Prioritize Ukraine family reunification
Petitioners ask the government to reinstate the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway, remove it from the humanitarian quota, and urgently prioritize processing of Ukrainian family applications. The government responds that processing continues, 2,300+ approvals have been issued, the pathway remains in the Humanitarian & Compassionate category, and removing it would not meaningfully shorten delays.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would restart and speed processing, helping thousands of separated family members reunite sooner and reducing prolonged emotional and financial hardship.
- Removing the pathway from the humanitarian quota could free it from annual caps and allow sustained processing focus to reduce the backlog.
- Prioritizing Ukrainian family files would protect vulnerable people cited by the petition, including elderly relatives, war survivors and young children.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Changing quota allocations could displace other humanitarian applicants, creating trade‑offs among competing vulnerable groups needing resettlement.
- Processing speed depends on administrative capacity and the Immigration Levels Plan; reallocating quota may not by itself shorten wait times.
- Provincial roles (for example Quebec’s selection authority) and admission targets could complicate transfers of files and limit how quickly decisions are issued.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Whereas: In October 2023, the Government of Canada introduced the Family Reunification Pathway for Ukrainians, offering families a chance to reunite and rebuild their lives in safety; As of December 31, 2024, only 367 of more than 23,000 applications under this pathway have received final decisions—an approval rate of just 1.6%—while other regions saw tens of thousands of applications processed in under a year; Thousands of families remain in limbo, with many applications awaiting even an Acknowledgement of Receipt after more than a year; Not a single applicant from the province of Quebec has received confirmation of permanent residency to date; These unprecedented delays have caused emotional, psychological, and financial distress to separated families, including elderly parents, war survivors, and young children; The administrative decision to include this pathway under the annual humanitarian and compassionate grounds quota has significantly reduced the processing rate, despite initial assurances to the contrary; In 2024, only 2.72% of the 13,500 spots under the humanitarian stream were allocated to Ukrainians, projecting a wait time of over 60 years to clear the backlog at current rates; We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Reverse the decision to halt the processing of applications under the Ukrainian Family Reunification Pathway; 2. Remove the program from the annual quota for humanitarian and compassionate grounds; and 3. Prioritize and expedite the processing of Ukrainian family reunification applications to reunite families without further delay.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Signed by Peter Fragiskatos Since Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the Government of Canada has put in place measures to help Ukrainians in and outside Canada. These measures include the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program, through which Canada has welcomed approximately 305 000 Ukrainians and their family members who sought safety in Canada due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. They also include the special family reunification pathway to facilitate permanent residence for Ukrainian nationals in Canada who are immediate or extended family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The processing of applications under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway is ongoing and has not been paused. As of September 30, 2025, over 2 300 individuals have been approved to become permanent residents and 60 have been refused. While some applicants may still be waiting for an acknowledgement of receipt, it is important to note that these applications have been received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and are awaiting processing. Each year, we table an Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, including the Immigration Levels Plan, which sets targets for new temporary resident arrivals and permanent resident admissions for the following three years. The Levels Plan is developed following extensive consultations, including with federal departments, provinces and territories, partners, stakeholders, and the public. It takes into account many factors, including government priorities and objectives for immigration, as well as economic, labour market and regional needs, international obligations and commitments, processing capacity, and capacity to settle, integrate, and retain newcomers. Admissions for the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway are included in the Humanitarian and Compassionate and Other category of the Immigration Levels Plan, for which has 10 000 planned admissions spaces for 2025 and 6 900 for 2026, shared between various measures and commitments. This year's Levels Plan focuses on a return to sustainable immigration levels through stabilized permanent resident admissions targets, and, as a result, increased wait times in most categories will persist. Removing the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway from the Humanitarian & Compassionate and Other Category of the Immigration Levels Plan would not have a meaningful impact on processing times, and would displace applicants in other categories, including family reunification and refugee resettlement. Further, under the Canada-Quebec Accord, Quebec has responsibility for the selection of immigrants destined to the province (except for Family Class and in-Canada refugee claimants). Over 250 individuals destined for Quebec who applied under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway have been found eligible by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and are now awaiting a decision by Quebec. Admissions under the Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway destined for Quebec are processed in alignment with the province’s admissions targets. Canada continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and is committed to helping Ukrainians and their family members as the war continues.