Edmonton woman helping Ukrainians navigate immigration process

An Edmonton lady aiding Ukrainians navigate Canada’s immigration course of hopes she’s going to sometime meet the folks she’s volunteered to assist.

Nataliya Kuts moved to Canada from Ukraine 13 years in the past. She earned a diploma in immigration session however works educating English as a second language.

When battle broke out in her dwelling nation in February, Kuts took to social media to supply free help to anybody who wanted it.

“After I heard this information, I do not know — I simply routinely did it,” she stated.

She has since spent a whole bunch of hours utilizing her information and language abilities to assist Ukrainians negotiate paperwork and different hurdles on their journeys to Canada.

Though not one of the folks she has helped have but landed, she stated she is aware of of about 20 Ukrainians who’re making their method via the method.

Katernya Andriishyna and her daughter are amongst them. They’re now staying in Poland, having left a city within the japanese Sumy area alongside the Russian border.

Andriishyna discovered Kuts listed on a Fb web page set as much as assist Ukrainians.

“I merely typed her and subsequent day, surprisingly, I’ve acquired a solution and phone name from Nataliya,” she stated in an e-mail.

Kuts gave Andriishyna details about assist and help out there from the Canadian authorities. She supplied help in submitting types wanted for a visa.

Andriishyna and her daughter are actually ready on subsequent steps after submitting biometric data a couple of weeks in the past.

“I hope at some point to come back to Canada and meet her in particular person to say how grateful we’re,” Andriishyna stated.

“Within the darkest occasions of our lives, she supplied us with the mandatory assist and help, merely asking how we’re and the way she may also help.”

Kuts is assured she’ll sometime be capable of meet the folks she’s helped.

“It can occur,” she stated. 

Kuts additionally volunteers at an airport welcome sales space organized by the Ukrainian Nationwide Federation of Canada, and on the Ukrainian Canadian Social Companies welcome area at Kingsway Mall.

She’s impressed by the management and group she has seen in Edmonton.

“It is [an] wonderful factor, what we’re doing right here.”

Throughout the nation

Kuts isn’t alone. Many Canadians throughout the nation are stepping as much as assist Ukrainians in any method they’ll.

Zack Nethery and Mary Mokrushyna fashioned Ukrainian Diaspora Assist Canada (UADSC) after working to get Mokrushyna’s household from Ukraine to Canada.

The couple operates the non-profit out of their Carleton Place, Ont., dwelling outdoors their work hours.

Nethery stated grassroots efforts will be “sort of the Wild West” in relation to matching immigrant households with Canadian ones to stick with after arrival.

“We have heard some tales the place it did not work out very properly, as a result of there is not actually a vetting course of, there [aren’t] actually checks, there [aren’t] a variety of these sorts of issues.”

UADSC is working to create networks throughout Canada to assist higher settle Ukrainian immigrants.

It has gathered volunteers because it helps Ukrainians via the immigration course of, matching households and shopping for airline tickets.

Nethery stated when wants come up, discovering somebody to volunteer is almost on the spot.

“We make a publish and inside 10 minutes, we have now to inform those who we do not want anyone anymore.”