Frequently Asked Questions

CUAET applications received on or before July 15, 2023, will be processed under CUAET measures. Ukrainians holding a CUAET visa have until March 31, 2024, to travel to Canada under the temporary special measures and have access to in-Canada benefits associated with the CUAET. Consult this page if you would like to check your application status.

A CUAET visa holder can travel to Canada as long as their visa is valid. However, in order to benefit from the temporary special measures and have access to in-Canada benefits associated with the CUAET (such as one-time financial assistance and up to 14 nights accommodation at the federally-funded hotels), a CUAET visa holder has to travel to Canada until March 31, 2024.

CUAET visas do not expire after March 31, 2024. If CUAET visa holders arrive after March 31, 2024, their CUAET visa becomes a regular temporary resident visa, with clients being authorized for the regular period of stay upon entry to Canada, which will be determined by a border services officer. However, they will not have access to in-Canada benefits associated with the CUAET.

Important dates – information on deadlines and in-Canada supports available.

To check the validity of your CUAET visa please refer to the counterfoil in your passport. Upon arrival in Canada before March 31, 2024, you will be issued a fee-exempt temporary resident document (visitor record, study permit, open work permit) valid for up to 3 years (or to passport validity, whichever comes first).  

If as a CUAET visa holder you arrive after March 31, 2024, you will be treated as a regular temporary resident visa holder. You will not have access to additional in-Canada facilitation and will be authorized for the regular period of stay upon entry to Canada which will be determined by a border services officer.  

Visa validity and length of stay/status in Canada are two different things. On the difference between a visitor visa and a visitor record, please see here. 

CUAET visa holders who arrive in Canada by March 31, 2024 can access:   

• Federally-funded temporary accommodations until March 31, 2024; 
• Transitional financial assistance until June 30, 2024; and 
• Settlement services until March 31, 2025.  

Ukraine immigration measures: Important dates provides helpful information on supports available for you when you come to Canada.   

Due to various factors you might not be able to travel to Canada by March 31, 2024. CUAET visas do not expire after March 31, 2024. To check the validity of your CUAET visa please refer to the counterfoil in your passport.

If as a CUAET visa holder you arrive after March 31, 2024, you will be treated as a regular temporary resident visa holder. You will not have access to in-Canada CUAET benefits, but will be authorized for the regular period of stay upon entry to Canada which will be determined by a border services officer.

If you have CUAET visa and arrive in Canada on or after April 1, 2024, you will have to apply through regular IRCC channels from within Canada for a work permit, study permit or visitor record, subject to regular fees. You will also need to meet the general requirements to enter Canada and you won’t be eligible to receive supports offered under the CUAET measures. However, you will be eligible to access settlement services until March 31, 2025 that can help with learning English or French, finding a job and learning about the country and community in which you will settle.

CUAET visa holders who are in Canada will have until March 31, 2024, to extend or adjust their temporary status through these measures, free of charge. Use the following steps if you’d like to extend your stay as a worker, student or visitor from inside Canada under CUAET.

No, an open work permit received under CUAET measures allows a permit holder to seek and obtain employment anywhere in Canada without being restricted to a particular province, regardless of what ‘Employment Location’ says. The ‘Employment Location’ field may display a specific province if the applicant specified a preferred province during the application process. If the applicant did not specify a province of choice, ‘Employment Location’ may display ‘Unknown’. However, this does not restrict the permit holder’s ability to work in other provinces. CUAET open work permit holders can freely live, work, and move between provinces, and there is no need to reapply for a new work permit.

Some employers may have concerns about hiring CUAET open work permit holders outside of the province specified on their permits. In such cases, CUAET open work permit holder may follow the steps outlined in Immigration measures and support for Ukrainians and their families – Canada.ca to get or extend a work permit under CUAET before March 31, 2024 and provide an explanation with their application that they need province in ‘Employment Location’ removed.

In order to address immediate concerns client and/or their employer might have, clients are encouraged to use Ukraine Crisis Webform at Ukraine immigration measures: Contact us – Canada.ca.

As of July 16, 2023, Ukrainians can apply to come to Canada through existing temporary and permanent resident programs and will be subject to fees and standard requirements.

More information about how to apply for a visitor visa can be found here.

Yes, as of July 16, 2023, you will be subject to standard fees, processing times and all applicable eligibility and admissibility requirements.

