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For one Ukrainian family in Winnipeg, staying in Canada is a must.
Oleksandra and Roman Borys have been in the country for two-and-a-half years, and are still waiting to find out if their family qualifies for the provincial nominated program.
The family came to Winnipeg from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and Oleksandra said the contrast couldn’t be starker.
“It’s really unsafe there right now because Russia is locking down Ukraine every day,” she said. “Every day. Every day someone dies (there), It’s like a lottery – you never know if you will be the next.
“You feel nice (in Winnipeg), with all these friendly people. You feel respected and cared for by people.”
The family applied for the provincial nominee program two years ago, but their application is still pending. Many of her friends, who applied around the same time, were approved.
The couple has two daughters, 9 and 18, and the youngest, Yuliana, has special needs and uses a wheelchair. Oleksandra said the education system in this country was a revelation and one of the main reasons she hopes to stay in Canada.
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“The most important thing is that she can get some education here in Canada, and she never (heard) this choice in Ukraine,” she said.
Roman added that the roots the family has laid down here are too strong to leave, even if the war were to end. He feels that her daughter is more supported and accepted than she ever was back in Ukraine.
“When we came to Canada, I see that you can open all the doors with a button. So if you are in a wheelchair, you can open any door. It is open to anyone who is in a wheelchair,” said Roman. “You don’t have that in Ukraine.”
A statement from Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino calls the situation concerning, saying she has directed her staff to investigate long delays “that appear to be an exception to standard processing times.” The province says they aim to process applications within months, but that often takes longer.
Cuts to the Provincial Nomination Program could mean challenges ahead for prospective immigrants to Manitoba, as well as certain labor markets, a Winnipeg immigration lawyer says.
“There is no easy solution to this,” Alastair Clarke of Clarke Immigration Law told Global Winnipeg.
“Within our work, a lot of what we do is trying to manage people’s expectations and trying to deal with high levels of anxiety and depression. People are very frustrated.”
& copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
