Blog

CUAET for Ukrainian Nationals and Family Members

Posted on 21/03/2022

Are you a Ukrainian national who’s in Canada or who’s outside of Canada and who is interested in extending your stay in Canada or in coming to Canada? With the situation in the Ukraine, many people do not have the time or facilities available to apply for a travel visa in the normal fashion. As a result, in order to help Ukrainian nationals get to Canada, the government of Canada has created the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET).

Here’s how it will work.

This will not be a permanent resident program – although you may have the opportunity to apply for permanent residence while in Canada – but rather an emergency temporary residence program meant to last until it’s safe to return to the Ukraine.

I. Ukrainian Nationals

• Ukrainian nationals will be given a visitor visa valid for 10 years and with no fees required. However, if your passport expires before the 10 years are up, then your visitor visa will also expire. As long as your visa is valid you will be able to enter and leave Canada. However, if you have also applied for an open work permit, you’ll be given status as a worker when you arrive in Canada. If you’re under 18 and wish to study in Canada, you’ll be given status as a student when you arrive.
  • Because it’s a visitor visa, you can only stay for up to 3 years at a time in Canada. However, you can apply to extend your stay when the 3 year stay is up.
  • To apply as a Ukrainian national, you need a valid Ukraine passport and another Ukraine identity document.
  • However, if you don’t have a valid passport or ID document, you can still apply and immigration officials will assess you for what is called a Temporary Residence Permit, which is a special type of visa given under certain conditions.
  • You don’t have to be fully vaccinated for COVID, but you will have to quarantine and test for COVID. You will have to use the ArriveCAN application to upload your travel and quarantine plans in Canada and show the results to immigration officials. You should also get a pre-entry COVID test and register for your arrival COVID test.
  • Go here to find out if you have to give biometrics. If you have to give biometrics, go here and scroll down to see biometrics collection points in Canada if you can’t give biometrics overseas. If you have already given biometrics, go here to see if they are still valid. You won’t pay any fees to give biometrics.
  • You may need to give a chest X-ray and blood test within 90 days of arriving in Canada.
• How to apply for a CUAET as a Ukrainian National
  • Go here and click on the blue Sign up and apply button at the bottom of the page. This is what you’ll see next:

You’ll need to do this step to set up your IRCC Portal Account. Once you’ve received your code at the email address you enter above, use it to sign in and create your account. Once you’ve done this then you can fill out the online application form for your CUAET.

II. Family members of Ukrainian Nationals

You must be a spouse or partner; dependent child; or the dependent child of a dependent child. You must have a valid Ukrainian Passport and be from a visa-required country. (See below if you’re from an eTA-required country). You must also be able to prove you’re a family member by having one of the following documents to show to a border official when you arrive in Canada:

• A marriage certificate or document showing a shared address
• Correspondence with your spouse
• Other documents showing a shared address

The remaining rules are the same as for Ukrainian nationals listed above.

III. Family members of Ukrainian Nationals who are from an eTA-required country

However, if you are a family member from an eTA-required country, you still have to apply for and obtain an eTA (electronic authorization to travel: a simplified e-visa). When you arrive in Canada, as a family member of a Ukraine national, you can:

• Stay of up to 3 years, or until your passport expires (whichever happens first), or
• Apply for a study permit without having to pay the fee, or
• Apply for a work permit without having to pay the fee.
• Remember, you still need to show documents to prove you are a family member (spouse/partner; dependent child; child of dependent child) as we explained above.
• You’ll obtain more instructions when you arrive in Canada.

IV. Family members of Ukrainian Nationals who already have an eTA or valid visa

In this case, you can travel to Canada using your eTA or visa and then your options once in Canada are exactly as shown above for those who are from eTA-required countries but have not yet applied for an eTA:

• Stay of up to 3 years, or until your passport expires (whichever happens first), or
• Apply for a study permit without having to pay the fee, or
• Apply for a work permit without having to pay the fee.
• Remember, you still need to show documents to prove you are a family member (spouse/partner; dependent child; child of dependent child) as we explained above.
• You’ll obtain more instructions when you arrive in Canada.

V. Ukrainian Nationals or Family Members of Ukrainian Nationals already inside Canada

In this case, you can apply from inside Canada to extend your stay for up to 3 years or until your passport expires. The same benefits apply (no application fees; no fees when you give biometrics; medical test may be requested within 90 days of your arrival in Canada; you will need to follow COVID protocols once you are in Canada). You can extend your stay through the following procedures:

• Extending your stay as a visitor: you need to apply before your visa expires (look at the visa stamp in your passport to find the expiry date). You apply online for what is called a Visitor Record and your exempt from the $100 fee. Here’s how to apply:
  • Step 1: get a scanner or digital camera to make e-copies of any requested documents
  • Step 2: go here to read Guide 5551 – Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada – online application.
  • Step 3: Create an online account with IRCC as shown above in part I under How to apply for a CUAET as a Ukrainian National. Or, you can go here and scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the blue Register button under Don’t have an account?
  • Step 4: when filling in form IMM 5708, in the Details of visit to Canada section select “Other” as purpose of visit (box 1) and write “UKRAINE 2022” in the Other field (box). This will indicate to immigration officers that you’re applying under CUAET to extend you stay in Canada. If you forget to do this, your online application won’t be given priority and may take a long time to process.
  • Step 4: Complete form IMM 5708 and provide electronic copies of any requested documents using Guide 5551. You will need to provide an email that IRCC will use to communicate with you and tell you if you have been approved and what further steps to take.
• Extending your stay as a worker or student: you have 3 options depending on your situation in Canada. You can extend your current work permit if you’re already in Canada on a work permit; as well, if you’re in Canada on a work permit, you can instead apply for a Ukrainian open work permit; or finally, you can apply for a work permit as long as your status (visitor or student in this case) is still valid.
  • To apply online for a work permit you’ll need to create an online account with IRCC. See our explanation in part I above for how to create one.
  • Then once you’ve signed in, click Start your application; then click Apply to come to Canada; scroll down next to where it says I do not have a personal reference code; click on the Work Permit button; on the next page click on Work, even if you’re a student. This will be updated later.
  • Proceed to complete the application and make electronic copies of any supporting documents indicated on your Personalized Document Checklist.
  • To get your personalized document checklist: when asked what you’d like to do in Canada answer “Work”; when asked how long you are planning to stay in Canada, answer “Temporarily – more than 6 months”; when asked what your current immigration status in Canada is, select “Worker”; when asked if any of the options in a list apply to you, answer “Yes”; when asked the question: will you be paying your fees or are you fee-exempt, answer “No, I am exempt from paying fees for the application.”

Finally, here are those documents you will likely be asked to provide:

• A letter that states you are exempt from paying fees. Go here to download.
• If you have to restore your status before applying for CUAET go here for more information about your fee receipt.
• A copy of your Ukrainian passport or other travel document and/or identity document
• A digital photo
• The completed Family Information Form IMM 5707
• You may be asked to provide other documents as well

These are the most important details we have so far. Remember, this is a recently implemented program and will be updated in the days and weeks ahead, so check back to make sure whether there are any major changes.

Posted in News Tips and tagged Emergency travel visas, Ukrainian nationals