CUAET by the Numbers: 962,612 Approved, Extensions Now Run to 2027

As of June 25, 2026.

The Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) was the largest emergency immigration measure in Canadian history, and it is widely misunderstood today. The program closed to new applicants in 2023, yet the work-permit extensions tied to it were renewed again in 2026 and now run into 2027. This guide sets out what CUAET was, the official numbers behind it, who can still extend their status, and where the permanent-residence routes stand. The headline figures come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) data released under the Access to Information Act, request A-2025-73938.

What is CUAET, and is it still open?

Short answer: It is closed to new applicants. CUAET launched on March 17, 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as a fast, fee-free route for Ukrainians and their family members to come to Canada as temporary residents for up to three years. It granted open work permits, study permits, and visitor status outside the normal rules. IRCC stopped accepting new CUAET applications on July 15, 2023, and the program has not reopened. What continues are the in-Canada measures for people who already arrived, including the work-permit extensions covered below. IRCC explains the current measures on its immigration measures and support for Ukrainians page.

How many people came to Canada under CUAET?

Short answer: Close to a million applications, and hundreds of thousands of arrivals. According to IRCC data released under the Access to Information Act (request A-2025-73938), the program received 1,189,326 applications and approved 962,612, an approval rate of 82.2 percent, as of early April 2024. By May 31, 2024, 298,301 people had been confirmed in Canada under the measures: 239,912 on work permits, 45,597 on visitor records, and 10,626 on study permits. The scale dwarfs any other recent special measure. The table sets out the figures with the dates they reflect.

These are operational figures that IRCC rounds and updates over time, so treat them as the official snapshot rather than a live count.

Were CUAET extensions ended in 2026?

Short answer: No, they were renewed. A common belief is that the CUAET extensions stopped on March 31, 2026. They did not. On March 31, 2026, IRCC announced a new temporary public policy, effective April 1, 2026, that extended the work-permit measure rather than closing it. Eligible Ukrainians can now apply to extend or renew their open work permit until March 31, 2027, for a permit valid up to three years. The deadline that many expected to be the end became a one-year renewal instead. IRCC set out the change in its March 2026 work-permit announcement.

Who can still extend a CUAET work permit, and until when?

Short answer: Those already in Canada under the measures, until March 31, 2027. To extend or renew your open work permit, you generally need to have arrived in Canada on or before March 31, 2024, hold valid temporary resident status, and hold a valid open work permit when you apply. People who were approved but allowed to arrive by December 31, 2024 are also included. Applications are made online, standard fees now apply, and a permit can be issued for up to three years depending on your passport validity. If your current permit expires while IRCC processes the extension, maintained status lets you keep working under the same conditions until a decision is made. The steps are on the IRCC page.

What happened to the free fees and settlement services?

Short answer: They ended in 2024 and 2025. The fee exemptions that made CUAET work and study permits free ended on December 31, 2024, so standard application fees now apply to extensions and new permits. The free settlement services that CUAET arrivals could access ended on March 31, 2025. The core support that remains is the ability to extend an open work permit until March 31, 2027. Budget for the standard fees when you plan an extension, because the fee-free phase is over.

Frequently Asked Questions About CUAET

These are the questions Ukrainians in Canada ask most often. In short: CUAET closed to new applicants in 2023, the work-permit extensions run to March 31, 2027, and permanent residence runs through family-reunification streams or the general economic programs.

The work-permit measure was extended on March 31, 2026 and now runs to March 31, 2027. IRCC has not announced anything beyond that date, so confirm the current deadline on the official pages before you rely on it.