With many having no home to return to, or a desire to return to war-torn Ukraine, time is running out on permits allowing them to live here.

Ukrainians in Canada are looking for urgent support, in an effort to extend work permits set to expire on Mar. 31, 2025. 

According to numbers from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), close to 300,000 Ukrainians are on the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program. This program granted individuals with a three-year temporary visitors visa program. 

The program is now set to expire. 

"Without an extension, families face losing their jobs, home and stability," said Andrea Malysh, president with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress of the Thompson-Okanagan. "We need your help to ensure that Ukrainian families who have already endured so much can continue building their lives here in Canada."

Many Ukrainians do not wish to return to their homeland, as they are settled in Canada.

"Many do not have a home to return to," added Malysh, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine now ticks towards the three-year mark. 

According to numbers from the UCC, over one million CUAET temporary resident applications were received, with 962,612 being approved. As of April 2024, 298,128 Ukrainians arrived in Canada, with 25,158 people receiving final support from the province of B.C. The CUAET program officially closed in March, 2024. 

"Thousands of permit holders are in the Thompson-Okanagan region," Malysh said. 

On the Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship government page, all Ukrainian temporary residents can access free settlement services until March 31, 2025. 

"We are asking Immigration Minister Marc Miller for an immediate three-year extension of work permits for approximately 300,000 Ukrainians who arrived through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program," a petition from the UCC reads. 

In December, Conservative MP of Kelowna-Lake Country Tracy Gray tabled a petition to the House of Commons asking for an extension of the permit. However, due to the prorogation of parliament, there is "presently no opportunity for Opposition MPs to hold the government to account or to even ask questions in parliament or at committees," said Gray.

"Thankfully, petitions are not affected by prorogation and we will receive a government response after March 24 when parliament resumes."

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