Ukrainians displaced by war need pathway to permanent residency: Ukrainian Canadian Congress

People look on during a rally on Parliament Hill to mark the 3rd anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Ottawa on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

OTTAWA — Ottawa should open a permanent residency pathway for Ukrainians who came to Canada through a special visa program launched after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress said on Wednesday.

Ihor Michalchyshyn, UCC CEO, said his organization presented a policy proposal to the immigration ministry in October, modelled on an active permanent residency program for Hongkongers in Canada.

The proposal calls for Immigration Minister Lena Diab to open a temporary permanent residency pathway for people with a Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) visa.

“CUAET visa holders face a bleak and uncertain future. This can include loss of legal employment, loss of access to government or employer-sponsored job training certification, and other benefits that accrue with accumulated job experience and access to health services,” Michalchyshyn told a Parliament Hill press conference Wednesday.

The federal government opened a one-year permanent residency pathway to Ukrainian visa holders in Oct. 2023, but only for those who had a family member with Canadian citizenship or permanent residency already.

The UCC proposal this time would not include those caveats.

Currently, CUAET visa holders who arrived in Canada before March 31, 2024 have until March 31 to apply for a three-year extension to their work or study permit.

Michalchyshyn said the UCC has surveyed Ukrainian visa holders who described their struggles with obtaining long-term employment with the threat of visa expiry hanging over their heads.

In addition to a permanent residency pathway, the UCC wants the federal government to increase the number of Provincial Nominee Program slots so individual provinces and territories can nominate people for permanent residency based on local economic needs.

A spokesperson from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in an emailed response the department cannot speculate on future policy decisions.

Gala Darkina, who came to Canada three and a half years ago with her two school-aged children, is one of the Ukrainians who have told the UCC they want to stay in Canada.

Darkina said she was the general manager of a hotel in a small city north of Kyiv that was destroyed in the early days of the war.

Like many Ukrainians, Darkina has built a new life here. She now manages an Ottawa coffee house and said her children are growing up as Canadians.

“I’m settled here and I truly love living here in Canada. It feels safe, I love working here, I love the environment, the people. And the most important, I love raising my children in this country,” she said.

“Despite all of these achievements, I’m not eligible for permanent residence. There is no program for me and my children.”

Michalchyshyn and Darkina were joined at the press conference by Independent Nova Scotia Sen. Stan Kutcher.

Kutcher said he has spoken to Diab about introducing a new permanent residency pathway for CUAET visa holders.

“We have had a positive reception to our discussions. And I think that the minister is aware of this issue,” he said.

“I think that the understanding is there. I think the issue that we’re actually asking for right now is that the action come following the understanding.”

Almost 300,000 Ukrainians came to Canada through the emergency temporary work and study visa program the federal government put in place following Russia’s full-scale invasion almost four years ago.

The UCC estimates upwards of 100,000 Ukrainian visa holders likely would be interested in applying for permanent residency.

Ontario Liberal MP Yvan Baker has sponsored a parliamentary petition calling for a temporary permanent residency pathway for CUAET visa holders. That petition has gathered just shy of 44,000 signatures and is scheduled to close on Feb. 12.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press