CIMM – Ukraine – December 05, 2023

Key Facts And Figures

• On February 24, 2022 Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, there have been domestic and international movements of the Ukrainian population, including to Canada given our country’s strong Ukrainian-Canadian community.
• The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) measures were launched in March 2022 to provide a temporary safe haven for Ukrainians and their family members. Intake of overseas applications under the CUAET closed on July 15, 2023. Canada received over 1.4M applications overseas and in Canada under the CUAET measures since its inception, and a total of 1.1M work permits and temporary resident visas have been issued as of October 31, 2023. There have also been over 202,900 CUAET arrivals in Canada from abroad.
• The federal government continues to offer temporary emergency accommodation to CUAET holders who do not have accommodation solutions in Canada, for up to 14 days. To be eligible, CUAET holders must arrive in Canada by March 31, 2024. From July 4, 2022 to October 25, 2023, 29,944 clients have received federally-funded accommodation of up to 14 nights.
• CUAET holders arriving in Canada by March 31, 2024 are eligible to apply for transitional financial assistance under the Canada-Ukraine Transitional Assistance Initiative in order to meet their basic needs as they arrive in communities across Canada. The benefit is a direct one-time payment of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child (17 years and under). As of October 28, 2023, 199,849 individuals have been approved for payment, for a total anticipated payout of $533,394,000.

• Even though overseas CUAET application intake has closed, Ukrainians and their family members can still apply through regular Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) channels for a regular temporary resident visa (TRV) to come to Canada. Since July 16, 2023, and as of October 28, 2023, IRCC has received over 1,400 TRV applications from Ukrainians citizens or applicants residing in Ukraine.
• On October 23, 2023, IRCC launched a new family reunification pathway to permanent residence for Ukrainian nationals. To qualify, Ukrainian nationals must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status and have a Canadian citizen or permanent resident family member in Canada. As of November 21, 2023, the Department has received 175 applications.

Key Messages

• Canada continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and is committed to helping Ukrainians and their family members find a temporary safe haven while they flee war.
• Overseas application intake for CUAET closed on July 15, 2023. The Department will process all CUAET applications that were received on or before July 15, 2023 to completion. Approved CUAET clients have until March 31, 2024 to enter Canada and be eligible for in-Canada supports, such as temporary emergency accommodations and transitional financial assistance. Settlement services are available to all Ukrainian nationals in Canada until March 31, 2025.
• Even though CUAET application intake has closed, Ukrainians and their family members can still apply through regular IRCC channels for a regular TRV to come to Canada. Once in Canada, until March 31, 2024, these clients are eligible to apply for study permits, open work permits, and an extended stay of up to three years, for a fee. These applications will receive priority processing.
• Until March 31, 2025, all Ukrainian temporary residents and their family members can also access federally-funded settlement services, such as language training, employment counselling and orientation services, provided through the IRCC-funded settlement service providers.

Supplementary Information

If pressed on other supports

• The Government of Canada continues to work closely with provincial, territorial, and municipal partners, as well as settlement service providers and the Ukrainian-Canadian community, to welcome Ukrainians and their family members fleeing Russia’s illegal invasion.
• The extension of federally-funded settlement services to these individuals, in provinces and territories outside of Quebec, allows for those fleeing the invasion to fully participate in Canadian communities. These services include activities that promote connections with communities, provide information about life in Canada including how to obtain longer term housing, language training and employment.
• Quebec provides its own settlement services and temporary accommodations to Ukrainians and their family members fleeing the invasion.

If pressed on Budget:

• On March 22, 2023, the Minister of IRCC announced the extension of the CUAET. The extension included that Ukrainians and their family members would have until July 15, 2023, to apply for a CUAET visa; that anyone holding a CUAET visa would have until March 31, 2024, to travel to Canada to receive the in-Canada benefits, including temporary emergency accommodations and transitional financial assistance; and that CUAET holders who are already in Canada would have until March 31, 2024, to extend or adjust their temporary status through these measures, free of charge.
• To support this extension, the government committed an additional $171.4M over three years, starting in 2022-2023. This amount is in addition to funding previously committed in Budget 2022 and the 2022 Fall Economic Statement, which currently totals over $1B.

If pressed on Ukraine’s request for visa liberalization:

• Canada and Ukraine enjoy a close friendship built on shared values and strong people-to-people connections.
• Similar to like-minded partners, Canada considers a range of factors before lifting a country’s visa requirement.
• Our relationship with Ukraine is a key factor, but so is the safety and security of Canadians, and the importance of maintaining a well-managed migration system.
• We have a number of special immigration solutions that we believe will help Ukrainians.
• The situation in Ukraine continues to be monitored very closely as we endeavour to support the people of Ukraine.

If pressed on Permanent Resident Pathways:

• Eligible applicants under the new family reunification pathway include Ukrainian spouses, common-law partners, children, parents, grandparents, siblings or grandchildren of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Additionally, the spouse or common-law partner of an eligible relative who was unable to leave Ukraine or who passed away will also be eligible to apply. No financial undertaking will be required.
• In addition to the family reunification pathway, Ukrainians who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently can apply for permanent residence through various immigration programs and streams, including economic pathways and through family sponsorship.
• CUAET holders wishing to apply for permanent residency in Canada can also do so through a number of existing pathways that support transitions from temporary to permanent residence. The extended visit, work and study status offered by CUAET – as well as Ukrainians’ access to settlement services – will help those seeking to transition through these programs. This could be by improving language skills, gaining work experience in Canada or having their foreign credentials recognized.

Temporary measures or support for Ukrainians until 2025