Question Period Note: UKRAINE

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine. Since then, there have been domestic and international movements of the Ukrainian population, including to Canada given our country’s strong Ukrainian-Canadian community.

• Canada continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and is committed to helping Ukrainians and their family members find a temporary safe haven while they flee war.

• The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) measures were launched in March 2022 to provide a temporary safe haven for Ukrainians and their immediate family members. Intake of overseas applications under the CUAET closed on July 15, 2023. Canada received over one million temporary resident applications under the CUAET measures and as of October 14, 2023, approved over 922,000. Every application received by July 15, 2023 will be processed.

• The new family reunification pathway to permanent residence for Ukrainian nationals residing in Canada, announced on July 15, 2023, is now open. To qualify, Ukrainian nationals must be in Canada with valid temporary resident status and have a Canadian citizen or permanent resident family member in Canada.

If pressed:
• As of July 16, 2023, Ukrainians and their family members can apply for a regular temporary resident visa to come to Canada. Once in Canada, these clients will be eligible to apply, until March 31, 2024, for study permits, open work permits, and an extended stay of up to three years, and will benefit from priority application processing.
• CUAET visa holders have until March 31, 2024 to arrive in Canada and be eligible for in-Canada supports, such as temporary accommodations and transitional financial assistance. Settlement services are available to all Ukrainian nationals in Canada until March 31, 2025.

• Ukrainians and their family members applying as temporary residents as of July 16, 2023 will not have access to federally-funded temporary accommodations or transitional financial assistance (Canada-Ukraine Transitional Assistance Initiative - CUTAI) upon arrival in Canada, but will have access to settlement services such as language training and orientation services until March 31, 2025.

If pressed on other supports
• The Government of Canada continues to work closely with provincial, territorial, and municipal partners, as well as settlement service providers and the Ukrainian-Canadian community, to welcome Ukrainians and their family members fleeing Russia’s illegal invasion.

• The extension of federally-funded settlement services to these individuals, in provinces and territories outside of Quebec, allows for those fleeing the invasion to fully participate in Canadian communities. These services include activities that promote connections with communities, provide information about life in Canada including how to obtain longer term housing, language training and employment.

• For CUAET visa holders arriving on or before March 31, 2024, the Government of Canada continues to provide transitional financial assistance and temporary accommodations (for up to 14 nights).

• Quebec provides its own settlement services and temporary accommodations to Ukrainians and their family members fleeing the invasion.

If pressed on Budget:
• On March 22, 2023, the federal government announced that it was extending the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) temporary pathway by allowing Ukrainians to apply until July 15, 2023, and provide supports to those who arrive in Canada until March 31, 2024.
• To support this extension, the government committed an additional $171.4 million over three years, starting in 2022-23. This amount is in addition to funding previously committed in Budget 2022 and the 2022 Fall Economic Statement, which currently totals over $1 billion.

If pressed on Ukraine’s request for visa liberalization:
• Canada and Ukraine enjoy a close friendship built on shared values and strong people-to-people connections.
• Similar to like-minded partners, Canada considers a range of factors before lifting a country’s visa requirement.
• Our relationship with Ukraine is a key factor, but so is the safety and security of Canadians, and the importance of maintaining a well-managed migration system.
• We have a number of special immigration solutions that we believe will help Ukrainians.
• The situation in Ukraine continues to be monitored very closely as we endeavour to support the people of Ukraine.

If pressed on PR Pathways:

• Eligible individuals under the new family reunification pathway will include Ukrainian spouses, common-law partners, children, parents, grandparents, siblings or grandchildren of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Additionally, the spouse or common-law partner of an eligible relative who was unable to leave Ukraine or who passed away will also be eligible to apply. No financial undertaking will be required. More detailed information is available online.
• 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.

• Canada and Ukraine have enjoyed close bilateral relations since Canada became the first Western nation to recognize Ukraine’s independence on December 2, 1991. Warm people-to-people ties are strengthened by an over 1.3 million strong Ukrainian-Canadian community in Canada.

• On February 24, 2022, Russia escalated its political and military posture by initiating a full-scale military incursion into Ukraine’s sovereign territory. Since this escalation, there have been domestic and international movements of the Ukrainian population, including to Canada given our country’s strong Ukrainian-Canadian community.

• Dedicated service channels (web, e-mail, phone) were activated to provide clients with the most up to date information.

Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET)
• Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, IRCC implemented a series of measures to continue supporting those residing 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.

• The CUAET was an unprecedented immigration response, which represented the fastest, safest, and most efficient way for Ukrainians and their family members to come to Canada. There was no limit to the number of individuals who could apply.

