CIMM – Immigration Responses to Recent Crises – Ukraine – November 25, 2024

Key Facts and Figures

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) implemented a series of temporary and permanent measures to continue supporting individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian nationals in Canada wishing to extend their stay.
The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) was launched on March 17, 2022, and intake closed on July 15, 2023.
On October 23, 2023, IRCC launched a special family reunification pathway to facilitate permanent residence for Ukrainian nationals in Canada who are immediate or extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Applications were accepted from October 23, 2023, until October 22, 2024, inclusively.

CUAET was designed as the quickest and most effective way to help Ukrainians who choose to seek a safe haven in Canada.
Under CUAET, Ukrainians and their family members were able to stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to three years and apply for free open work and study permits.
CUAET visa holders who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, can apply until March 31, 2025, for a new open work permit that is valid for up to three years, apply to extend a current open work permit, or apply for a new study permit, subject to standard fees.
Ukrainians who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently can also apply for permanent residence through various immigration programs and streams, including economic pathways and through family sponsorship.

Ukrainians and their family members who arrived in Canada under the CUAET measures by March 31, 2024, were eligible for federally-funded emergency temporary accommodation and could apply online until June 30, 2024, for a one-time financial assistance payment to help meet basic needs upon arrival in Canada ($3,000 per adult; $1,500 per child).
Canada will continue to offer temporary federal settlement services, such as language training, orientation, employment-related services, and other support, to all Ukrainians as they settle into their new communities. Settlement services are available to all Ukrainians and their family members who hold temporary resident status in Canada until March 31, 2025.

Due to the delay that some CUAET applicants have experienced in finalizing their overseas CUAET applications, those who applied for a CUAET visa before July 15, 2023, but did not receive a final decision on their application by February 4, 2024, are eligible to receive an extended stay of up to three years if they arrive on or before December 31, 2024, and are eligible for a fee-exempt study permit or open work permit upon arrival in Canada or from within Canada if they arrive and apply by December 31, 2024.