As per the fee list, the fee for a visitor visa is CAD $100 per person. The maximum fee for a family of 5 or more, applying at the same time and place, is CAD $500.

Visitor visa application are subject to standard processing times. Check processing times here. Of note, processing times do not include the time needed to give biometrics. However, once in Canada you will be eligible to apply for an open work permit, study permit or extended stay for up to 3 years – all of which will be prioritized if you apply until March 31, 2024.

Find out if you need to give biometrics here. If you need to provide biometrics, you will receive a letter after you submit a visitor visa application.

Biometrics fees:

• Individual applicant: CAD $85
• Families applying at the same time: maximum total fee of CAD $170

Find out more about biometrics:

• Steps to give your biometrics
• Biometrics facts

You can submit biometrics at any visa application centre (VACs). You will need to book an appointment to give your biometrics. You can go to a VAC that is outside your country of residence; either call, email or use web chat (check their website for details). VAC locations can be found here. Please note, some VACs are experiencing higher than normal volumes.

You might need to submit to an IME in certain cases.

• If you have applied and were approved for a CUAET temporary resident visa:
  • If you are approved under CUAET, you may need to complete the medical diagnostic test (MDT) within 90 days of arrival to Canada. A border services officer might impose a condition on your visitor record stating you must report for a medical diagnostic test to identify conditions of public health concern.

• If you have applied and were approved for a regular temporary resident visa:
  • You will not be required to undergo an IME before arriving in Canada, as persons seeking to enter Canada as visitors on a regular temporary resident visa are generally authorized for period of stay of 6 months, for which no IME is required.
  • Once in Canada, after July 15, 2023, Ukrainians and their family members who enter Canada as temporary residents will be eligible to apply for an extended stay of up to 3 years, study permits, and work permits until March 31, 2024. At this point, clients may be required to undergo an IME in Canada, depending on their circumstances.
  • For instance, Ukrainians who have resided in a country with a high rate of tuberculosis (TB) for at least 6 months in the last year and who will be visiting Canada for more than 6 months will require an IME. Individuals planning to work or study in a field in which the protection of public health is essential are also required to complete an Immigration Medical Exam. For information on who must submit to an immigration medical examination.

Information about processing of visitor visa applications can be found here.

Following the end of overseas applications under CUAET on July 15, 2023, Ukrainians and their family members can still apply for a temporary resident visa to come to Canada, under pre-existing immigration measures.

Once in Canada, temporary residents will be eligible to apply for an extended stay of up to three years through a visitor record, study permits or open work permits, all of which will be prioritized if applied until March 31, 2024.

Steps on how to apply from within Canada, as well as eligibility can be found here. 

The deadline to apply for or extend an open work permit, study permit and visitor record in Canada under the facilitative measures is March 31, 2024. 

Fees for a visitor record:

• visitor record processing fee – $100
• biometrics fee (if applicable) – $85

Fees for an open work permit:

• work permit fee -$155
• open work permit holder fee – $100
• biometrics fee (if applicable) – $85

Fees for a study permit:

• study permit fee – $150
• biometrics fee (if applicable) – $85

As of April 1, 2024, Ukrainians and their family members may still travel to Canada through existing temporary resident programs and apply, once in Canada, for regular temporary resident extensions.

They will also have access to settlement services, such as language training and employment services. 

No, if you are not a CUAET visa holder, you would not have access to temporary accommodations and transitional financial assistance.

All Ukrainians with temporary resident status in Canada and their family members of any nationality, including those who apply for TRVs after July 15, 2023, and those who currently hold regular, non-CUAET TRVs remain eligible for settlement services until March 31, 2025, regardless of their arrival date.

A family member is defined as:

• spouse or common-law partner
• dependent child (applicant’s, applicant’s spouse’s or common-law partner’s)
• dependent child of a dependent child (grandchild)

Foreign national family members are required to show proof of their relationship to the Ukrainian family member.

Settlement services provide information about life in Canada and the communities where clients settle, language training, assistance in finding a job, and connections with established immigrants and Canadians.

As of July 16, 2023, there will no longer be port of entry (POE) facilitation for regular temporary resident visa (TRV) holders. This means you cannot request an for open work permit, study permit, and/or extended visitor record at a POE. However, you can apply once you are in inland. Your application for an open work permit, study permit, and/or extended visitor record will be prioritized if you apply until March 31, 2024. For more information visit Ukraine immigration measures: Extend your visitor status in Canada, Open work permits for Ukrainians and their family members in Canada and Study permits for Ukrainians and their family members in Canada.

