EDMONTON HOSTS UKRAINIANS | ЕДМОНТОН ПРИЙМАЄ УКРАЇНЦІВ
UPDATE APRIL 2024
The CUAET program has ended. For the most part, Ukrainians wanting to come to Canada needed to arrive by March 31, 2024. There are a few exceptions, but arrivals have now essentially stopped. There are over 20,000 new Ukrainians in Edmonton, and over 50,000 in Alberta as a whole. They are finding jobs, renting housing, going to school, and establishing themselves in the Edmonton community. Some of the first arrivals have already applied for and received Permanent Residency. Some are buying houses. starting businesses, creating clubs and organizations, volunteering. Our Edmonton Hosts Ukrainians community remains active as a source of information and community for newcomer Ukrainians and locals who are committed to welcoming them and helping them get established in their new lives here.
HOSTING 2022-2044
Through the process in our Edmonton Hosts Ukrainians community, we were able to directly arrange hosting for 605 Ukrainian newcomer families -- over 1700 people. Many more were hosted indirectly, as hosts and guests met through the online community, and made their own arrangements. Volunteers carried out hundreds of airport pickups, and hundreds of newcomers were directly helped with paperwork and errands on arrival. Thousands of people in our Facebook group provided a core of support to newcomers, and as thousands more newcomers joined the group, it has naturally evolved into a venue for information sharing among newcomers as well.
The CUAET program has ended. For the most part, Ukrainians wanting to come to Canada needed to arrive by March 31, 2024. There are a few exceptions, but arrivals have now essentially stopped. There are over 20,000 new Ukrainians in Edmonton, and over 50,000 in Alberta as a whole. They are finding jobs, renting housing, going to school, and establishing themselves in the Edmonton community. Some of the first arrivals have already applied for and received Permanent Residency. Some are buying houses. starting businesses, creating clubs and organizations, volunteering. Our Edmonton Hosts Ukrainians community remains active as a source of information and community for newcomer Ukrainians and locals who are committed to welcoming them and helping them get established in their new lives here.
HOSTING 2022-2044
Through the process in our Edmonton Hosts Ukrainians community, we were able to directly arrange hosting for 605 Ukrainian newcomer families -- over 1700 people. Many more were hosted indirectly, as hosts and guests met through the online community, and made their own arrangements. Volunteers carried out hundreds of airport pickups, and hundreds of newcomers were directly helped with paperwork and errands on arrival. Thousands of people in our Facebook group provided a core of support to newcomers, and as thousands more newcomers joined the group, it has naturally evolved into a venue for information sharing among newcomers as well.
More than 7,000,000 Ukrainians have left Ukraine
Canada has created a special visa for Ukrainians to come to Canada.
- Over 900,000 special visas to Canada have been approved so far.
- Over 286,00 Ukrainians have come to Canada since April 2022.
- Over 20,000 Ukrainians have come to Edmonton.
Temporary hosting makes a huge difference!
Hosting gives newcomers a little time to deal with documents, find a job, and then a place to rent. It is very difficult to rent from outside the country. There is no financial support until newcomers have been here several weeks, so bridging these critical first few weeks is essential. Hosts generally provide room and board for about a month, although even two weeks is useful.
Edmonton Hosts Ukrainians is a group of volunteers helping to connect newcomer Ukrainians with Edmonton area hosts, and also provide them with support and information about life in Edmonton. Nearly 500 Ukrainian families have been directly connected with hundreds of Edmonton-area hhosts by our process, and many more indirectly.
Edmonton Hosts Ukrainians is a group of volunteers helping to connect newcomer Ukrainians with Edmonton area hosts, and also provide them with support and information about life in Edmonton. Nearly 500 Ukrainian families have been directly connected with hundreds of Edmonton-area hhosts by our process, and many more indirectly.
HOSTS ARE URGENTLY NEEDED
Dozens of Ukrainians are arriving in Edmonton daily. Volunteer hosts are a major source of immediate temporary housing support for these people. If you have a spare bedroom or two, you are urgently needed.
HOW HOSTING IS ARRANGED
If you contact us, we will answer your questions, find out your preferences, and connect you with a Ukrainian guest family that you will be able to talk to before committing to hosting them. The hosting decision is mutual, and we help assure that both sides have good information. We connect you with resources in the community, and are available to answer questions and help resolve any issues before and during the hosting stay.
How to get involved
To find out more about hosting a Ukrainian newcomer family, email [email protected]
Join OUR COMMUNITY
You can also join the Edmonton Hosts Ukrainians Facebook group to get involved in the local community helping. Thousands of local people are providing invaluable support to Ukrainian group members planning to move to Edmonton, or recently arrived. We give rides, provide information, help with job and rental searches, and help welcome newcomers to Edmonton!
WHAT Does Hosting Require?
Hosting mostly requires a spare bedroom, and a willingness to help.
- Free room for 3-6 weeks. Typically, with the help of the federal support payment, the family should be able to move on at the start of the next month (for those who arrive early in the month), and possibly a month later (for those who arrive towards the end). In most cases, in order for them to move on, they will need to obtain rental accommodation, which will require some combination of proof of income, proof of financial resources, and deposit (some rentals are relaxing some of these requirements).
- A private bedroom for your guests.
- Transportation and assistance with the initial paperwork steps (SIN, AHC, school registrations, banking etc). Alternatively, you can request a volunteer helper to partner with you to assist the family with these tasks.
- If you don't live somewhere accessible by public transit, you need to provide some reasonable means of transportation, so that it is possible for your guests to look for work, and then start working. This could take the form of lending a car, or perhaps dropping off at a bus stop if a family member commutes into Edmonton (e.g. if you live outside town). Without some form of transportation, the hosting arrangement is not really workable, because guests will not have cars.
- It is fine to pay your guests for a service they might provide, such as childcare, but they must be paid by the hour, at least minimum wage.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Please direct questions to E[email protected]
EDMONTON HOSTS UKRAINIANS | ЕДМОНТОН ПРИЙМАЄ УКРАЇНЦІВ
