This page has information and links for newcomers and those who want to support them in Brandon and the Westman region.

Translation options are available for this page in the top left corner. Click on the Canada Flag and use the drop down to select the language you wish to view.

Visit IRCC’s immigration measures for people affected by the situation in Ukraine page for updates, resources and contact information, including:

• Contacting IRCC about the situation in Ukraine
• Status of IRCC’s offices overseas
• If you have immediate family in Ukraine
• Find useful information and resources if you are in Ukraine or if you are in Canada

IRCC established a dedicated service channel for Ukraine enquiries that will be available both in Canada and abroad at 613-321-4243, with collect calls accepted.
In addition, you can now add the keyword Ukraine2022 to the IRCC Crisis Web form with your questions and your email will be prioritized.

The Manitoba government has created the website Manitoba for Ukraine as a central place to list government supports and information.

The CUAET is available to Ukrainians who want to come to Canada temporarily. There will be no limit to the number of Ukrainians who can apply through this pathway and eliminates many of the normal visa requirements. All eligible Ukrainian nationals may be able to stay in Canada for up to 3 years so long as they meet the criteria of the CUAET.

IRCC is also waiving many fees for eligible travel and immigration documents, such as Canadian passports, permanent resident travel documents, proof of citizenship, visitor visas, work and study permits.

The Government of Canada is granting exemptions for unvaccinated and partially vaccinated Ukrainian nationals to enter Canada with a temporary resident permit or written notice of approval for an application for permanent residence in Canada.

You can read these details in Ukrainian (Українська) on the IRCC website.

Ukrainians, and their families currently in Canada can apply to extend their stay for up to 3 years with the CUAET pathway. This includes the temporary resident (visitor) status, work and study permits.  This allows people to leave and return to Canada at any time while their visa is valid. School aged children will be eligible to attend elementary and secondary school during this time.

The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) has stated there will be prioritizing of pending Ukrainian files.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has an Administrative Deferral of Removals (ADR) in place for Ukraine. An ADR is a temporary measure that can delay a removal order that would normally require a person to leave Canada immediately.

Anyone in need of help can call the government’s 24/7 Emergency Watch and Response Centre, based in Ottawa. The centre can be reached:

• By telephone at 1-613-996-8885
• By email at sos@international.gc.ca
• By text message at 1-613-686-3658

If you would like to help bring Ukrainians here to Manitoba, please note, WIS does not assist with helping people immigrate or match sponsors to refugees. 

Please refer to the Manitoba for Ukraine page to see how you can help. Or, make a donation to WIS, to help Ukrainians arriving to our community. 

When arriving to Brandon or any community in the Westman region, Ukrainians will be able to make an appointment at any of our locations.

Our settlement facilitators will complete an initial needs assessment and work with newcomers in the following areas:

• Health
• Banking
• Education
• Finance
• Community Connections

Ukrainian newcomers are also eligible to attend our group information sessions and workshop. This includes Welcome to Brandon, family, youth and senior programming.

Upcoming sessions can be found on our events calendar.

Our employment facilitators are available to help Ukrainians become job ready in Brandon. For our regional offices, we have partnerships with local Employment offices so Ukrainians arriving in regional locations will have access to employment supports.

Employment facilitators will be able to help with:

• Resume review and assistance.
• Job interview preparation.
• Job searching tips.

We also offer a Bridging to Employment program, with three intakes available until March 2023. Click here for more information about the program.

For Employers looking to hire Ukrainians

The Government of Canada has created a page to assist Canadian employers through the online job bank platform.

WIS offers interpretation services.  Click here for more information about how to access the WIS Language Centre.

Any Ukrainians arriving with limited English are also eligible to attend English Classes. A Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) assessment is required before enrolling in an English class.

Please contact the Brandon office to book an assessment.

WIS has partnerships with community providers for the following services:

• Notary Public
• Legal help
• Immigration Consultants

Each service comes once a month to the WIS Brandon office and are free for newcomers to attend. Some services are offered remotely to our regional locations.

Dates will be added to our online events calendar.

Canadian telecom companies Shaw and Telus offer free long-distance calls to Ukraine. Locally, Westman Communications Group will offer free long-distance calls to Ukraine.

If you would like to make a donation to assist Ukrainians when they arrive in Brandon and Westman area, please click here to go to our Donation page. Please note, under the Funds option, you will need to select Humanitarian Fund – Ukraine when donating.

A tax receipt will be emailed to you after payment.