OTTAWA - Canada is expected to close applications for temporary emergency visas offered to Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression Saturday.
But it hasn't announced whether it plans to offer long-term refuge.
Canada launched the emergency visa after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, and offered an unlimited number of Ukrainians the chance to work and study in Canada for three years while they figure out their next steps.
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser extended that program in March as the war stretched into its second year.
New applications for the emergency visa won't be accepted after Saturday, but Ukrainians who have already been granted the visa will still be able to come to Canada until the end of March 2024.
Ukrainian Canadian Congress executive director Ihor Michalchyshyn says he is looking for clarity from the government about what options people will have to come to Canada as the war in Ukraine drags on.
As of July 1, the government has approved almost 800,000 emergency visas, but only about 21 per cent of the visa holders have actually come to Canada.