Ukrainians looking to come to Canada temporarily will be able to stay for three years, instead of the previously announced two years, CTV News has learned.
Through the ‘Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel’ program opening on Thursday, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser is set to announce that those who come will be able to stay longer.
The immigration minister’s office told CTV News that it will take an average of two weeks for people who apply to be approved through the online portal.
Earlier this month Fraser announced Canada would be opening two new immigration streams for Ukrainians looking to seek refuge in this country.
One will allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians to come to this country on a temporary basis with expedited emergency visas. It’s this program that is being expanded. The other is a family reunification pathway for those looking to stay permanently in Canada.
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For those applying to leave Ukraine while the war rages on, most visa requirements are being waived, including fees and language assessments. In order to qualify, individuals will need to complete a “simple” application form and provide biometrics for security while still in Europe.
Everyone who arrives under this new stream will also be eligible for a work permit or study permit that will allow them to take a job with any Canadian employer or enroll in an education program.
Fraser’s office said that the government will be setting up a job bank so that Canadians can hire Ukrainians, something for which there has already been considerable interest.
As millions have fled to neighbouring countries, prompting a refugee crisis, the government has been prioritizing processing immigration applications from Ukrainians.
Fraser has said there will be “no limit” to the number of applications Canada is willing to accept fxjmtzywrom those coming temporarily, noting that most will want to return home once it’s safe to do so.
"If we learned anything about Ukrainians who are fleeing this conflict, it’s that they love their homeland and they want to go back when the war is over,” the minister said on CTV’s Question Period on March 6.
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Refugees leaving to Romania after fleeing from Ukraine, take a pause as they walk at the border crossing in Palanca, Moldova, Thursday, March 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
