Dmytro ZinchenkoIn 2022, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Canadian government introduced a special program for Ukrainians — the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET). This program allowed Ukrainians to find safety in Canada and to also obtain a 3-year open work permit.
Since the program was introduced in March 2022, over 300,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada, striving to build new lives. While Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship (IRCC) has not updated their statistics, many of those who came under CUAET have already become permanent residents (PR) through various Canadian immigration pathways, including Express Entry (EE) and Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) programs.
However, many Ukrainians in Canada are still seeking the opportunity to obtain PR, concurrently with applicants from around the globe who desire to settle in Canada. The number of prospective immigrants to Canada has never been higher!
As a result of this ever-growing demand, EE draws in 2024 and 2025 have seen historically high Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores, making it more difficult for many candidates to qualify. With cut-off scores for EE consistently exceeding 500 points, securing PR is becoming increasingly competitive.
In order to manage intake in Canada’s immigration program, Canada’s Minister of Immigration has introduced several changes to limit both temporary and permanent immigrants. A key turning point came on October 24, 2024, when the
Minister introduced the 2025–2027 Immigration Levels Plan. In 2025 Canada will reduce the number of temporary foreign workers to 5% of the population by the end of 2026. Additionally, the permanent resident targets for 2025 and 2026 were decreased by 105,000 and 120,000 admissions, respectively.
This news underscores the importance of being physically in Canada, as the levels plan proposes that over 40% of PR admissions in 2025 will come from those already residing in Canada. This is good news for Ukrainians presently in Canada.
Despite these changes and reduced levels of both temporary and permanent immigrants, Canada remains committed to supporting Ukrainians already in the country. On August 8, 2024, Canada’s Immigration Minister, the Honourable Marc Miller, introduced a new policy for Ukrainians who arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, under the CUAET program and who maintain valid temporary resident status. This policy allows them to apply for a further open work permit, valid for up to three years or until their passport expires — whichever comes first.
Considering the broader immigration picture for the upcoming years, this policy serves as a lifeline, offering Ukrainians the opportunity to extend their stay in Canada, gain additional Canadian work experience along with language proficiency, and ultimately improve their chances of obtaining PR in the future.
This work permit extension opportunity offers a unique advantage, allowing Ukrainians to continue working legally in Canada, increase their CRS points as well as their chances of securing PR in the coming years.
The deadline to apply for this new work permit is March 31, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to extend your work status for a further three years, even if your current work permit won’t expire until 2026 or 2027. By applying to extend your
work permit before March 31, 2025 you have the opportunity to remain working in Canada until at least March of 2028!
As we have pointed out in previous blogs, in the current Canadian immigration environment, having a strategy is essential. Extending your work permit now can give you that extra time to put your strategy in place.
Please see our previous blogs on the importance of strategy in Canada immigration process: Thinking Outside the Box: Developing a Canadian Immigration Strategy, and Trudeau Giveth….Trudeau Taketh Away: Understanding Canada’s new immigration levels plan.
If you need assistance with extending your work permit under the policy or have questions about finding the best PR pathways for you, our office is here to guide you on your Canadian immigration journey.
