CUAET permanent residency pathway
Petitioners ask the federal government to create a CUAET permanent-residence pathway with tailored eligibility and reduced application fees. The government responds it extended some temporary measures and directs Ukrainians to existing immigration streams.
Why we would sign this petition
- Creates a direct route for CUAET arrivals who struggle to qualify under existing programs, giving a clear path to permanent status.
- Reduced fees and tailored eligibility would lower financial barriers for applicants who lack resources and face danger if returned.
- Recognizes many CUAET arrivals are financially self‑sufficient and enables them to remain and contribute long‑term.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Establishing a new pathway could require funding and processing capacity, diverting resources from other immigration priorities.
- A special program for one nationality may be seen as preferential and could set a precedent for other groups seeking similar treatment.
- The government already offers family reunification and economic streams; a new pathway may duplicate existing options or complicate intake limits.
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 HOUSE OF COMMONS OF CANADA Whereas: Many Ukrainians are facing difficulties in attaining permanent residency if they are here under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency travel (CUAET); Many Ukrainians do not qualify under the Federal Skilled Worker program, and there are insufficient spaces in the provincial nomination program; Most Ukrainians have no trouble supporting themselves; Most Ukrainians would face extreme danger and hardship if forced to return to their home country; Most do not have the resources to pay a high application fee. We, the undersigned residents of the province of Alberta, call upon the federal government to create a special path to permanent residency for those who are here under CUAET that takes into account their special needs.
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 include the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) measures, through which Canada has welcomed approximately 305 000 Ukrainians and their family members who sought temporary 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 CUAET was always intended to be a temporary measure, with the long-term goal of allowing Ukrainians to return home and help rebuild their country, when it is safe to do so. While most of the CUAET measures have ended, the government has extended some temporary in-Canada measures to allow Ukrainians and their family members, who arrived in Canada under CUAET, to continue to work and study here while the conflict in Ukraine continues. Ukrainians and their family members who were facilitated under the CUAET measures and who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, have until March 31, 2026, to apply for a new open work permit that is valid for up to three years, renew a current work permit or apply for a new study permit, subject to standard fees. Those who wish to renew their status as a visitor or student can apply through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s regular application processes, subject to standard fees. Intake for the family reunification pathway to permanent residence for certain Ukrainian nationals with family in Canada and their eligible family members closed on October 22, 2024. Processing of applications is ongoing. The Ukraine Family Reunification Pathway is included in the Humanitarian and Compassionate and Other Category within the Immigration Levels Plan, for which a total of 6 900 admissions have been allocated in 2026, distributed across multiple humanitarian and crisis commitments. We continue to monitor the situation in the region and evaluate how our immigration programs can best support Ukrainians. Ukrainians who wish to immigrate to Canada permanently can still apply for permanent residence through various existing immigration programs and streams, including economic pathways and through family sponsorship. The Canada Border Services Agency continues to have an administrative deferral of removals in place for Ukraine.