CIMM – Special Immigration Measures for Ukraine – November 29, 2022

Key Messages

• Canada continues to stand with the people of Ukraine, and is committed to helping Ukrainians find a temporary safe haven while they flee war.
• Streamlining current visa and travel requirements, the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) is the fastest, safest, and most efficient way for Ukrainians and their family members to come to Canada. As of Nov. 22, 2022, IRCC received approximately 700K CUAET applications. Almost 424K applications have been approved and more than 82K Ukrainians have arrived in Canada between January 1st and November 22, 2022.
• We provided charter flights to facilitate travel to Canada for Ukrainians, and have put in place supports to help them after they arrive, including extending eligibility to settlement services which are normally only available to permanent residents.
• Other supports include a one-time transitional financial assistance payment to help them meet their basic needs on arrival in Canada and accommodations for up to 14 nights for CUAET holders arriving without planned accommodation.

Supplementary Messages

• Client-Facing Services on the Ground
• Supports and Facilitations for CUAET Holders
• CUAET Supports in Comparison With Other Populations in Need
• Visa Liberalization
• Response to UCC request for extension of CUAET

Supplementary Messages – Client-Facing Services On The Ground

• The chancery of Canada’s Embassy in Kyiv, including the IRCC office has been temporarily closed as of February 9, 2022. The visa application centres in Kyiv and Lviv were temporarily closed since February 24, 2022. Kyiv remains closed while Lviv reopened on July 13, 2022.
• As of May 9, 2022, a diplomatic presence has been re-established at the Embassy in Kyiv by Global Affairs Canada, but client-facing services remain unavailable.
• IRCC continues to deliver immigration services through its global integrated network and online. IRCC has increased operational readiness in Europe, including relocating staff, opening large-scale biometric collection centres and moving additional supplies and equipment, such as mobile biometric collection kits, to address increased volume.

Supplementary Messages – Supports And Facilitations For CUAET Holders

• Ukrainians arriving under CUAET who do not have immediate planned accommodations are provided with arranged accommodations for up to 14 nights.
• Ukrainians arriving under CUAET are eligible for settlement support services to help them adjust to their new life in Canada. These settlement services include language training, orientation and employment related services and other supports as they settle into their new communities.
• Ukrainians arriving under CUAET are eligible for financial assistance. As of November 22, 2022, over 83,846 individuals have been approved for payment under the Canada-Ukraine Transitional Assistance Initiative, for a total anticipated payout of approximately $220.3M.
• IRCC led on providing three charter flights from Poland destined for Winnipeg, Montreal and Halifax.
• As part of our suite of facilitative measure, Ukrainians who apply through the CUAET program are exempt from completing a pre-departure Immigration Medical Exam as a way to help expedite their travels to Canada. Instead, they may be required to complete a Medical Diagnostic Test once they safely arrive in Canada to screen for certain health conditions and to connect them with appropriate healthcare services.

If Pressed On Immigration Medical Exams:

• From March 17 to September 30, 2022, 37,735 CUAET clients have completed either an IME or an MDT.
• On the MDT: Ukrainians arriving under the CUAET program may be required to complete a Medical Diagnostic Test (MDT) within 90 days of arrival in Canada. The MDT consists of a visual health check, a blood test and chest x-ray, depending on age.
  On the IME: For Ukrainians who apply to come to Canada through means other than the CUAET, they may still be required to complete an IME prior to their arrival in Canada, per our usual admissibility requirements.
• On MDT Costs: The cost of the MDT are set by panel physicians, not by IRCC. However, we have communicated to the physicians delivering these services that they should take into account the situation facing those fleeing Ukraine and many have voluntarily lowered their fees.
• On MDT Delays: We are closely monitoring our in-Canada panel physician capacity. The department has implemented measures which will reduce the burden on in-Canada Panel Physicians, such as the Temporary Public Policy exempting certain in-Canada clients from an IME, and this will increase their capacity to complete more MDTs.

Supplementary Messages –CUAET Supports In Comparison With Other Populations In Need

• The CUAET is available to Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members of any nationality.
• Each humanitarian crisis that Canada responds to is different from those that came before it, and with each, we learn more about how to respond effectively to each unique circumstance.
• Each time there is an international crisis, we evaluate how Canada can best help. We look at whether temporary or permanent solutions are required. We look at the neighbouring countries that affected persons are fleeing to, whether they have temporary safe harbor in those countries, and whether those countries have long-term durable solutions for resettling.
• Ukrainian nationals who arrive through the CUAET will not be entering as refugees. The CUAET is an exceptional measure taken to address the unique situation of Ukraine. Its’ design took many factors into consideration, including Canada’s unique relationship with Ukraine, the extensive Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, and family links and supports already in Canada.
• Because Ukraine shares borders with the European Union, and IRCC has many visa offices and visa application centers in neighbouring countries, the department is able to leverage its existing temporary resident visa processes, networks and infrastructure to bring as many Ukrainians as we can to Canada as quickly and safely as possible.

