Global immigration: Countries
offering immigration
concessions for Ukrainians

3 March 2022

Many countries worldwide have recently announced visa and immigration concessions for Ukrainian nationals in response to the armed conflict in the country.

The situation in Ukraine and the surrounding regions remains fluid and immigration concessions are therefore subject to change at short notice. SSW recommends seeking up to date guidance for your destination country before departing, or reach out to the SSW Global Immigration team for advice.

Poland: Immigration concessions for Ukrainians

Poland is the primary destination country for many individuals departing Ukraine. As such, the Polish authorities have announced a number of concessions that will apply during this period of immense uncertainty.

Ukrainian citizens staying in Poland do not have to leave if their residence permits expire. They also do not have to worry about the legality of their further stay.

Ukrainian nationals fleeing the armed conflict will be admitted to Poland where they should go to the nearest reception point if they do not have a place of stay in Poland. At the reception point, they will receive more detailed information about their stay in Poland. They will also be provided with temporary accommodation and a hot meal, drink, basic medical assistance and a place to rest.

If you are escaping from the conflict, you do not need to worry about having the correct documents with you to enter Poland, but you should take the most important documents with you such as a passport if you have one, birth certificate of any children travelling with you and medical documentation. There is no need to submit any applications at the Office for Foreigners / voivodship offices / Border Guard posts in the coming days. The same applies to Ukrainian citizens staying in Poland whose residence permits have expired. Border crossings can also be made on foot.

Up to date information for citizens of Ukraine is available on the website ua.gov.pl. You can also call the hotline on +48 47 721 75 75.

Ireland: Visa requirements lifted for Ukrainian citizens

The Minister for Justice in Ireland has temporarily lifted visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens travelling to Ireland, effective immediately. This will apply as an emergency measure to streamline and support the swift exit of both the Ukrainian family members of Irish citizens, and the family members of people from Ukraine who are resident in Ireland.

Ukrainian citizens who are considering leaving Ukraine and travelling to Ireland may for the coming period do so without a visa if they judge it safe to travel. Those Ukrainian citizens who travel to Ireland without a visa during this period will then have 90 days after arrival to regularise their position. This position will be kept under ongoing review with the impact monitored closely.

Non-Ukrainian nationals resident in Ukraine who are visa required still require an entry visa if wishing to travel to Ireland. Applications will be accepted through the Embassy network in countries neighbouring Ukraine in the normal way. The Department of Foreign Affairs has travel advice at www.dfa.ie/travel for neighbouring countries that people may be planning to travel to, or through.

Canada: Priority for immigration applications filed by Ukrainians

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is taking additional steps to support Ukrainians and people residing in Ukraine, and to make it easier and faster for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and their accompanying immediate family members to return to Canada.

The government will be prioritising immigration applications from people who currently live in Ukraine. Ukrainian citizens who are currently in Canada on a temporary basis can also apply to extend their immigration status as a visitor, student or worker.

In addition to prioritising applications, IRCC is launching a package of new immigration measures, including the following:

• Establishing a dedicated service channel for Ukraine enquiries that will be available for clients both in Canada and abroad at 613-321-4243, with collect calls accepted. In addition, clients can now add the keyword “Ukraine2022” to the IRCC web form with their enquiry and their email will be prioritised.
• Implementing urgent processing of travel documents, including issuing single-journey travel documents for immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents who do not have valid passports.
• Updating a web page to provide current information on measures; this page will include content in Ukrainian for ease of reference.
• Ensuring that Ukrainians currently in Canada are able to extend their stay or stay longer in Canada by prioritising the renewal of work and study permits, and extending a policy that allows individuals to apply for a work permit from within Canada. This policy would allow temporary residents who receive a job offer to remain in Canada and start working while they wait for their work permit application to be processed.

IRCC will issue open work permits to Ukrainian visitors, workers and students who are currently in Canada and cannot go home, so they can stay longer if they wish. Fees will also be waived, retroactive to 22 February 2022, for certain travel and immigration documents, such as Canadian passports, permanent resident travel documents, proofs of citizenship, visitor visas, and work and study permits. Further details will be made available in the coming weeks as these measures launch.

IRCC has also taken steps to increase operational readiness in the region, including relocating staff, moving additional supplies and equipment, such as mobile biometric collection kits, in anticipation of an increased volume of requests, and adjusting operations in offices across our global network to ensure service continuity for Ukraine. Online options are available for most applications. More information on concessions for Ukrainians can be found here.

Potential restrictions ahead for Russian citizens

As well as introducing immigration concessions for those fleeing Ukraine, there is potential for countries worldwide to also consider imposing temporary restrictions on Russian nationals. Some countries including the Czech Republic, Latvia and Lithuania have already announced that they will temporarily halt the issuing of visas to Russian nationals. More countries are expected to make similar announcements in the coming days.

Advice on global immigration

At SSW, our thoughts are with all those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine, and we hope you and your loved ones are safe.

Should you have any questions about immigration concessions, please contact the SSW Global Immigration team for advice.

Share story