3) health services field occupations, 4) agricultural occupations”
- Non-designated countries: “Not authorized to work in 1) child care, 2) primary or secondary school teaching, 3) health services field occupations”
Clients with valid IME results do not require a condition on their OWP.
Notes:
- BSOs maintain the discretion to determine the authorized length of stay and the validity period of permits, and to impose conditions.
- BSOs are to verify if the clients have previously completed an IME by conducting an integrated search. IME results may be linked to another UCI or a T#.
- CUAET holders who were provisionally approved for a work permit with their CUAET visa, but who do not receive it at POE, are eligible to have it issued from within Canada, subject to the validity of their letter of introduction. Officers should refer to Work permit issuance at the POE or from within Canada.
Issuing open work permits in the GCMS
The instructions on this page should be reviewed in conjunction with
The work permit will be issued under the authority of section 25.2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). Applicants are still required to meet the other requirements for work permit issuance.
In GCMS under the Application screen, officers should enter the information below in the specified fields:
| Field | Selection or input |
|---|---|
| Case Type | 20 |
| Province of destination | Unknown |
| LMIA Exemption code | R01 Public policies issued under A25.2 (inside Canada) This code should be entered manually |
| Employer | Open |
| Intended Occupation | Open |
| NOC | 99999 |
| Duration | Officers should consider issuing the work permit with a validity of up to 3 years or until passport or biometric validity, whichever is first. |
| Conditions (Mandatory when no medical exam is completed) | Officers should ensure that instructions provided in Work permit issuance in GCMS: Occupation or location restricted are followed. If no medical examination has been completed, impose 1 of the following: Non-designated countries: “Not authorized to work in 1) child care, 2) primary or secondary school teaching, 3) health services field occupations” Designated countries: “Not authorized to work in 1) child care, 2) primary or secondary school teaching, 3) health services field occupations, 4) agricultural occupations” |
| Fees | Note: Clients who were provisionally approved for a work permit with their CUAET visa will continue to have these fees waived, provided that their letter of introduction remains valid. initial work permit – exemption code 999 open work permit holder fee – exemption code P03 Note: Clients who were not provisionally approved for a work permit with their CUAET application are subject to standard fees. Officers should refer to the fee list: Fee list. |
| Biometrics | Work permit applicants are required to provide biometric information and pay the biometric fee. Officers should refer to the fee list: Fee list. The regular biometric exemptions apply (for example, age or 1 in 10). |
| User remarks (mandatory) | Temporary Public Policy for Foreign Nationals who Applied under the CUAET Measures or Temporary Public Policy for CUAET holders who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024 In addition to the applicable above-noted remarks, the CUAET/AVUCU remark must be added to temporary resident documents issued under these measures (as outlined in CUAET holders who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024 and Work permit issuance at the POE or from within Canada). |
Non-CUAET applications
Ukrainian nationals and their family members who applied for a TRV after July 15, 2023, or any new TRV application from Ukrainian nationals or their family members should be treated as regular TRV applications. Approved clients who arrive in Canada will not have access to any inland facilitative measures. These clients should be processed in accordance with standard eligibility, admissibility and fee requirements.
Refusals
If an officer has determined that the applicant does not meet the eligibility requirements, the application should be refused. They should record their reasons for decision as per the instructions in: Decision making: Standard of review and process for making a reasonable decision.
Officers may encounter applications submitted from clients who are ineligible for these special measures. If a refusal is warranted, officers should select “Other” ground, and include the following note, in addition to other applicable reasons, before proceeding to refusal:
Individual does not meet the definition of eligible person as per the Temporary Public Policy for Foreign Nationals who Applied under the CUAET Measures or the Temporary Public Policy for CUAET holders who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024.
Officers must also include this note under application remarks in GCMS.
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