Canada extends temporary visa application window for Ukrainians
Posted February 28, 2025 9:30 am.
Last Updated February 28, 2025 1:33 pm.
The federal government announced that Ukrainians that came to Canada under an emergency visa to flee the Russian invasion of their country, now have an extension of the deadline to renew their visas.
Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced Thursday that Ukrainians and their family members who arrived in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) on or before March 31, 2024, will now have until March 31, 2026, to apply or renew an open work permit or study permit.
Last week, CityNews reported on calls from the Ukrainian community in Montreal that wanted to see an extension of the deadline. At the time, only 3,000 Ukrainians had successfully renewed their visas, out of the 300,000 that fled to Canada amid the war.
“Canada remains committed to supporting the people of Ukraine and their families as the war continues by providing safety,” Miller said in a press release. “That is why, through this extension, our aim is to offer protection while recognizing the long-term goal for many to return home when it is safe and there is a proper peace. We continue to stand with Ukraine and its people.”
The government says these temporary measures will allow Ukrainians and their family members to continue to work and study in Canada during the war and eventually return home when it is safe to do so.
Ihor Michalchyshyn, Ukrainian Canadian Congress CEO, said the extension will take some pressure off people whose permits are expiring later this year.
“We’re pleased that the government listened. It isn’t exactly what we asked for but it does give people more time to get their documents in order and apply to stay in Canada temporarily,” he said.
Michalchyshyn met last month with Immigration Minister Marc Miller and asked for an automatic, three-year renewal for visas under the program.
The federal government says Ukrainians can still apply to extend their temporary status in Canada, even if their passport is not up-to-date — that each case will be assessed on an individual basis.
They are offering free settlement services to Ukrainian temporary residents and their family members until March 31.
“We continue to evaluate how our immigration programs can best support people affected by the war in Ukraine,” the press release reads.
–With files from The Canadian Press