• While intake for the CUAET closed on July 15, 2023, IRCC will continue to process all applications received up to that date. All CUAET visa holders will have until March 31, 2024 to arrive in Canada to receive the associated benefits of temporary accommodations and transitional financial assistance. Settlement services will continue to be available to all Ukrainian temporary residents until March 31, 2025.

• Ukrainian workers, students and visitors and their family members who are in Canada as CUAET visa holders will be eligible to apply until March 31, 2024 to extend their stay, without paying the application fee.

• IRCC continues to leverage its global integrated network to support continued service delivery.

New facilitative measures post-CUAET
• As of July 16, 2023, Ukrainians and their family members can apply for a regular temporary resident visa to come to Canada. Visa applications will be submitted using existing application processes and will be subject to fees and standard requirements.

• Once in Canada, these clients can apply for study permits, open work permits, or extended stays of up to three years, with priority application processing in Canada. Fees will apply. Clients must apply in Canada for these facilitation measures by March 31, 2024.

• Ukrainians and their family members applying as temporary residents, as of July 16, 2023, will not have access to federally-funded temporary accommodations or transitional financial assistance upon arrival in Canada, but will have access to settlement services, such as language training and orientation services, until March 31, 2025.

In-Canada Supports
Canada-Ukraine Transitional Assistance Initiative (CUTAI)
• CUAET visa holders who arrive in Canada by March 31, 2024 are eligible to apply for transitional financial assistance until June 30, 2024.

• IRCC made amendments to the Resettlement Assistance Program authorities to be able to deliver the transitional financial assistance, in partnership with Service Canada for service delivery.

• The online application for the transitional financial assistance was launched on June 2, 2022. The benefit consists of a direct one-time payment of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child (17 years and under).

• As of October 14, 2023, 195,849 individuals have been approved for payment under the Canada-Ukraine Transitional Assistance Initiative, for a total anticipated payout of $522,603,000$.

Settlement Services
• Between April 2022 and July 2023, 103,099 Ukrainian and CUAET clients (86,500 CUAET and 16,599 UKR non-CUAET) accessed services provided by service provider organizations funded by IRCC.

• Ukrainians and their family members in Canada continue to be eligible for these settlement supports until March 31, 2025.

• Key settlement services that are available to CUAET and TRV holders and their families in Canada, include:

o language training
o information about and orientation to life in Canada, such as help with enrolling children in school
o information and services to help access the labour market, including mentoring, networking, counselling, skills development and training
o activities that promote connections with communities
o assessments of other needs Ukrainians may have and referrals to appropriate agencies
o services targeted to the needs of women, seniors, youth and LGBTQI+ persons
o other settlement supports available through the Settlement Program

• Settlement services are provided in provinces and territories outside of Quebec by a national network of nearly 550 settlement service provider organizations that receive funding from IRCC.

• The Government of Canada is also actively working with provinces, territories and settlement organizations across the country to support Ukrainians arriving in Canadian communities. Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven (OUSH), which is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, is a national coordination initiative linking key stakeholders involved with supporting Ukrainians coming to Canada. OUSH serves as a platform for information exchange and helps ensure coordination and complementarity in actions. The OUSH secretariat also administers the voluntary pre-arrival survey of approved CUAET holders, which collects information on their planned arrival data, province/territory of destination and plans in Canada.

Family Reunification Pathway to Permanent Residence
• The results of a voluntary pre-arrival survey of approved CUAET holders found that a significant number of respondents (~61%) are interested in applying for Permanent Resident status in Canada.

• On October 23, 2023, IRCC launched a special family reunification pathway to facilitate permanent residence for Ukrainians in Canada who are family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Applications will be accepted from October 23, 2023 until October 22, 2024 inclusively.
Charter Flights and Miles4Migrants
• IRCC led the implementation of the three charter flights that brought nearly 1,000 Ukrainians and their family members to Canada, specifically to Winnipeg on May 23, 2022, Montreal on May 29, 2022 and Halifax on June 2, 2022.

• The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship also launched the Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund in partnership with Miles4Migrants, The Shapiro Foundation and Air Canada.

o As of April 20, 2022, Canadians and Canadian companies were able to donate Aeroplan points to the Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund through Air Canada or Miles4Migrants.
o On February 28, 2023, Miles4Migrants (M4M) opened their final registration to award 300 tickets to Ukrainians wishing to travel to Canada.
o M4M has discontinued this project and as of March 31, 2023, ended their partnership with IRCC.

Visa exemption request and related issues:
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• We are investing an additional $641.6 million to implement Canada’s new immigration measures related to the situation in Ukraine to help set up new immigration pathways, expedite the processing of applications, and provide support to newcomers once they arrive in Canada.

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