The federal government has begun accepting applications from Ukrainians and their families fleeing Russian aggression who want to come to Canada while they decide their next steps.
The program to allow an unlimited number of Ukrainians to come to Canada was first announced two weeks ago, marking a major departure from this country’s typical refugee policy.
At the time, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser suggested Ukrainian citizens would be allowed to stay for two years before deciding whether to apply to stay permanently. Read more: Newfoundland opening office in Poland to help relocate Ukrainian refugees The government has since extended that period to three years, and offered eligibility to family members of Ukrainian nationals, regardless of their own nationality.
The government expects applications will take about two weeks to process for standard, non-complex cases. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said the government is open to the idea of chartering planes to bring Ukrainians to Canada once their applications have been approved. “If there is sufficient demand that requires us to do more, like sending airlift, we will look at that.