July 18, 2023

New Permanent Resident Pathway launching October 2023 in response to the Crisis in Ukraine

On 15 July 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced a new pathway to permanent residency specific to individuals who have fled Ukraine after Russia’s invasion and want to remain in Canada [1]. The pathway, set to launch on 23 October 2023, is intended to “help keep families together” and further details about eligibility requirements will be announced closer to the launch of the program in October 2023 [2].

To qualify, applicants, who are Ukrainian nationals, must:  

• be in Canada;

• have temporary resident status (i.e., visitor visa, work permit, study permit, etc.); and

• have one or more family members in Canada who are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Eligible family members include [3]:

• • Spouse;

• • Common-law partner;

• • Parent;

• • Grandparent;

• • Siblings;

• • Children; or

• • Grandchildren

The announcement also states that Ukrainians holding a CUAET visa will have until 31 March 2024 to travel to Canada, as overseas applications under CUAET ended on 15 July 2023 [4]. Ukrainian nationals and their family members may still apply for a temporary resident visa (TRV or “visitor visa”) to come to Canada under the regular immigration measures, and once in Canada, are eligible to extend their stay for up to three years through study permits and open work permits [5].

Our office will follow the news concerning this new pathway and provide updates as more information is provided by IRCC.  While certainly an important initiative in the face of an international crisis, it remains disappointing to see this level of response for only one such crisis without extending the same to nationals of other countries where conditions are equally dangerous for large populations. 

If you have questions about your options of coming to or remaining in Canada, feel free to schedule a consultation with our office. 

[Sources]