Ukrainian families seeking permanent residency in Canada through a special humanitarian pathway are experiencing delays and confusion, with some alleging that their applications have been 'lost' by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). As Canada plans cuts to immigration, these families are worried about the future and question the government's commitment to supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war.
After the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program closed for Ukrainians fleeing the war, Canada opened a special Ukrainian family reunification stream for permanent residence. Applicants say they're getting mixed messages from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ( IRCC ), and are desperately trying to track their 'lost' applications.
Eugenia Pynchuk sits beside her father Vitalii Pynchuk, who applied under Canada's Ukrainian family reunification stream for permanent residency in January 2024. A year later, he and his wife have yet to receive confirmation that Canada's immigration department has accepted their application. (Francis Ferland/CBC)As Canada plans cuts to immigration, Ukrainian families say they're worried and 'disoriented' after getting mixed messages about their permanent residency applications under a special humanitarian pathway to reunite families fleeing war. Some applicants allege IRCC 'lost' their applications, and question Canada's commitment to continue supporting Ukrainians as the war rages on in Ukraine and Russia. 'It worries me very much because it's once again interruption of promises,' said Eugenia Pynchuk, a Canadian citizen, as she sat next to her father. Her parents are currently in Ottawa under a visitor visa that's set to expire next year. Pynchuk's parents left behind their dental manufacturing business in Kharkiv, and last January applied for permanent residence (PR) under a newer Ukrainian family reunification stream. The popular Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program ended in 2023 and welcomed about 300,000 Ukrainian nationals. The temporary PR stream aimed to 'build on Canada's commitment' to reunite families and allow Ukrainians to continue building their lives here if they have family who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. That pathway opened in October 2023 and closed a year later, but data from September 2024 released in response to an access to information request shows there had only been 135 admissions that year. The department also reached 191 final decisions and had about 17,438 applications waiting to be processed.Vitalii Pynchuk has temporary visitor status while he waits for his permanent residency application to go through the system. He has not yet received an 'acknowledgment of receipt' letter, which officially marks the start of the process. (Francis Ferland/CBC) Pynchuk said a year after applying, her parents have yet to receive an 'acknowledgement of receipt' (AOR) — an official document marking the start of the process. Pynchuk said when she checked in with IRCC throughout the year, she was sometimes told her parents' application was visible in the system, but at other times 'they can't see anything at all.' 'It's really difficult to pass through all fear, all stress of war, survive ... arrive here and just be caught in the impasse, in limbo,' Pynchuk said. Pynchuk said her parents are eager to work in Canada but can't get a work permit yet. She said she's feeling the economic strain, paying thousands every few months for their private medical insurance.' feels like stuck and can't resolve any issues here ... can't resolve any issues in Ukraine,' said Vitalii Pynchuk in Ukrainian, interpreted by his daughter. He said it's been painful to be unable to return to Ukraine to arrange a proper burial for his mother, who died during the war. He also worries for his business, which has been frozen since their sudden departure. Eugenia Pynchuk, right, and her father Vitalii Pynchuk look at an album full of family photos taken in Ukraine before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. (Francis Ferland/CBC)'When an applicant inquires with IRCC ... responded they do not see that application in the system at all,' said Oleh Zadoretskyy in Halifax. His family came to Canada under the CUAET visa in March 2023, then applied for PR under the family reunification stream as his wife's sibling is Canadian. Zadoretskyy has been tracking the applications of dozens of families, and said they believe several were 'dropped from the queue' or 'lost.' A group of thousands of applicants has been sharing their stories on Telegram. They've also petitioned the immigration minister, MPs and the media, to little avail.Miller to propose more changes to immigration and asylum system Zadoretskyy explained that as the applicants' Ukrainian passports and Canadian work permits near expiry, they're scrambling for answers.A Ukrainian firefighter responds after Russian missiles stuck a mall in Kharkiv on Sept. 1, 2024. (Sergey Bobok/AFP/Getty Images) Lyudmyla Savyelova, a Canadian who lives near Montreal, said her sister's family applied last January and was told multiple times throughout the summer that IRCC agents couldn't find her application in the system. Her MP received the same response, and in an email, suggested they reapply. CBC has heard from about a dozen others with similar storie
Ukrainian Immigration Canada CUAET Family Reunification Lost Applications IRCC Immigration Delays
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Canada Cracks Down on Immigration FraudCanada is eliminating a key immigration perk that gave foreign workers extra points on permanent residency applications, aiming to curb fraud and manipulation within the temporary foreign worker program.
Read more »
Canada's Immigration Detention Strips Detainees of Legal CapacityA Human Rights Watch report exposes how Canada's immigration detention system routinely violates the legal capacity of detainees, particularly those with disabilities and mental health conditions. The report highlights the case of Prosper Niyonzima, a Rwandan genocide survivor who spent years in detention, including two years in solitary confinement, and was denied the ability to make decisions about his own life due to a designated representative system.
Read more »
Canada Implements Ban on 'Flagpoling' Immigration PracticeCanada begins implementing border security measures in response to President-elect Trump's tariff threat, starting with a ban on 'flagpoling' where individuals leave Canada for the U.S. and return to access immigration services.
Read more »
Canada Implements Ban on 'Flagpoling' Immigration PracticeCanada begins implementing new immigration measures in response to a 25% tariff threat from the U.S., starting with a ban on 'flagpoling'. Flagpoling involves individuals leaving Canada on a temporary visa, entering the U.S., and quickly returning to Canada to access immigration services. The restriction on issuing work and study permits to flagpolers takes effect today.
Read more »
Canada Bans 'Flagpoling' Immigration PracticeCanada has implemented new immigration measures in response to a 25% tariff threat from President-elect Donald Trump. These measures include banning 'flagpoling,' a practice where temporary visa holders leave Canada for the U.S. and then quickly re-enter to access immigration services.
Read more »
Canada News Roundup: White Christmas in Toronto, Immigration Measures, and MoreThis roundup covers a variety of news stories from Canada, including a white Christmas in Toronto, new immigration measures in response to US tariffs, a bizarre highway incident, and a fugitive's death in Mexico.
Read more »