Welcoming Ukraine

Welcoming Ukraine

B.C. and the federal government are preparing to welcome arrivals from Ukraine to communities across the province.

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Last updated: April 1, 2022

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I am arriving in B.C. from Ukraine

Welcome to British Columbia, Canada. Our province has 5.2 million people, including 232,000 Indigenous people from First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. Canada’s official languages are English and French, but most people in B.C. speak English.

B.C. is also home to more than 200,000 Ukrainian-Canadians. Ukrainian communities can be found in cities across the province:

  • Metro Vancouver, B.C’s largest urban area and the location of our major international airport
  • Kelowna in the Interior’s Okanagan Valley
  • Vernon in the North Okanagan
  • Victoria, the capital of B.C., located on Vancouver Island
  • Kamloops in Thompson Country in the Interior
  • Chilliwack in the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver
  • Prince George, the urban centre of Northern B.C.

Map of B.C. showing large Ukrainian-Canadian communities

Know your immigration status. Through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET), you can receive temporary resident status. We recommend that anyone applying under CUAET also apply for an open work permit.

The government services available to you depend on if you enter Canada as a visitor, student or worker. People who already have temporary or permanent resident status may also be eligible for services.

You must also have a medical exam within 90 days of arriving in Canada. Find an approved physician for your medical exam.

Coming to Canada

Immigration is the responsibility of the federal government of Canada. You must follow federal guidance to enter Canada.

Supports and services

Resources are available to help you get settled when you arrive in Canada.

Employment

Canadian businesses want to hire you. Apply through the Job Bank.

To work in B.C., you need a work permit.

Ukrainian nationals and their family members can apply for an open work permit, valid for up to 3 years.

Graduate students and researchers may be eligible for funding to continue their research in Canada. You must have already received funding from a Canadian research agency.

Health care

If you have a work permit valid for 6 months or longer, you can:

You need a PHN to access health care in B.C.

Education and child care

Learn how to access child care in B.C.

If you have children aged 5 to 18, register them in a local school when you arrive.

I need help

If you need help with government services, call Service BC.

Dial: 1-800-663-7867Available 7:30 am to 5 pm PT.

Translators are available in Ukrainian, Russian and 140 other languages.

I want to help people from Ukraine

British Columbians are coming together to support the people of Ukraine. Call Service BC to find out how you can volunteer: 1-800-663-7867

I want to make a donation

You can donate to the Canadian Red Cross to support the humanitarian response in Ukraine.

Donate now

You can also donate to the Red Cross when shopping at BC Liquor Stores.

I can offer jobs

Hiring new arrivals to B.C. is a great way to help people get settled in our province.

For more information on hiring immigrant workers, visit the Immigrant Employment Council of B.C.

I want to offer housing

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) is collecting offers of housing:

Other ways to help

To learn how you can support Ukraine in other ways, visit: