While no official data is available, as many as 200,000 Russians have left their country since the start of the war, and most of them are headed to countries where an entry visa is not required for Russian nationals. A slight intake increase has been observed for applications of Russian citizens currently in Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Central Asia. However, it is still too early to establish a clear trend. Most Russian-issued credit cards are no longer accepted on the IRCC payment system, which may delay some people from applying until they can find alternative ways to pay the IRCC fees. Therefore, the number of applications submitted by Russian nationals may rise sharply in the coming weeks.
