Ukraine: Program delivery instructions
This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.
Note: The CUAET special measures ended on March 31, 2024. The instructions will remain available to provide officers with the information they need to finalize any applications received until March 31, 2024
Please refer to the new special measures for Ukrainians: Post March 31, 2024: Measures to support Ukrainians and their family members
The Prime Minister announced on February 23, 2022, that the Government of Canada has taken a strong stance against Russia’s attack on Ukraine and is committed to helping Ukrainian nationals and their family members overseas and in Canada.
As per the Minister’s announcement on March 22, 2023, the Government of Canada had extended the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET). This means that
- Ukrainians and their family members had until July 15, 2023, to apply overseas for a CUAET visa free of charge
- anyone holding a CUAET visa will have until March 31, 2024, to travel to Canada under the special measures
- CUAET holders who are already here in Canada will have until March 31, 2024, to extend or adjust their temporary status through these measures, free of charge
- CUAET holders will be able to continue accessing in-Canada settlement supports until March 31, 2025, to give those who arrive by March 31, 2024, an entire year to benefit from the services
- CUAET holders who arrive by March 31, 2024, will have until June 30, 2024, to apply for transitional financial assistance
- CUAET holders who arrive by March 31, 2024, will be eligible to stay in temporary accommodations for up to 14 nights, until April 14, 2024
As of July 16, 2023, IRCC is no longer accepting new temporary resident visa (TRV) applications under the CUAET measures. July 15, 2023 was the last day to apply for a TRV under the CUAET measures. Although new intake closed on July 15th, the entire CUAET inventory will be processed to completion, and CUAET clients will have until March 31, 2024 to travel to Canada to receive CUAET-related facilitation and in-Canada supports.
Clients with CUAET visas who do not arrive by March 31, 2024 can still travel to Canada, but will do so as regular TRV holders.
These program delivery instructions inform Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) staff on the delivery of the post July 15 processing of Ukrainian nationals and their family members seeking temporary residence in Canada.
Note: Following subsection 1(3) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, family members are defined as
- (a) a spouse or common-law partner
- (b) a dependent child of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner
- (c) a dependent child of a dependent child referred to in paragraph (b)
Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) measures (Intake from March 17, 2022 to July 15, 2023)
Program-specific special measures
- citizenship
- permanent residence
- Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) temporary residence measures
- overseas applications and port of entry (POE) processing for temporary resident visas and temporary resident permits
- in-Canada applications for temporary resident visas, TR extensions and temporary resident permits
- overseas, POE and in-Canada applications for an open work permit
- POE and in-Canada applications for a study permit
General processing
- biometrics collection
- fee waivers and refunds
These program delivery instructions (PDIs) provide operational guidance related to special measures to support Ukrainian nationals and their foreign national family members seeking temporary residence in Canada following the conclusion of CUAET intake on July 15, 2023.
- Background
- Post July 15, 2023 temporary resident visa processing
- In-Canada facilitation
- Refusing for non-compliance
- Assessing applications for children and minors
- Non-Ukrainian family members
- Non-Ukrainian parents of Ukrainian children
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