A New Permanent Residence Pathway for Ukrainians in Canada

IRCC announced the creation of a new pathway to support Ukrainians in Canada. The new pathway will be launched in October 2023 and will give opportunities to those who qualify to stay in Canada.

Since March 2022, the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) has received over a million applications. As of July 2023, nearly 800,000 applications for temporary residence have been approved. Approved applications are granted for up to three years, which has been a great relief for those who wanted to leave behind the violence since the start of the war in Ukraine. 

As of July 15th of 2023, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced a new pathway for Ukrainian temporary residents. This will help them and their families to reunite and stay permanently in Canada.

This new pathway will start on October 23, 2023, and it will provide Permanent Residence (PR) to Ukrainian citizens who already have temporary resident status in Canada and have one or more family members with Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status. Ukrainians holding a CUAET visa will have until March 31, 2024, to travel to Canada under the temporary special measures set up by the Canadian government. Following the completion of the acceptance of CUAET applications on July 15, 2023, however, Ukrainians can still apply for a temporary resident visa (TRV) to come to Canada. 

Once in Canada, temporary residents will be eligible to apply for an extended stay of up to 3 years through study and open work permits, all of which will be prioritized. Ukrainians also have access to relocation services such as language training and employment services. These services are aimed at helping Ukrainians to settle and integrate into Canadian society smoothly and help them thrive here in Canada. 

More detailed information on the pathway will be published closer to October when the pathway will become available. 

Who is Eligible?

• Ukrainian spouses, common-law partners, parents, grandparents, siblings and children or grandchildren of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

What are the Requirements?

• The applicant must have a temporary Resident Status
• The applicant must have one or more family members living in Canada, whether a Canadian citizen or with permanent resident status.

What was the CUAET?

The CUAET was the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel. This measure was valid until July 15th, 2023 to allow Ukrainians affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine to come to Canada. Current CUAET holders have until March 31, 2024, to travel to Canada from overseas.

The measure aims to help Ukrainians and their family members come to Canada as quickly as possible. It will also provide them with the ability to work and study while in Canada.

The CUAET allows you to come to Canada and stay for up to 3 years.

• You can apply for a free visitor visa and an open work permit.
• You can study in Canada during your stay.

The CUAET measures also give those who are already in Canada the option to extend their visitor status, work permit or study permit so that they can continue to live and work or study in Canada temporarily.

Over 600,000 CUAET applications have been approved however only 133,323 CUAET applicants have entered Canada since the temporary measure started in March 2022.

Learn more about your options to immigrate to Canada by completing our free online assessment form.