Canada gives Ukrainians who fled war another year to apply for work permit extensions

By Canadian Press on April 1, 2026.

OTTAWA — The federal government is giving Ukrainians who fled the Russian invasion another year to apply for work permit extensions.

Ukrainians who came to Canada before March 31, 2024, will now have until next year to apply to extend their work permits by up to three years.

The government created an emergency program to allow Ukrainians to apply for work and study permits in 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country began.

As the war has dragged on, those visa-holders have pushed for a path to permanent residency, saying they have established lives in Canada.

Last month, the government said applicants had until March 31 to apply for a new work or study permit or to renew their work permit for up to three years.

In a news release, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says the new measures are meant to be temporary and recognize that many Ukrainians will eventually go home to help rebuild the country.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2026.

Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press