HOSTING INFORMATION from HUGS

(Helping Ukrainians Get Settled in Brighton)

Are you considering becoming a Host to a displaced Ukrainian or a family of displaced Ukrainians? HUGS is committed to assisting 6 families at any one time and if you are considering becoming a Host, contact Rachel Young to see if additional families are able to be supported.

If so, the following information may be helpful to you while making a decision of who you want to host and if the person/persons would be a good fit for you and your family.

The Government of Canada is offering displaced Ukrainians the opportunity to come to Canada on a three-year CUAET visa. This is the Canadian Ukrainian Authorization for Emergency Travel visa, and it is to help Ukrainians and their family members come to Canada as quickly as possible and to provide them with the ability to work and study while in Canada. Under the CUAET measures, you can get a visitor visa to come to Canada temporarily, until it is safe to return to Ukraine.

This visitor visa:

• is fee-exempt

• is valid for up to 10 years or until the Ukrainian passport expires

• allows Ukrainians to travel in and out of Canada, as long as their visa is valid

• option to apply for a fee-exempt open work permit at the same time

• the visa will be placed directly in the Ukrainian Passport

The government is not offering any financial supports to Canadians offering to host. HUGS is a group of like-minded volunteers that are offering assistance to Hosts and Ukrainian guests in many facets of one’s lives as they begin to settle into Canada, Ontario and Brighton. HUGS is an incorporated not-for-profit, registered charity. It is recognized that Ukrainians may require temporary housing from the host in Brighton as a safe place to land upon arrival in Canada. There is no obligation for people to remain in the community and it is also understood that the length of stay is typically undetermined at the time of arrival. HUGS has very clear policies and procedures for financial assistance (see attached).

The decision of who to host falls solely on the Host.

The following links can be useful in connecting with potential Ukrainians that are seeking Hosts in Canada:

https://ukrainesafehaven.ca/get-involved/housing/

https://icanhelp.host/supporter/welcome

Canada – Host Ukrainians Facebook Group

HUGS is unable to assist you in choosing a person or family to host because this is a unique decision based on who you feel would be a good fit for yourself and family, the space you have to offer, and for the length of time you are willing to host people for. Successful matching requires both the hosting family and the displaced Ukrainians to feel safe and comfortable with the living arrangement.  There are risks for both sides and it really is a leap of faith on both parts.

What to ask

The following is an attempt to facilitate a dialogue in which both sides can feel safe and comfortable to move forward in establishing a hosting arrangement.   

Be clear about your expectations and what you have to offer and if it might fit the displaced individual's needs.

A police record check can help assure the displaced Ukrainian that you are a safe individual.  Any Host that is going to be seeking assistance through HUGS will be required to complete a Police Check including Vulnerable Person screening. HUGS can provide a letter to accompany your police check so you do not have to pay for this.

Social media profiles can help to validate identities.  Be wary of new social media accounts, check past posts, their friends and if names on various platforms match the name on passport. Get a feel for who the individual is by checking out their online photos.  It’s a delicate balance between safeguarding your personal information and ensuring the other party that you are who you say you are and don’t have a nefarious reason for coming to Canada or pursuing a hosting relationship.

Try to be as open and honest as possible, as transparency early on will allow both parties to determine if your lifestyles will be compatible.  

Chatting on Messenger or WhatsApp about hobbies, interests, schooling, job prospects, faith and family as well as the logistics of getting to Canada, will help build trust.  Video chatting is even better, so you can assess body language and deepen the trust even further.

When there is language barrier try SayHi (mobile phone app) or Google Translate. In our area there is a volunteer that has offered his services for translation. Please let HUGS know if you would like assistance in this area.

Daily contact will indicate to the displaced individuals that you are serious in wanting to help them.

Providing a link to the Municipality of Brighton’s website will allow them to look at all aspects of life in Brighton.

Here is a link to a resource that is found in multiple languages for both Hosts and Ukrainians alike to review.

Please share with your potential guests. https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1R02Nvv7-3n75Cj_B2naUtLmNNozWUC9i7dX-1awbXV4/mobilebasic#heading=h.jut6nvj4vzrf

Logistics

Once you have decided on a person or family to host, the following are some logistics to keep in mind:

• How will potential guests share their Passports and CUAET visa with potential hosts? Biometrics are completed when applying for the visa

• What is the expected duration of stay, is this temporary or longer term?

• Will you be sharing common spaces or will living areas be totally separate?

• Is anyone a smoker, either hosts or guests?

• Are pets in the home or coming to Canada?

• Transportation from the airport – how many vehicles are needed, and do you need car seats for children?

• Will there be a need for ongoing transportation? Will the person or family have access to a vehicle? Does the Host live rurally? If so, how are the guests going to access the community without being solely reliant on the hosts?

• Is trauma counselling needed?

