The CUAET Dilemma: What’s Next for Ukrainians in Canada?

also available in Russian

After nearly four years, the status of the approximately 300,000 Ukrainians who arrived under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) remains unresolved. While the program provided a vital lifeline for war escapees, transitioning from temporary status to permanent residency (PR) is becoming increasingly less achievable and pathways hard to navigate for those CUAET-holders, who does not have close relatives permanently living in Canada.

The Reality of CUAET Temporary Status

From the beginning, the CUAET was designed as an emergency response, providing temporary work and study permits instead of direct/immediate PR. Recent statements from Immigration Minister Lena Diab support the government’s original stance: the CUAET program is temporary. There is an official expectation that CUAET holders will return to Ukraine once the conflict ends unless they change the temporary status to a permanent one. This suggests that a broad, "blanket" PR policy for CUAET holders is unlikely to materialize at this point. In plain language this means – “if you do not qualify for PR, you are supposed to leave Canada once the temporary status expires.”

The Barriers to Staying 

Currently, for many CUAET holders in Canada, the standard pathways to PR present significant challenges:

• Express Entry: Many applicants lack the high Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) scores required, often due to age, insufficient Canadian work experience in high-demand sectors, or, crucially, specific Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB).  

• Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP): While viable, these routes are subject to the specific and constantly shifting labor needs of individual provinces, thus can be difficult to access.

The Push for a Specialized Stream 

Because of the barriers mentioned above, advocacy groups like the Ukrainian Canadian Congress continue to ask Ottawa for a dedicated CUAET PR stream that would allow for a simplified way to a Permanent Resident status. The groups argue that those Ukrainians who have spent years working, paying taxes, and building communities deserve guarantees of stability in Canada. However, the “Petition for permanent residency (PR) for Ukrainians in Canada” did not result in any official response from the Government yet. Given the current trend in immigration policies, the likelihood of introducing a simplified PR stream, tailored to a specific pool of temporary candidates remains low.

Possible Solutions and the Path Forward 

Canada appears to be taking a moderated approach to the situation. Potential pathways for CUAET holders within the current framework include:

• Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) Grounds: Despite extended processing times, this stream remains a viable long-term option for eligible applicants in Canada.

• Sector-Specific PR Draws: Immigration via targeted draws, both for Express Entry and non-Express Entry programs that focus on the specific trades and professions where CUAET holders currently might be employed. Such targeted draws often lower threshold scores.

• Work Permit Extensions: This is for those candidates  who do not yet qualify for PR but have the legal ability to remain employed while actively building up their CRS scores.

How We Can Help 

Navigating Canadian immigration during a period of restrictive policy shifts is challenging. As a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants, we specialize in finding opportunities to immigrate within the existing system.

Whether it involves optimizing your Express Entry profile, identifying the appropriate Provincial Nominee stream, or preparing a robust H&C application, professional representation ensures your case is presented with the highest chance of success.

Don’t wait for a policy change that may not come. 

If you are a CUAET holder looking for a viable pathway to permanent residency, let’s build a strategy tailored to your specific situation, and answer the CUAET dilemma: what’s next for Ukrainians in Canada?

Contact us