Yes, family members of Ukrainian nationals will have access to the in-Canada measures noted above.

A family member is defined as a:

• spouse or common-law partner
• dependent child (applicant’s, applicant’s spouse’s or common-law partner’s)
• dependent child of a dependent child (grandchild)

Refunds may be possible for those who paid an applicable visa fee between February 22, 2022, and March 14, 2022. We are working on finalizing this process. Please consult this page for the updates.

No, Ukrainians holding a non-CUAET visa issued prior to the launch of CUAET and who did not apply for CUAET, will not have access to temporary accommodations and transitional financial assistance.

However, Ukrainians with temporary resident status in Canada, and their family members, remain eligible to access settlement services until March 31, 2025, regardless of their arrival date and type of TRV.

On June 27, 2023, IRCC announced a new temporary 3-year study authorization extension for all foreign workers. This means foreign workers can study full-time or part-time, with no restrictions on the length of the study program, while their work permits are valid or until the expiration of the 3-year policy.

CUAET visa holders with a valid work permit and non-CUAET visa holders are eligible for this temporary 3-year study authorization extension if they meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Client must have a valid work permit issued on or before June 7, 2023.
• If client held a valid work permit on June 7, 2023, they can study without a study permit until either the expiry date on the work permit or June 27, 2026 whichever is the earliest.
• Under these measures, work experience gained while studying full-time in Canada will not be eligible for consideration under Express Entry.

Please note, when applying for a permanent residence under Express Entry, points will not be awarded for work experience gained while studying full-time in Canada.

Information on pathways to permanent residence can be found at Immigrate to Canada – Canada.ca.

To qualify, Ukrainian nationals must be physically in Canada with temporary resident status and have one or more family members in Canada. You are eligible if you are:

• a relative (spouse, common-law partner, parent, grandparent, sibling, child or grandchild) of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• a spouse or common-law partner of a missing, deceased or unable to leave Ukraine Ukrainian national, who is/was a relative of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. In this case, you should not have remarried or be in a common-law relationship with another person since leaving Ukraine

For more information on the family reunification pathway to permanent residence, click here.

Other permanent residence programs remain available for Ukrainian nationals, including the family class or economic immigration programs. Further information on the different IRCC permanent residence programs available can be found on IRCC’s website.

Ukrainians accepted under the new family reunification pathway for Ukrainian nationals are in addition to any family members who come to Canada through the Family Class program.

The new family reunification pathway for Ukrainian nationals will not have an impact on the number of spaces available through the Family Class program, including for parents and grandparents.

Ukrainian nationals continue to have access to opportunities for temporary resident status, including the ability of parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to apply for parent and grandparent super visa, which is valid for up to 10 years and allows extended stays of 5 years at a time.

Settlement services are currently available to all Ukrainian nationals and their dependents in Canada, not just to CUAET visa holders, and access has been extended until March 31, 2025.

Individuals granted permanent residence under the special family reunification pathway for Ukrainian nationals will have access to the same settlement services available to new permanent residents under other immigration programs, including information and orientation services, language assessments and training, employment related and community connections services.

Further information to help find a settlement services provider in your area is available on IRCC’s website.

As displaced Ukrainians arrive in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET), they have no coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). Policies for access to mental health support depend on each province and territory. 

For more information, please refer to our Mental Health Resources webpage.

You can also refer to the  Wellness Together Canada site to learn more about mental health and wellness services for adults.

Yes, you can connect with Kids Help Phone’s professional counsellors in multiple languages (English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Pashto, Dari, Mandarin and Arabic) by calling 1-800-668-6868.

Kids Help Phone provides phone counselling service in multiple languages, with the help of trained interpreters. It’s all free, private and available 24/7 in Canada. No ID is required.

You can use Child Helpline International’s website to find helplines worldwide if you’re outside Canada.

The counselling service in multiple languages is delivered over the phone by professional counsellors with the help of interpreters in Ukrainian, Russian, Pashto, Dari, Mandarin and Arabic.

The interpreters are randomly selected from a group of hundreds across Canada and the United States. They’re professionally trained to understand and translate what is said. It would help if you paused regularly for the interpreter to translate your words and help the counsellor understand them clearly.

