October 16, 2025. Ottawa, ON. The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) calls on the Government of Canada to establish a pathway to Permanent Residence in Canada for eligible Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) Visa Holders and their Families.
In recognition of the important role of provincial governments in Canada’s immigration system, the UCC Provincial Councils will also work with provincial governments to increase the number of provincial nominee program allocations.
“Many CUAET visa holders report that in addition to not knowing if and when the war in Ukraine will end, the inability to work in Canada uninterrupted and into the foreseeable future, has been a major source of psychological stress and uncertainty for this group,” stated Alexandra Chyczij, UCC National President. “CUAET visa holders risk loss of legal employment as Canadian employers are reluctant to extend longer term employment opportunities to them because of the likelihood that their visa and work permits will expire. Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s war want to support themselves, pay their taxes, and feed their families. “
As the war entered its fourth year, Russian attacks on civilians intensified. Russia has demonstrated that it is unwilling to stop the war and Russia has doubled its attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure since January 2025. With every month that the war continues, it becomes less likely that Ukrainians will be able to return home or that they will have a home to return to.
A recent survey commissioned by the UCC found that 69% of Canadians support more permanent residency pathways for Ukrainians who have been displaced by Russia’s genocidal war of aggression against Ukraine. The survey, conducted by Abacus Data, found that “Canadians would ultimately rather welcome than turn away those displaced, with 81% preferring that Ukrainians be able to stay long-term, and 80% agreeing that fuller integration benefits both newcomers and Canadian communities.”
Policy Recommendations
The UCC brief presented to Minister Diab is available here
The UCC has made the following policy recommendations to the Honourable Lena Metlege Diab, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship:
Policy Recommendation 1
The UCC recommends that pursuant to the discretion granted to the Minister under section 25 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (S.C. 2001, c. 27), the Minister approve a Temporary Public Policy (TPP) Pathway for Permanent Residence for Ukrainian citizens who are in Canada under a CUAET visa.
Due to the challenges faced by Ukrainians in applying for existing Permanent Residence (PR) streams, and the long processing times for all PR applications, the UCC recommends that the Minister consider alternatives for Ukrainians in Canada under the CUAET visa program that will alleviate the stress and uncertainty they contend with in not knowing if or when they might return to Ukraine, or how they will support their families in the interim.
The UCC proposes that qualifying applicants will:
- Hold a valid CUAET visa which provides for temporary resident status in Canada;
- Hold a valid passport issued by Ukraine or can provide evidence that they have submitted an application to renew their passport in Canada but have experienced a delay in obtaining consular services due to the war in Ukraine;
- Are physically present in Canada when applying for and receiving permanent residence;
- Demonstrate an intention to live in Canada;
- Achieve a level 4 score in all 4 skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) in English or French on one of the following scales: Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) or Niveau de competence linguistique canadiens (NCLC);
- Have been working legally in Canada for at least 12 months full-time (30 hours per week) or an equal amount of part-time hours (1,560 hours in total) or can provide equivalent proof of income for the 3 years before an application for PR is made.
In anticipation of potential application processing delays, we ask that the Minister permit applicants to apply for an open work permit while waiting for their permanent residence application to be processed, provided that the applicant held a work permit within three years of the government of Canada receiving their permanent residence application.
The UCC further recommends that the Minister reinstate IRCC-funded Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) settlement services for CUAET visa holders for a three-year period.
Policy Recommendation 2
The UCC further recommends that the Minister increase the number of provincial nominee allocations across Canada. This would allow provincial governments to develop streams designed to meet specific economic labour requirements.