• Are there any health problems that can affect the displaced Ukrainian’s daily life? Are medications needed? Is dental treatment required?

• Are there any mobility challenges and is there a need for any assistive devices or does the living environment need to be accessible?

• Visualize your typical day, are your lifestyles compatible? Bedtimes and wake up times? Active lifestyles or a more sedentary lifestyle? Hobbies of interest?

• What will be the expectations from both parties for cooking and cleaning? How will tasks be shared? Ukrainians are to be guests in the host’s home and asking them to perform any tasks, not related to themselves, such as cleaning the house, cooking, childcare or other domestic work is considered work and must follow Ontario Employment Standards

WHAT TO DO UPON ARRIVAL

There are some important steps that need to happen upon the first few days in Canada.

Here is a list of initial tasks that will be required:

SIN – Service Canada

OHIP – Service Ontario

Open Bank Account

Cell Phone plan and activation

Driver’s License – Service Ontario

Canadian Government Financial Assistance

School Registration

Vaccinations

Immigration Medicals

Social Insurance Number

If your guests have received a work permit with their CUAET visa they will need to visit Service Canada to apply for their Social Insurance Number. If going to an office is difficult, it can be done online as well, however this will take extra time and original documents will need to be scanned and then mailed in for authorization.

There is a Service Canada office at: 1005 Elgin St. West in Cobourg.

There is no cost to apply for your SIN card. Your guests will need to bring their Passport and CUAET visa and the Host must also be present to verify the address that the guests are staying at or provide a written letter stating that they will be residing with you at this time. The SIN number will begin with a 9 and it will have an expiry date. You will leave the office with a SIN number assigned to you and you are eligible to begin work as soon as you have this number. Additional information can be found at:

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/apply.html

OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Program)

If your guests have their visas through the CUAET program, they qualify for OHIP. This allows them to seek medical attention at walk in clinics, hospitals or family doctor practices for free for the three-year duration of the CUAET visa. It also provides them with some drug benefits and mental health services during this time. Children 12 and under receive most medications for free in Ontario. To see what medications are covered under this program, here is a link:

https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-coverage-prescription-drugs#section-2

Application for OHIP is done at Service Ontario for all family members. Passports and CUAET visas are required to show proof during this application process. Once you have completed the application process, the guests will walk out of the office with their Healthcard numbers. They will receive their green Healthcards in the mail in a few weeks.

There is a Service Ontario office at: 1005 Elgin St. West in Cobourg which conveniently can be completed at the same time as the SIN number at Service Canada as the offices are located in the same building.

Bank Accounts

All of the major banks and credit unions will provide displaced Ukrainians with bank accounts and credit cards. The importance of applying for the credit card is to be able to quickly establish a credit rating in Canada. CIBC and RBC in Brighton have assisted people and families in arranging bank accounts and credit cards. It is advised to spend some time gathering current information from the banks to assist your guests with making the best choice for them. Some credit cards must be secured, some banks are offering a sum of money if you arrange for direct deposits and automated withdrawals within a specific time frame, and others are offering no fee banking. Bank accounts need to be established before your guests are able to sign up for cell phone plans. For some additional information on banking in Canada and credit score information, visit this link:

https://ukrainehelpvi.ca/cuaet-guides-pt-5-how-to-open-a-canadian-bank-account-some-words-on-the-credit-score/

Cell Phones

Some Ukrainians will arrive with cell phones. If your guest has a cell phone, it will be important to figure out if the phone has a dual SIM card. This will allow them to keep their phone and just get a new SIM card or they will be able to keep their phone number from the Ukraine and add a Canadian phone number to their phone. If your guest requires financial assistance with covering the cost of the cell phone plan temporarily, HUGS is able to do this if a discounted provider is used (i.e. Koodo, Virgin, Freedom Mobile etc). This is clearly outlined in the HUGS Policies and Procedures. Banking information is needed when signing up for cell phone plans as they will make an automatic withdrawal from the accounts.

Driver’s License

Upon arrival in Canada, Ukrainians are able to drive using their out of country license for up to 90 days, however after this time period, they are no longer able to drive in Ontario. Ukrainians are able to show their Ukrainian drivers license and sign a self-declaration to validate their driving experience. This allows the graduated license system to be expediated for them. They are able to write their G1 license and then book their driving test immediately (after one day) for the G2 licenses and then immediately again for their G. If this is completed within 90 days of arrival, they do not have to participate in the waiting periods of the graduated license program. The written test can be done in several languages. Currently Ukrainian is not one of the languages however it is available in Russian. Below is a link to the Ontario Driver’s License Handbook:

https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-mto-drivers-handbook

There are also sample tests that can be found online for your guests to practice. There is a cost for writing the G1 test of $160.00. This covers the written test and the driving test for the G2 portion. It costs an additional $16.00 if you need to rewrite your knowledge test.

