Canada proposes e‑permit for Ukrainians
A proposal backed by Canada’s Liberal Party would remove visa requirements for Ukrainians and replace them with an electronic entry permit, according to social posts. The proposal is described as potentially easing family and employment pathways while prompting security discussions. (x.com)
Canada’s Liberal Party has adopted a policy calling for Ukrainians to visit Canada without visas and instead use an electronic travel authorization system. (liberal.ca) The proposal, listed as Resolution 47189, won majority support at the party’s April 2026 national convention in Montreal and is now an official Liberal Party policy. The party’s convention rules say a resolution becomes official policy only after majority support on the convention floor. (liberal.ca 1) (liberal.ca 2) (cpac.ca) The text surfaced publicly as Liberal members debated a package of convention resolutions, including one described before the vote as eliminating the visitor visa requirement for Ukrainian citizens who come to Canada for short-term stays. Yahoo News Canada reported that convention policies are not binding on the government. (ca.news.yahoo.com) Canada already uses electronic travel authorization, or eTA, for many visa-exempt travelers who fly to the country. Ukrainians are not currently visa-exempt under federal immigration rules, and Ottawa’s current Ukraine measures focus instead on people already in Canada under earlier emergency programs. (canada.ca 1) (canada.ca 2) That timing matters because Canada’s main wartime emergency route for Ukrainians, the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel, closed on July 15, 2023. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says the remaining measures now mainly cover work-permit extensions and status maintenance for eligible people already in Canada. (canada.ca) As of April 1, 2026, eligible Ukrainians in Canada with certain open work permits can apply to extend them for up to three years, with a deadline of March 31, 2027. A separate permanent-residence pathway for Ukrainians with family in Canada closed on October 22, 2024, though pending applications are still being processed. (canada.ca 1) (canada.ca 2) Canada has a large Ukrainian community that gives the issue political weight beyond immigration procedure. Statistics Canada’s 2021 census counted 1,258,635 people of full or partial Ukrainian origin, or 3.5 percent of the population. (thecanadianencyclopedia.ca) (www12.statcan.gc.ca) What happens next is up to the federal government, not the party convention. Until Ottawa changes immigration rules, Ukrainians still face the system now on the books, while the new Liberal policy serves as a signal of where party members want the government to go. (liberal.ca) (ca.news.yahoo.com)