During a conversation, our counsellors can listen, ask questions and help you decide on an action plan. They can also refer you to other programs and services nearest your community (and in more languages, where available). Our counsellors are trained to use culturally responsive practices to support a diverse range of young people.

You can contact Kids Help Phone for support with any issue on your mind, big or small. You can connect about things like anxiety, depression, isolation, relationships, bullying, abuse, school, jobs, grief, loss, racism, discrimination and more.

Kids Help Phone is here to support your wellness. While we don’t offer legal or medical advice or in-person services, we may refer you to people who do if you’d like. You’re welcome to call us more than once if you need/want to. Each time you call, you’ll be interacting with a different counsellor.

You can call Kids Help Phone in Ukrainian, Russian, Pashto, Dari, Mandarin and Arabic across Canada at any time. Are you interested in trying it out? Here’s how it works:

1. Call Kids Help Phone’s toll-free number at 1-800-668-6868.
2. Pres 3 to get support in Ukrainian, Russian, Pashto, Dari, Mandarin and Arabic.
3. Listen as a counsellor greets you in English.
4. Let the counsellor know which language you’d like to use.
5. Please stay on the line as the counsellor places you on a brief hold while they connect with an interpreter.
6. Follow the prompts from the counsellor/interpreter to start the counselling session.

You may have to wait a little bit to speak to a counsellor. The amount of time can vary depending on how many people call them. You may find it helpful to use this time to think about what you want to talk about with the counsellor or to try some well-being activities. Try to keep in mind that a counsellor will always try to answer your call and support you as best they can.

You can visit Resources Around Me to find newcomer and other support programs and services across Canada. When you browse your search results, you can filter by language and communities supported.

You can also check out (and share with your network!) tips, tools and stories for newcomers and more by browsing our website.

Information on access to education in different provinces and territories is available on our website in Ukrainian and Russian after selecting the province or territory where you are located.

It is important to open a bank account in Canada to be able to make and receive various payments.

In Canada, you have the right to open a bank account at a bank or a federal credit union as long as you show proper identification. You may need to go to the financial institution in person to open a bank account. To find more information please see opening a bank account.

The identification must have been issued by a federal, provincial, territorial or state government authority and must be valid, that is, not expired. To be considered acceptable, the valid identification must include your: name, date of birth, photo, and signature. To open a bank account you can find the list of valid identifications at Identification you need to open a bank account.

You will have to visit the site of the province where you are settled. For more information, visit Driving Licenses.

Learn the steps for getting your credentials recognized in Canada at the website Credential assessment process.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation or harbouring of persons, or the control of their movements, generally for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labour. Its defining feature is the exploitation of women, men and children – usually for the purposes of sexual exploitation (sex trafficking) or forced labour.

Human smuggling is usually related to human trafficking and is the importation of people into a country by illegally crossing an international border. Human smuggling is a business transaction – where the individual(s) voluntarily agree to be smuggled in exchange for money – that ends upon arrival at the destination. There are instances where people who asked to be smuggled into a country become human trafficking victims at the hands of their smuggler.

Another criminal behaviour related to Human Trafficking is Forced labour which involves recruiting, moving, or holding victims to coerce them into doing any work. Victims may experience a wide range of abuse, including verbal, physical, and sexual. Examples of forced labour may include:

• working without pay
• performing tasks outside the scope of the employment contract
• not receiving vacation or overtime pay
• working extremely long hours
• deduction of “fees” for food or accommodation from pay cheques
• crowded and unsanitary living conditions
• sexual violence

For more information, visit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police webpage.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, individual and societal factors make a person more at-risk of being targeted for trafficking. When discussing risk, it’s important to note that some groups are more at-risk, but anyone can be vulnerable to this crime. Traffickers are extremely skilled at presenting themselves as potential protectors and providers or offering other solutions to a person’s immediate perceived problem. For example, traffickers can offer to pay for clothing, food or rent to indebt you to them.

Displaced persons and those fleeing their homes due to war, armed conflict, or anticipated armed conflict are more at-risk for exploitation and human trafficking. Things like language barriers, disconnection from social and cultural supports, and lack of economic opportunities while they wait for work permits and other basic necessities are all things that make Ukrainian newcomers more at-risk for exploitation here in Canada. Many displaced Ukrainian nationals coming into Canada are women and children, who are at an increased risk of being targeted for sex trafficking in Canada.

