Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has recently extended the deadline for participants in the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program to apply for work permits.
CUAET participants currently in Canada as temporary residents now have until March 31, 2025, to apply for an open work permit. However, unlike previous CUAET measures, these work permit applications will no longer be fee-exempt.
The open work permit is valid for up to three years, depending on the applicant’s passport expiry and biometrics.
To be eligible, participants must have been approved under the CUAET measures and arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024.
CUAET officially stopped accepting new applications on July 15, 2023. Those approved had until March 31 this year to arrive in Canada and fully benefit from the program’s supports, including fee exemptions.
Settlement services for Ukrainians
CUAET participants currently in Canada can still access many free settlement services until March 31, 2025.
These services include assistance with finding employment, learning an official language, preparing for citizenship, and others targeted at specific groups such as women, 2SLGBTQI, or seniors.
Permanent residence pathways for Ukrainians with family in Canada
Some Ukrainians may also qualify for a specific pathway to Canadian permanent resident status.
IRCC is accepting applications through this pathway until October 22, 2024.
There are two categories for eligible candidates, but in both, the applicant must prove a relationship with a family member in Canada who is already a citizen or permanent resident. Eligible family members include:
- Spouse or common-law partner
- Child (regardless of age)
- Grandchild
- Parent
- Grandparent
- Sibling (or half-sibling)
In the first category, the applicant must be a Ukrainian national with a statutory declaration form signed by their family member in Canada confirming the relationship.
The second category applies to the spouse or common-law partner of a Ukrainian national. They must prove that their spouse or partner has immediate family in Canada and that their spouse or partner is unable to leave Ukraine, is missing, has passed away, or is presumed deceased.
CUAET
CUAET was launched in February 2022 as a temporary measure for Ukrainians fleeing unrest due to the Russian invasion.
Under this measure, Ukrainians and their immediate family members could stay in Canada as temporary residents for up to three years. After arriving, they could apply for a work or study permit without paying fees. This also applied to Ukrainians already in Canada who needed an extension on their work or study permits.
According to IRCC data, between March 17, 2022, and April 1, 2024, the department received 1,189,320 applications for the program and approved 962,612. However, the data shows that fewer than 300,000 Ukrainians arrived in Canada during that period.
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