Country to Country Comparisons: We recommend comparing all of the country options available before making a final decision to come to Canada. To do so, please visit this website.
Click here to compare cities within Canada.
Click here to compare cost of living between Ukraine and Canada.
Click here to see the cost of living across Canada.
Also,Consider the Following Important Information about Canada’s Program Before Making a Decision:
Requirements for Ukrainians:
“A visa is required to enter Canada, which can only be applied for online. Entry into Canada for Ukrainians is carried out under the Canadian-Ukrainian Emergency Entry Permit (CUAET) program.
Once your application has been processed, you will receive an official letter of permission confirming that you can enter Canada. You do not need to stick a visa in your passport to enter. The letter of authorization will allow you to board a plane to Canada from Poland, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Romania. You cannot fly from other countries with such a letter – they do not recognize such a letter as a basis for travel.
The following documents are required for the visa application process:
– all valid international passports, copies of pages where there are marks;
– Ukrainian passport (book or card), all pages with stamps;
– a copy of the certificate of marriage / divorce, birth of children (confirmation of relationship with a citizen of Ukraine).
For kids:
– international passport, all pages where there are marks;
– birth certificate;
– if the child enters with only one parent – a notarized permission to leave from the second. If you cannot provide notarized permission, you can write an explanatory letter to the embassy.
If you do not have documents, the application is also considered. Applications for children without documents are also considered. If you do not have paper documents, you can provide your documents from the Diia application to verify your identity. The decision to issue a visa in all these cases will be made by the visa officer.
After submitting an electronic application for a visa, you need to visit the visa application center to submit biometrics (except for children under 17 years of age and people over 61 years of age).
If you have a previously issued tourist visa, you can also enter Canada.
Attention! At the airport, you may be asked for a biometric passport when boarding the plane. It depends on the requirements of the airline and airport of departure. Check with the airline in advance if your documents are suitable for your flight! If you do not have a biometric passport at the same time, it is possible to change the airline and re-register for another flight.”
*Retrieved from https://Varenik.help//
Employment Status:
“In Canada, it is necessary to request a work permit at the time of filling out the visa application form (the corresponding mark is made in the application form). The status for employment is called CUAET (this is the Canadian-Ukrainian emergency travel permit), the open work permit column is a work permit. If, when filling out the application form for CUAET, you do not put a mark on employment, you will have to go through an additional procedure for issuing this particular permit. Ukrainians get CUAET for free.
To process documents, Ukrainians need to contact the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Everyone who came on CUAET needs to undergo a medical examination (~200-250 CAD) within 90 days (sometimes within 30). Those who do not pass such an examination will not be able to work in certain areas. Teenagers in Canada can earn money from the age of 14. All children in Canada have a study permit, but work permits for teenagers must be issued separately (you should immediately check the appropriate box when filling out the questionnaire). In the province of Newfoundland, if you have a permanent job, you can apply for a PR (permanent residence).
The visa under this program is valid for 10 years. You can stay in Canada without leaving for 3 years (or until your passport expires). After that, it is possible to extend the visa (each extension situation is individual).”
*Retrieved from https://Varenik.help/
Healthcare and Benefits:
“If you entered Canada on a CUAET – Canadian-Ukrainian Emergency Travel Permit – you can expect to receive certain medical procedures free of charge. Now most provinces immediately provide basic health insurance, but you need to apply for it. With insurance, you can count on free examinations by a therapist, examinations by specialists, and diagnostics. Hospitalization, if necessary, is also covered by insurance. But, for example, an ophthalmologist, a dentist (except for urgent tooth extraction), a specialist in reproductive medicine, you will pay separately for a visit to them. Don’t count on free (or half price) medicines: pharmacies in Canada are private. It is also worth recalling that calling an ambulance is free only if there is a serious threat to life and the patient cannot get to the hospital in any other way, only in an ambulance. Otherwise, the pleasure of driving a car with a flasher will cost from $100 to $450. Health insurance is regulated at the provincial level – apply for it and wait. It should be borne in mind that in different provinces of Canada the question of which services are covered by insurance and which are not is resolved differently. It is better to clarify all the details in advance, because medicine is financed from the taxes of the inhabitants of this province, respectively, they decide what and how to spend it. Some provinces also have drug coverage. In Canada, the first and most important representative of medicine is the general practitioner, the family doctor. Through it, all further actions are carried out. You will have to look for a family doctor who is willing to take you under his wing, on the other hand, You can change it at any moment and as many times as you like. Read more here (in English).”
*Retrieved from https://Varenik.help/
Transportation:
“Travel in urban public transport in different cities and provinces is regulated differently.”
“Given the not very wide public transport network, it is difficult in Canada without a car. Fuel 2-2.5 cad / liter. Parking is paid, there are applications for finding and paying for parking in different cities. Sometimes downtown parking can be free, such as on weekends. Insurance is obligatory, in different provinces different companies and conditions.
You can use your Ukrainian driver’s license for 3 to 6 months, depending on the province. The conditions for replacing with a local driver’s license are also different for different provinces – somewhere it is necessary to pass an exam, somewhere it is not needed. In addition, different provinces have different driving licenses, and when moving from one province to another, the driver’s license will also need to be changed.
Importing your car registered in Ukraine into Canada is not practical – you will need to not only deliver it, but also clear customs and bring it into line with local safety standards, and this is long and expensive, even if possible.”
*Retrieved from https://Varenik.help/
If you are seeking support or a host in Canada, please click here. Then, here is what you can expect for next steps:
- The refugee family will need to apply for CUAET first. Then, we begin matching once the Visa application has started.
- One or more persons will be identified to host with assistance from North America for Ukraine. They will start by describing the host to you and sending photos.
- North America for Ukraine requests background checks on hosts through an agency, and provides support through the matching process.
- With your agreement to an initial meeting, a text communication via messaging will begin. A few topics we recommend discussing include:
- Available room and board
- Available social services
- Transportation to Canada — when can the host receive the refugees/when can they travel?
- Transportation within the host city — what is needed and what is available.
- Anticipated length of stay
- Employment opportunities
- Cultural and social opportunities
- Availability to help with completing appropriate forms
- Family histories
- Likes and dislikes, such as habits and hobbies
- Shared household expectations
- We encourage a dialogue about what sponsors expect from Ukrainians as house guests, and what Ukrainians expect to establish their own independence and lifestyle. It is important to be open and honest to help avoid conflicts later.
- A video call with a home tour will then be scheduled, and North America for Ukraine has a translator available for these.
- Make travel arrangements once the Visa has been approved. If the host assists with travel arrangements, this is an agreement between the host and the refugee family. If they do purchase plane tickets for refugees, it is advised to never send money and book the travel arrangements themselves once they are certain the refugees are ready to travel).
- Be picked up by the hosts from the airport on your arrival date.
For other ways to find a host in Canada, we recommend the following platforms: