The daily pressures of life are evident among some Ukrainians in Canada, and the living reality does not necessarily reflect what they aspired to or dreamed of before coming to Canada. This is at least the case for a number of Ukrainian refugees who have settled in the province of British Columbia in the west of the country.

After nearly two years since their arrival in Canada fleeing the war in their country, many Ukrainian refugees want to settle or extend their stay in Canada.

Andriy Patytsky and his wife Kateryna Bondarenko are from Kharkiv, the city located 30 kilometers from the Russian border. Like hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees, they fled the Russian invasion and arrived in Canada thanks to the emergency travel authorization between Canada and Ukraine.

It is worth noting that the emergency travel authorization to Canada stipulated the reception of Ukrainian refugees on Canadian soil for an initial period of two years. During their stay in the country, they benefit from a work permit, a study permit, and access to health care.

By the upcoming March 31, the couple will have to, according to procedures, apply for a work or study permit, or extend their stay for three years, i.e., until 2027.

The couple living in the city of Surrey in Greater Vancouver say that this overwhelms them especially in dealing with administrative procedures in addition to holding several jobs to cope with significant financial difficulties.

In his home country, Andriy Patytsky was a massage therapist and was studying to become a nurse. Since his arrival in Canada in July 2022, he has worked in construction, restaurant, daycare, and cinema sectors. He says he does not have a recognized certificate in Canada, and the cost of living makes it difficult for him to cover his expenses.

The speaker bought with his wife an apartment in the capital Kyiv after their marriage in 2021, and they wanted to have children before the Russian invasion began, but their daily life collapsed in the blink of an eye, then everything was destroyed, as Andriy explains. He hopes to become a permanent resident in Canada and that his situation will improve eventually, and that the conditions will be favorable for him to have a child.

The Ukrainian refugee says: "I want to stay here [...] I will try to apply for permanent residency, which helps me feel my humanity."

Failure to apply for one of the options presented by the end of this month means losing government support services, including financial support and language courses, after March 2025. This would increase the difficulty for Ukrainian refugees to remain and work in Canada.

Daniel Lee, an immigration lawyer from Fasken, points out that there are other ways to stay in the country, but they are more difficult. He says that the refugee must go through the usual procedures and apply for a work or study permit, which is usually a much greater challenge.

Applying for a work permit is a process that can take four to five months and requires having an employer willing to approve the request and able to prove that no other qualified candidate can be hired instead of the applicant.

As of today, Thursday, March 7, 2024, nearly 250,000 people have entered Canada under the "Canada-Ukraine Emergency Travel Authorization" (AVUCU / CUAET). They specifically entered Canada between March 17, 2022, and February 27, 2023, according to federal government data.

It is worth noting that Ottawa has issued more than 936,293 temporary emergency visas since March 2022 for Ukrainians wishing to work or study in Canada while awaiting the end of the war in their country.

Furthermore, up to 90,000 holders of this emergency visa intend to come to Canada within the deadline ending March 31, according to surveys conducted by the Federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ministry and the "Operation Safe Haven for Ukrainians" (OHPU / OUSH) organization.

Father Mykhailo Ozurovych, pastor of the Holy Communion Cathedral in New Westminster near Vancouver, says that many Ukrainians have arrived in recent weeks, and thousands more are expected to follow by the end of the month.

His church says it is ready to welcome these new visitors: "I believe that just a smile and a word of welcome is one of the greatest gifts we can offer," he said.