If you provide your guests with a vehicle to use, any accident or injury will be assigned to your insurance provider unless they purchase their own vehicle insurance. When they do this, Ontario insurance companies are viewing them as new drivers and costs can be quite high, it will be beneficial to compare insurance companies and coverage.

Canadian Government Financial Assistance

Ukrainians arriving under the CUAET pathway are eligible for a onetime payment from the Canadian government. The financial assistance is a direct deposit, one-time, non-taxable benefit payment of $3000 per adult and $1500 per child (age 17 and under). The application for this assistance needs to happen after a bank account is opened in the adult’s name. Application is done online.

Additional information and application can be made at this link:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/ukraine-measures/settlement/get-financial-assistance.html

School Registration for Elementary and Secondary Schools

The school board for the Public School system in the Brighton area and west of Brighton is the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. To register children in the public school system you can contact the school directly or register online at:

https://www.kprschools.ca/en/our-schools/register-for-school.aspx

The school board for the Catholic school system for the area is the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board to the east (Quinte West) and the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board to the west (Cobourg). To register for these boards, you would need to contact the school directly to register.

The principal, along with potential teachers, may request a meeting to discuss what grades the students will be placed in and what classes they will be taking. A translator is available for these meetings over the phone if required through the school boards.

Vaccination Requirements

The Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit or the Hastings Prince Edward Health Unit will meet with the family and review all documentation for vaccinations that were completed for each family member while in the Ukraine. They will then go through what is needed for children to enroll in school and set up a schedule for getting all vaccinations up to date. Covid 19 vaccinations will also be offered to all family members.

Immigration Medicals

For Ukrainians arriving under the CUAET visa, they have been exempted from completing an immigration medical exam (IME) overseas but are required to complete and pay for a medical diagnostic test within 90 days of arrival in Canada to screen for a reportable communicable disease. This includes a chest x-ray or suitable alternative and blood test. All family members will need to complete the exam. There are available clinics in Ajax, Kingston and other areas. The cost varies from location to location. The Ajax one, at the time of this document, was offering the medicals at half price. Please see the links below for these locations.

https://www.kingstonimmigrationexam.com/

https://onestopim.ca/

If your guests are looking to complete the medical prior to coming to Canada, the link below will provide information on where they can go in the country of their departure to Canada.

https://secure.cic.gc.ca/pp-md/pp-list.aspx

What is Next?

After these initial steps have been completed, the focus is going to change towards how to move forward with life in Canada. Below is some additional information on other areas of people’s lives that they may need assistance with.

Employment

Although HUGS does not provide specific job counselling we endeavor to provide information that will help with the search and links to agencies

that can provide further services.  We can also assist with transportation to agencies, interviews and employment through our Transportation Committee.

Some of the local employment agencies are Meta Employment Services and Career Edge. The links to these are:

https://careeredge.on.ca/

https://metaservices.ca/

Locally Quinte Immigration Services provides online training and skills development: www.quinteimmigration.ca

The Ontario Government has a dedicated Employment Help Line:  1-888-562-4769

and email ukrainianjobs@ontario.ca for Ukrainians who have arrived as a result of the emergency travel authorization.

Please see the link below:

https://services.settlement.org/en/toronto/finding-a-job/services-for-ukrainians-arriving-in-ontario#:~:text=Ontario%20government%20has%20dedicated%20employment,the%20new%20emergency%20travel%20authorization.

https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/resources/jobsforukraine

English as a Second Language Classes

There are a number of volunteer ESL teachers for both adults and children in Brighton. Classes can be arranged through HUGS with any of the volunteer instructors. The number of classes per week is based on what your guests would like and the availability. If coming to a class is challenging, there are online classes that can be taken as well. One resource for this is:

https://www.ddsb.ca/en/programs-and-learning/learn-english.aspx

To register for online instruction a language assessment will need to be completed. The Language assessment test is used to determine the most suitable class for their current level. It is not a pass or fail test. It will determine what strengths and weaknesses there are and ensure that people get placed in the most suitable class for their current level. 

Here is the link to the Language Assessment centre in Belleville:

 http://languageassessment.ca/locations/

The Belleville assessment centre is located at the Loyola Community Centre.

41 Octavia Street

Belleville, ON K8P 3P1

The phone number to book an assessment in Belleville is 613-966-9210

Getting Education Credentials Evaluated

Depending on the education that your guests have, it may be of interest to them to have their credentials assessed to determine next steps for utilizing their education in Canada. The WES Gateway Program is one way to do this. It assesses the educational credentials of individuals who have been displaced as a result of adverse circumstances in their country and have limited proof of academic achievements. This assessment may be helpful for people to continue their education, become licensed in their field in Canada or take the next step on their career path. This process can be started before arriving in Canada.

Below is the link:

https://www.wes.org/ca/about-the-wes-gateway-program/