Canada should hold off on offering Ukrainians permanent residency, experts say

Canada must wait before admitting Ukrainians visas for temporary stay the chance to become permanent residents because it could send the wrong message to those still fighting for their freedom at home, experts say.

“We want to generally encourage the eight to 11 million people who have fled to go back and rebuild,” said Ihor Michalchyshyn, chief executive officer of Canada’s Canadian Congress. Canadian Press.

Any move by Ottawa to offer Ukrainians permanent residency would likely need to be closely coordinated with the Ukrainian government, Daniel Béland, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada, reportedly told the news agency.

In diplomatic circles, a premature offer of permanent residence to Ukrainians could be seen as a sign that Ottawa is less than optimistic about Ukraine’s chances of winning this war and beating back Russian forces.

“This is something that should definitely involve a discussion with the Ukrainian government,” Béland reportedly said. “At the same time, we don’t know how long this conflict will last. It is unlikely to end anytime soon.”

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Immigration Secretary Sean Fraser is expected to soon announce a program to grant permanent residence to Ukrainians with family ties. But a permanent residence program for other Ukrainians is considered unlikely for at least another year.

That is because Ottawa wants to continue to show support for Ukraine’s fight for freedom against the onslaught of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces.

In February last year they invaded Ukraine. Canada responded by opening its arms to Ukrainians on March 17, 2022 and introducing the Canada-Ukraine Authorizations for Emergency Travel (CUAET) route.

In April, Reuters reported that as many as 354,000 Russian and Ukrainian soldiers had been killed or wounded since the start of that war.

An assessment reportedly collected by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency shows that Russia had suffered a total of 189,500 to 223,000 casualties by that time, including 35,500 to 43,000 killed in action and 154,000 to 180,000 wounded.

Ukraine reportedly suffered a total of 124,500 to 131,000 casualties, including 15,500 to 17,500 killed in action and 109,000 to 113,500 wounded.

As the war continues, Ukrainians are fleeing to the safety of Canada through the CUAET Canada and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser extended the program for those Ukrainians still outside Canada until July 15 earlier this year.

“It is incredible when you see so many open hearts, open doors of the houses, many Canadians welcoming Ukrainian families in the first days and weeks after they arrived,” Yuliya Kovaliv, the Ukrainian ambassador to Canada, reportedly told ABC News.

CUAET will continue to accept applications from abroad until July 15

However, there is no indication that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will extend the CUAET trajectory beyond mid-July.

According to that process, Ukrainians and their family members have until then time to apply for a free CUAET visa abroad. Those who already have a CUAET visa have until March 31 next year to travel to Canada under the special measures.

And those already in Canada on a CUAET visa have until March 31 next year to extend or amend their temporary status through these measures at no cost.

“Settlement services will continue to be available to Ukrainians and their family members after they arrive so that they can fully participate in Canadian communities while they are here,” the IRCC notes on its website.

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“Ukrainians and their dependents will also continue to benefit from the one-time financial transition support, as well as access to emergency shelter for up to two weeks if needed after they arrive in Canada.”

“We remain committed to helping those fleeing Russia’s illegal and unjustified invasion of Ukraine,” Fraser said in March.

“We continue to work to provide Ukrainians with a temporary safe haven and the vital settlement services and support they need to thrive in communities across Canada. Canada will stand by the people of Ukraine, including those forced to flee Russia’s senseless invasion.”

Proper security measures

The CUAET trajectory was designed to allow those fleeing Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine to remain in Canada for up to three years and to qualify for free open work And study permits.

Ottawa increased the processing capacity of its immigration applications in Europe following the implementation of the CUAET trajectory and also sent mobile biometric kits to Warsaw, Vienna and Bucharest to take the fingerprints and portraits of prospective Ukrainian refugees in an effort to ensure proper safety precautions were taken with the surge in applications.

The government has also expanded its federal settlement programs to include language training, orientation, job search assistance and other support for Ukrainians settling in their new communities.

In addition to settlement services, Ukrainians fleeing to Canada are also being offered temporary financial aid of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child.

“These funds will help Ukrainian nationals and their dependents meet their basic needs, such as transportation and longer-term housing, when they arrive in communities across Canada and find employment,” IRCC notes on its website.

“Settlement services will continue to be available to Ukrainians and their family members after they arrive, allowing them to fully participate in Canadian communities while here. Ukrainians and their family members will also continue to benefit from the one-time financial transition support, as well as access to emergency shelter for up to two weeks, if needed, after they arrive in Canada.”

Ukrainians can still immigrate to Canada through other programs after July 15

Once CUAET stops taking applications from abroad in mid-July, Ukrainians wishing to come to Canada from abroad will still be able to apply for a visa or a work or study permit through the IRCC’s existing temporary resident programs, but are they are subject to fees and standard requirements.

Among the immigration measures announced for Ukrainians since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war are:

• a dedicated service channel for inquiries about Ukraine available to customers in both Canada and abroad at 613-321-4243, accepting collect calls. In addition, customers can add the keyword “Ukraine2022” to the IRCC web form with their query and their email will then be prioritized;
• urgent processing of travel documents, including the issuance of one-way travel documents for close relatives of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who do not hold valid passports;
• a renewed web page with up-to-date information about measures. This page contains content in Ukrainian for ease of reference;
• permission for Ukrainians currently in Canada to extend or extend their stay in Canada by prioritizing the renewal of work and study permits and expanding a policy that allows individuals to apply for work permits from Canada . This policy allows temporary residents who receive a job offer to remain in Canada and work while waiting for their work permit application to be processed, and;
• issuing outstanding work permits to Ukrainian visitors, workers and students who are currently in Canada and unable to return home so that they can stay longer if they wish. Retroactive to February 22 of last year, certain travel and immigration documents, such as Canadian passports, permanent resident travel documents, proof of citizenship, visitor visas, and work and study permits, are not subject to fees.