Supplementary Messages – Visa Liberalization

• Similar to Canada’s like-minded partners, Canada considers a range of factors before lifting a country’s visa requirement.
• We already have a number of effective immigration solutions that will help Ukrainians.
• Ukraine’s visa requirement is not currently under review. We are actively monitoring the situation to support the people of Ukraine.

Visa exemption request and related issues:

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• We are investing an additional $117 million to implement Canada’s new immigration measures to help set up new immigration pathways, expedite the processing of applications, and provide support to newcomers once they arrive in Canada.

Supplementary Messages - Response To UCC Letter Requesting Extension Of CUAET

• CUAET was implemented to rapidly provide temporary safe haven to Ukrainians in response to the invasion of Russia.
• The Department remains committed to supporting Ukrainians and their families affected by the ongoing conflict.
• We are currently exploring next steps for the suite of immigration and support measures that we have in place for Ukrainians and their family members. These considerations are factoring in the impact that maintaining the current measures in place is having on our broader efforts to reduce our overall inventories and the downstream effects on provinces and territories, service providers and social services.
• We are also considering the continued demand for the program compared with the number of arrivals of Ukrainians in Canada since March 2022. As we approach the one year mark, it is time to re-assess how we shift our response into one that is measured and long-term to meet the needs of the population, while ensuring we do not leave anyone in a vulnerable position.
• We recognize that many Ukrainians may want to return home, when possible. For those that have a desire to stay, they may be eligible for existing permanent residence pathways if they have family in Canada, or, as a result of their work permit and experience gained during their time in Canada, may soon become eligible for certain economic programs. As recently announced, our levels plan is historic and Ukrainians are encouraged to use these pathways to settle in Canada permanently.
• We are also continuing to examine options for implementing a special pathway for Ukrainians.

Background

• Many communities across Canada are in the midst of a housing crisis, with record-high prices and low vacancy rates affecting the ability of Canadians and newcomers to purchase a home or rent an apartment. The issue is particularly prominent in large urban centers that traditionally attract a high percentage of newcomers, including those coming under the CUAET.

Speaking Points

• The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine can find a safe haven in Canada. This includes putting in place the necessary supports for Ukrainians and their families so they can be successful after they arrive.
• We recognize that finding suitable housing quickly could be challenging. This is why we expanded settlement services to CUAET holders, who are now eligible to receive housing search and other supports from more than 550 settlement services agencies across Canada. In many communities, settlement agencies help by matching individuals in dire need of housing with volunteers willing to host them.
• We also introduced the Canada-Ukraine Transitional Financial Assistance Initiative to help Ukrainian nationals and their family members meet their basic needs, such as securing housing, as they arrive in communities across Canada and find a job.
• Those who do not have a place to stay upon arrival to Canada could benefit from temporary federally-funded hotel accommodation for up to two weeks. Currently, the federal government has 500 rooms in 9 cities across Canada. Trusted referral partners, such as settlement organizations, are in place in each city to refer clients requiring urgent accommodation.
• We have also been working with provinces, territories, settlement sector organizations and other stakeholders involved in the Ukraine response at the Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven (OUSH) table, helping connect individuals in urgent need of housing with free accommodation generously donated by companies such as AirBnB who have donated $500,000 worth of free housing. More than 1400 nights have already been booked.
• The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) municipalities, encompassing Peel, Toronto, Halton, Durham, Hamilton, and York, have established a hotel footprint of close to 200 rooms to provide temporary emergency accommodation to individuals fleeing the war in Ukraine. Representatives of the GTHA reported that the week of November 21 the vacancy rate at their temporary accommodation sites was at 3%.
• Additionally, provinces and territories have provided for various temporary housing provisions, from the establishment of reception centres (e.g. MB and SK), to programs assisting with housing searches (e.g. BC and QC), to some access to social housing supports (e.g. BC). A few examples include:
  • The partnership between British Columbia, BC211 and United Way to connect Ukrainian arrivals with a variety of housing supports, ranging from private offers to access to social housing.
  • The province of Alberta is funding the Alberta Association of Immigrant-Serving Agencies (AAISA) and Catholic Social Services to streamline housing options for Ukrainians
  • The province of Ontario has established access to emergency housing in partnership with settlement service provider organizations, including funding for a home-sharing program whereby host matches are identified, vetted, and arranged to support clients.
  • The province of Nova Scotia has worked with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (NS branch) to set up a volunteer hosting program. In addition, those arriving without accommodation are able to receive temporary emergency accommodation support.