On October 23, 2023, the Government of Canada announced a new temporary public policy allowing Ukrainian nationals with family in Canada to apply for Permanent Residence (PR).
Eligibility Criteria
There are two classifications of individuals eligible to apply for PR under this temporary program.
Category 1: This category is for those who have a direct familial relationship to an eligible Canadian. Specifically, the primary applicant must:
- Be a Ukrainian national;
- Be a family member of a Canadian citizen or PR including: spouse or common-law partner, parent, child (of any age), grandchild, grandparent, and sibling (or half-sibling);
- Be in Canada at the time the application is submitted and at the time PR status is granted;
- Hold temporary resident status in Canada, or have expired less than 90 days ago;
- Hold a valid passport or travel document;
- Be admissible to Canada; and
- Submit a signed statutory declaration from the Canadian family member detailing the familial relationship.
The Canadian family member must reside in Canada and be at least 18 years of age.
Category 2: This category is for those who’s spouse or common-law partner have a direct familial relationship with an eligible Canadian. The primary applicant is subject to the same conditions above, however may rely on their partner’s family connection, provided that their spouse is either:
- Unable to leave Ukraine, or
- Is missing, deceased, or presumed deceased (provided the primary applicant has remained unmarried and not in a new common-law relationship since leaving Ukraine).
Applicants cannot apply under either category from outside of Canada.
On March 17, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada launched the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel, a program which issued temporary work permits to eligible Ukrainian nationals. Between March 17, 2022, and September 30, 2023, over 185,000 Ukrainian nationals arrived in Canada under this program.
Today’s public policy takes the facilitative measures which Canada has extended to citizens of Ukraine one step further.
For more information on permanent residence options for Ukrainian nationals, please contact us.
