Federal government launches temporary measure for Ukrainians to maintain legal status in Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has launched a temporary measure making it easier for Ukrainian nationals and their family members to extend their temporary resident status in Canada, allowing them to obtain work permits and study permits for which they otherwise would not normally be eligible.

These measures apply to Ukrainian nationals and their spouses and dependent family members who applied for permanent residence through the Temporary public policy to grant permanent residence to certain Ukrainian nationals with family in Canada. 

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To qualify for work permits or study permits under this policy, these individuals must fall into one of the following scenarios: 

Scenario one 

• Be in Canada with valid temporary resident status, or have applied for restoration of status within 90 days. 

Scenario two

• Have had valid temporary resident status at the time their application for permanent residency was submitted and have subsequently lost that status, or have had valid temporary resident status within the 90 days prior to submitting the application for permanent residency.  
• Apply within Canada on or before March 31, 2026. 

Foreign nationals in scenario two are also exempt from inadmissibility on account of having worked or studied without authorization or having overstayed in Canada, and are exempt from the usual requirements for restoration of status, including the 90-day time frame. 

Foreign nationals under both scenarios are exempt from the usual requirements needed to apply for work permits or study permits from within Canada.

This temporary public policy was put in place on January 16, 2026, and is set to remain in place until March 31, 2027.

Like all temporary public policies, it can be revoked at any time.

Ukrainian nationals can apply for any of the above even if they have yet to receive an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) on their PR application. 

If applying without valid temporary resident status, they must apply for restoration of status along with their work permit or study permit application.

Typically, IRCC requires individuals not holding an existing permit to apply for a work permit or study permit from outside Canada, with certain exceptions.  

About the Temporary public policy to grant permanent residence to certain Ukrainian nationals with family in Canada

This temporary public policy was launched in October 2023, and was in place until October 2024, to help families affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

To have been eligible under this pathway, Ukrainian nationals needed to have one or more Canadian citizen or permanent resident family member(s) in Canada, or be the spouse, common-law partner, or widow of a qualifying Ukrainian national.

Applications for PR under this policy needed to have been made from within Canada.

More than 13,000 applications were received under this policy, with nearly 24,000 individuals seeking permanent residence or permanent resident visas.

This public policy followed the launch of the Canada Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) in March 2022.

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