Delegates at the governing Liberal Party of Canada’s 2026 policy convention voted on 13 April to endorse a resolution urging the federal government to scrap visitor visas for Ukrainian passport holders and replace them with electronic travel authorisation (eTA) for trips of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. While party resolutions are not legally binding, they often provide a blueprint for future legislation—especially when they align with humanitarian objectives already supported by cabinet. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, Canada has admitted more than 248,000 Ukrainians under the CUAET emergency programme, which expires in March 2027.
![Canada’s Liberal Party formally backs 90-day visa-free travel for Ukrainians]()
For those trying to keep pace with these fast-moving policy discussions, VisaHQ offers a centralised hub of information and application support. Its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) tracks real-time changes, provides instant eligibility checks for eTAs and visas, and helps travellers—Ukrainian nationals and their employers included—assemble the correct documentation quickly and accurately.
A switch to eTA would bring Canada’s stance closer to that of the European Union, which waived short-stay visas for Ukrainians in 2017. For businesses, visa-free entry would ease family visits for Ukrainian employees and accelerate exploratory trips for potential hires under the Global Talent Stream. It could also shore up Canada’s reputation as a destination of choice for displaced tech talent now weighing options between North America and the EU. However, implementation is not guaranteed. Ukraine currently sits on Canada’s visa-required list due to pre-war overstay rates. Border-security officials would need assurance that eTA screening, coupled with biometric verification on arrival, can mitigate risk. The government may pilot the change by restricting eligibility to holders of biometric passports—an approach already used for Brazil. Stakeholders should watch the next federal immigration levels plan, due in November, for any fiscal allocations that would enable the IT upgrades and outreach campaigns necessary to operationalise the proposal.
For those trying to keep pace with these fast-moving policy discussions, VisaHQ offers a centralised hub of information and application support. Its Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) tracks real-time changes, provides instant eligibility checks for eTAs and visas, and helps travellers—Ukrainian nationals and their employers included—assemble the correct documentation quickly and accurately.
A switch to eTA would bring Canada’s stance closer to that of the European Union, which waived short-stay visas for Ukrainians in 2017. For businesses, visa-free entry would ease family visits for Ukrainian employees and accelerate exploratory trips for potential hires under the Global Talent Stream. It could also shore up Canada’s reputation as a destination of choice for displaced tech talent now weighing options between North America and the EU. However, implementation is not guaranteed. Ukraine currently sits on Canada’s visa-required list due to pre-war overstay rates. Border-security officials would need assurance that eTA screening, coupled with biometric verification on arrival, can mitigate risk. The government may pilot the change by restricting eligibility to holders of biometric passports—an approach already used for Brazil. Stakeholders should watch the next federal immigration levels plan, due in November, for any fiscal allocations that would enable the IT upgrades and outreach campaigns necessary to operationalise the proposal.
