The Canadian federal government has decided to extend its special visa program for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war until mid-July this year.
According to a press release by the same, through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization Emergency Travel (CUAET) program established last year, Ukrainian refugees overseas can apply for a free temporary visa in Canada, VisaGuide.World reports.
Based on the aforementioned program, Ukrainians and their families can apply for a Canadian visitor visa for free until July 15 this year.
“Ukrainians and their family members will also continue to benefit from the one-time transitional financial support, as well as from access to emergency accommodations for up to two weeks, if needed, after they arrive in Canada,” the statement reads.
In this regard, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, noted that Canada is very committed to supporting Ukraine and its citizens who are fleeing the war. He also added that his country is working to provide Ukrainians with temporary safe shelter with services and life support as well.
The emergency visa application program allows Ukrainian refugees to stay in Canada for three years. At the same time, the program enables them to get a job and study as well. The duration for a Canada visa for visitors, on the other hand, is six months at most, while the fees start at $100.
During the period of March 17, 2022, and March 16, 2023, Canada recorded nearly 944,000 applications under the emergency travel program, 616,000 of which were for minors. Last week alone, more than 133,000 people from Ukraine arrived in the country.
Last spring, the Canadian government offered financial assistance to Ukrainian refugees arriving under the program with payments including $3,000 for adults and $1,500 for children.
However, newly arrived Ukrainian refugees cannot benefit from any additional aid, which is also set to expire on June 24. Canadian charities working to help Ukrainians come to Canada have flown over 500 people to Canada, helped create over 1,000 CVs and raised over $275,000 in aid.
Furthermore, the government said that even after July 15 of this year, Ukrainians who wish to come to to the country from abroad can still apply for visas for work in Canada or study permits through existing temporary residence programs, but that they will be subject to fees and standard requirements.
The same also noted that extended visitor, work or study status offered by CUAET provides assistance to candidates seeking to transition to permanent residence through existing Immigration programs.
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