Help for Ukrainians in Canada: CUAET in 2026, Work Permits and Support Near Ottawa

CUAET in 2026: what is still open

The Canada–Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel itself ended on 15 July 2023, and the last day to arrive in Canada under it was 31 March 2024.

Since 1 April 2026 the special measures for Ukrainians have changed. People who arrived under CUAET or the related Ukrainian measures and hold a valid work permit issued under them can apply from inside Canada to renew that permit. IRCC's page says eligible holders may extend their open work permit for up to 3 years, and the deadline to apply is 31 March 2027. The public policy behind it expires on that date and, as IRCC says, may be revoked at any time.

Visitors, study permit holders and holders of a temporary resident permit extend their status through the regular processes.

The family pathway to permanent residence

The permanent residence pathway for Ukrainians with family in Canada closed to new applications on 22 October 2024. Applications submitted before that date are still being processed, and people waiting for a decision can apply for an open work permit, a study permit or an extension of their temporary status in the meantime.

Other routes to permanent residence, such as the economic programmes and provincial nominee programmes, follow their usual rules.

Passports and documents

Because of the passport backlog at the Ukrainian embassy in Canada, IRCC assesses status extension applications without a renewed passport case by case. People whose IMM 1442 document is missing the CUAET remark can ask IRCC for an updated document.

Settlement help in Ottawa and Lanark County

Ottawa's settlement agencies help newcomers with documents, housing, jobs, English and French classes and school registration, usually free of charge. Ask each agency what you are eligible for with your current status. Ontario's 211 line, by phone or online, connects to local services by topic, from food banks to legal clinics.

Language classes run through the school boards and settlement agencies, and many libraries run free conversation circles. For work, a Canadian reference matters, and volunteering is one of the quickest ways to get one.

• Settlement agencies — documents, housing, jobs, school registration
• Language classes — English and French for adults, through school boards and agencies
• 211 Ontario — one number for local services by topic
• Ukrainian parishes and community organisations — holidays, Saturday schools, people who have been through the same process
• Legal clinics and licensed consultants — for questions about your own status

Community: the help that lasts

Documents settle in a year; a community takes longer. UAFest began in 2023 as a garage sale in Carleton Place organised to support Ukrainian families displaced by the war, and grew into a festival of several thousand guests run entirely by volunteers of the Ukrainian Community of Lanark County.

There are a few ways in. Volunteer at the festival or on the year-round team and get a Canadian reference and a letter with your hours. Sell your cooking or crafts at the market. Perform on the stage. Or come on the day, in September, and meet the people who live around you.