Canada may cancel the program for receiving Ukrainian refugees.

Canada will not extend the simplified admission program for Ukrainian refugees

Canada's Immigration Minister Marc Miller stated that the country does not intend to extend the program for the simplified admission of Ukrainian refugees. This is reported by Globe & Mail.

The minister said that he does not intend to extend the urgent visa program for Ukrainians beyond the deadline.

Marc Miller noted that the extension of this program is not actively considered. However, according to him, Canada will maintain flexibility in responding to the migration aspect of the war in Ukraine.

Operational flexibility is necessary to respond to events in Ukraine, the minister noted.

Recall that since the beginning of the war, Canada has received 173 thousand Ukrainian refugees. This is evidenced by data from the Canada Border Services Agency.

Under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program launched in March 2023, 173,527 people have arrived so far.

Overall, the Canadian government received nearly 1.2 million applications for this visa, of which more than 858 thousand were approved. Holders of such a visa had to arrive in Canada by the end of March to benefit from it. The acceptance of new applications under this program is closed.

As reported, Canada announced in July the refusal to extend this temporary program, but the government promised to soon unveil details of a new migration program that will allow Ukrainian refugees to remain in the country on a permanent basis.

Notably, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, immigrants from the country entered Canada, including under the CUAET program. The visas were issued for three years. Upon expiration, Ukrainians had to leave Canada. Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Department (IRCC) released an important announcement for Ukrainian refugees in Canada. IRCC stated that these Ukrainian citizens are eligible to apply for a work visa - work permits will be opened for Ukrainians without unnecessary bureaucracy.