Why is this relevant for Canada?
In the U.S., this status was introduced in 2010, and for the past 15 years, Haitian residents have been allowed to stay under this status while also having the opportunity to legalize permanently.
During this time, 500,000 Haitian residents have used this status (out of a total population of 12 million).
Canada also created a special program in 2010, then again in 2016, and later in 2023.
A special humanitarian program was also introduced for them, allowing them to legally stay in Canada from the moment they applied, without having to wait for the first stage of approval.
Interestingly, these temporary measures are still in effect. Notably, when the humanitarian program for Haitians was linked to Bulletin OB-83 – Guidelines for Priority Processing in the Event of Disaster Situations, it was no longer included in the federal quotas. This strongly hints at well-known circumstances.
Why am I bringing this up? Many Ukrainian citizens worry that they will not be able to stay in Canada, that PR programs are closing, and that they will be forced to return to places they cannot go back to—a path to nowhere. They fear that the humanitarian program has been allocated only minimal quotas and so on. I am not suggesting that the humanitarian program is limitless, but I do want to highlight a real-life precedent where Canada has allowed residents of certain countries to remain legally, bypassing status loss and general quota restrictions.
Drawing a parallel, the government always has the ability to adjust quotas or “adapt” them through specific amendments that may never even be publicly announced.
Oleksandra Melnykova, Immigration and Refugee Consultant in Canada.
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