441-00950 (Social affairs and equality)

The Government of Canada remains committed to helping Ukrainians, including children, and has announced a number of measures to help people affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

For Ukrainians who want to come to Canada temporarily, the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) was launched on March 17, 2022, for Ukrainians and their immediate family members fleeing the war.  The CUAET is a special, accelerated pathway to help ensure that Ukrainian nationals and their immediate family members, of any nationality who are fleeing the conflict, are able to quickly come to Canada to seek temporary safe haven. This initiative offers options to visit, work, or study during their three-year stay. This is the fastest, safest, and most efficient way for Ukrainians and their immediate family members to come to Canada, whether travelling together or not, and eliminates many of the normal visa requirements. As of December 6, 2022, IRCC had received more than 724,000 applications under these measures and approved over 451,000 applications. The latest key figures are available on the IRCC website.

Ukrainians and their immediate family members, including minor children, are eligible to apply for CUAET.  Under these measures, applicants:

• will have most of their application fees waived, including the visa application fee, biometric collection fee, work and study permit application fees as well as renewal fees, and visitor extension, and work and study permit renewal fees;

• will have all their IRCC applications prioritized for processing;

• may apply for permanent residence under a variety of different immigration programs and streams if they are eligible to do so; and

• have access to IRCC’s dedicated service channel.

On March 30, 2022, the Government of Canada announced that Ukrainians entering Canada as temporary residents will have access to settlement services, which are typically only available to permanent residents. Settlement services include language training, orientation, employment-related services and other supports for Ukrainians as they settle into their new communities.

Additionally, the Government of Canada provides up to 14 nights of temporary accommodation for CUAET holders arriving without planned accommodation, while long-term accommodation is managed by provinces and territories. While temporary residents are not typically eligible to receive social housing supports, several provinces and territories have noted their intention to consider eligibility for arrivals to Canada under CUAET given the unique circumstances.

As of June 2, 2022, Ukrainians arriving in Canada can apply to receive transitional financial assistance. These funds will help Ukrainian nationals and their family members meet their basic needs – such as transportation and longer-term housing – as they arrive in communities across Canada. The benefit consists of a direct one-time payment of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child (17 years and under). As of December 6, over 88,000 individuals have been approved for financial assistance.

IRCC has been working closely with other government departments, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, and others across the Ukrainian-Canadian community to ensure that all measures meet the needs of Ukrainians, including children, and their communities. IRCC will continue to engage with provinces and territories, and other partners as to how they can contribute and support the effort. 

Up-to-date data concerning Ukrainian immigration measures and the CUAET can be viewed online at: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/ukraine-measures/key-figures.html.

• Education plays a vital role in helping individuals prepare for the future. This is true for Ukrainian children arriving in Canada whose lives and learning have been disrupted by war. Accessing education can help these individuals build a better and brighter future for themselves.

• Education in Canada falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of individual provinces and territories. However, the federal government plays a supporting role. For example, Ukrainians arriving in Canada under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) may apply for a study permit. Processing fees are waived, and their applications are prioritized. This helps to ensure that Ukrainians are able to gain valuable Canadian education experience to help set them up for future success.

• Further, the federal government offers student grants and loans to individuals who wish to pursue post-secondary education in Canada through the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program. These supports are offered to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons and can be accessible to Ukrainians who settle in Canada and become permanent residents. 

• Additionally, individual provinces and territories, as well as educational institutions such as colleges and universities, have played a key role in welcoming Ukrainian nationals fleeing war and facilitating their access to educational services through supports such as scholarships, international tuition fee waivers, and settlement services.

The universality criterion of the Canada Health Act, Canada’s federal health care insurance legislation, requires provincial and territorial health care insurance plans to provide coverage for insured services on uniform terms and conditions to all residents. Under the Act, a resident of a province is defined as a person lawfully entitled to be or to remain in Canada who makes their home and is ordinarily present in the province, but does not include a tourist, a transient, or a visitor to the province.

To uphold the principles of the Act, the Federal Government provides long-term, predictable funding through the Canada Health Transfer – its largest major transfer to provinces and territories. In 2023-24, the Canada Health Transfer will provide $49.4 billion.

While not a requirement of the Canada Health Act, provinces and territories may choose to provide coverage to individuals who do not meet these criteria, including temporary foreign workers, international students, and individuals that hold other types of temporary visitor permits. Most provinces and territories have chosen to extend public health care insurance coverage to individuals holding eligible permits under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program.

Given the provincial and territorial jurisdiction for health care delivery, decisions on providing coverage to those who do not meet the definition of "resident" under the Canada Health Act rest with provincial and territorial health ministries.