OTTAWA - The federal government has begun accepting applications from Ukrainians and their families fleeing Russian aggression who want to come to Canada while they decide their next steps.
The program to allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians to come to Canada was first announced two weeks ago.
At the time, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser suggested Ukrainian citizens would be allowed to stay for two years before deciding whether to apply to stay permanently.
The government has since extended that period to three years, and extended eligibility to family members of Ukrainian nationals, regardless of their own nationality.
📢 Applications for the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel are now open 🇨🇦🇺🇦
— Sean Fraser (@SeanFraserMP) March 17, 2022
With this new program, those fleeing Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine will be able to stay in Canada for up to 3 years, and are eligible for free open work and study permits.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, says three million people have fled Ukraine since Russia's attack on the country began, and the vast majority are women, children and older adults.
The government expects applications will take about two weeks to process for standard, non-complex cases.
