Sask. calls for visa process to be sped up amid backlog
Hundreds of Ukrainian immigrants have arrived in Saskatchewan over the last several months. For many of the new arrivals, emigrating from their home country was a decision that was quickly made.
Valentyn Stoliarchuk never imagined he would be living in Canada. On Feb. 24, he met a tourist from Regina by chance in Kyiv. Hours later, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Stolairchuk’s next decision was a quick one.
“I called him and said, ‘Okay, I need help. I would like to go to Canada. What would you recommend?’” he recalled.
Stoliarchuk left for Canada shortly afterward. His friend, Maria Chaikovska, fled to Poland with her family until Stoliarchuk invited her to join him in Canada.
“Wow Canada. No way. I never thought about it,” Chaikovska said, remembering the invitation.
“After a week I just thought, ‘Okay in Ukraine nobody knows when it should be finished and I need to find a job and I have studying. I have to do something.’”
The pair arrived in the first wave when emergency visas were quick to obtain. Now, about 190,000 visa applications are backed up in the Canadian immigration system.
According to Premier Scott Moe, the federal government needs to do better.
“I’ll ask again for the federal government to look at the expediency at which we are actually granting those visas," he said.
Saskatchewan has accepted about 1500 displaced Ukrainians so far. A study by the University of Calgary has concluded that the Visa process is taking too long and that Canada hasn’t accepted its fair share of the millions who have fled Ukraine.
Ottawa says progress has been made.
“Immigration can take a bit of time,” said Karina Gould, minister responsible for Service Canada.
“But I would say that you know from February to today we have seen tens of thousands of people arrive.”
The federal government has sponsored three flights bringing Ukrainians to Canada. Saskatchewan has committed to five.
Premier Moe has claimed Saskatchewan alone will soon outpace the federal government‘s effort at making flights available.
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