Although women represent most human trafficking victims in Canada, men and children can also be victims. Those who are most likely to be at-risk include:

• Persons who are socially or economically disadvantaged, including Indigenous women, youth and children, migrants and new immigrants, and runaway/homeless youth
• Girls and women who may be lured to large urban centres or move there voluntarily

You can find more information and contact to the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline here.

You or someone you know could be a victim or at-risk of being a victim of human trafficking. Here are some signs to look out for:

• Being controlled by someone else (i.e. being escorted or watched all the time).
• Being tattooed (with the trafficker’s initials), branded or scarred to show ownership by the trafficker
• Signs of malnourishment
• Someone speaks on their behalf despite being physically able to speak for themselves
• Not in possession of any forms of identification nor knowing the location of their passport
• They are frequently moving locations or being moved
• Signs of physical and sexual abuse, including visible injuries like bruises
• Expresses fear/intimidation through facial expressions and/or body language

If you believe you may have information about a potential trafficking situation:

• Report any suspicious activities to your police of jurisdiction (they are there to help you!). Call 9-1-1 if there is an emergency to contact police, ambulance &/or firefighters (i.e. severe injuries, &/or imminent danger of loss of life)
• Post the anonymous tip-line to report crimes at Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS)
• Or call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free hotline at 1-833-900-1010: Hotline Response Advocates are available 24/7/365 to receive tips on potential human trafficking. You can also submit an anonymous tip through the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline.

You can learn about, share, and post the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police number in your community at 1-833-900-1010.

For more information, visit the Royal Canadian Mounted Police webpage.

As part of the domestic and international fight against impunity for perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, the objectives of Canada’s Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program are to deny safe haven in Canada to persons believed to have committed or been complicit in such crimes and to seek accountability for their conduct. Delivered jointly by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Department of Justice (Justice Canada), the War Crimes Program takes a holistic approach, which includes three main avenues to seek accountability:

• criminal investigations and prosecutions
• various immigration proceedings
• citizenship revocation
• In some cases, the War Crimes Program pursues all three avenues.

Canada is aware of the serious allegations that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Ukraine. In response, Canada’s national police service, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, has opened an investigation into these allegations. Please click here to learn more about Canada’s investigation and how you can support it. If you do not have internet access, please call 1-833-812-1263.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is aware that many Ukrainians coming to Canada or already in Canada may have witnessed or experienced potential war crimes and crimes against humanity while in Ukraine. If this applies to you, the RCMP wants to hear your account of what happened. Your information could contribute to future criminal cases against those responsible for such reprehensible acts.

War crimes and crimes against humanity include some of the most heinous acts committed across the globe. The RCMP takes all allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity very seriously. We are committed to fully investigating such allegations of the law and holding those involved in such crimes accountable for their actions.

Rest assured that sharing information is your choice. The information will be safeguarded by the RCMP and only used for investigative purposes and criminal prosecutions.

Sharing information and potential evidence will not impact your immigration status in Canada.

If you choose to share your information, the RCMP will review and analyze it carefully and may contact you later for follow-up.

You can access the latest statistics on Ukrainian arrivals in Canada and number of approvals granted on our Data Hub page.

If you are an individual and would like to make a cash donation, you find more information under the Cash Donation section of Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven’s website. If you would like to volunteer in support of displaced Ukrainians, you can find how to do so in your province or territory under the Volunteer section of Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven’s website. 

If you would like to help as part of a company:

• You can make a cash donation on Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven’s website.
• You can submit job offers under the Jobs for Ukraine section of the Job Bank’s website.
• You can offer goods and services donations through Call to action: Canadian Industry for Ukraine.

The coordination of short and longer-term housing offers is handled by each province or territory. Updates are made on a rolling basis. For more information please Housing.

We invite individuals to express their generosity by making a cash donation, as this may better respond to pragmatic needs. If you want to make a donation of goods and services, you can contact a local service provider.

If you are seeking to make a donation of goods and services as a company, please visit Call to action: Canadian Industry for Ukraine.

Companies and individuals can donate via Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven’s website.

A 10% administrative fee will be retained from cash donations.

Donations directed to a specific province or territory will be sent as requested by the donor. General donations will be allocated based on the immediate needs of immigrant clients.

Official tax-deductible receipts will be provided for donations over $20. You will receive an email confirming your donation and a PDF receipt.

Businesses can make cash donations on Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven’s website. They can also offer good and services donations via the portal Call to action: Canadian Industry for Ukraine.