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Asking to assess chances for refugee status

stas_g

Newbie
Aug 14, 2014
2
0
Hello, guys!
First of all, thanks to everyone who will try to help. At the moment I'm sending emails on my situation to every possible online consultation, but didn't receive any reply yet.

So, here's is my story:
A year ago me and my common-law wife have left Crimea, Ukraine, and went to the Dominican Republic to live and work here illegally. We're still in the DR, and there's no chances for us to get a legal status here without returning back home, because dominican visas for russians and ukrainians are now issued in the DR embassy in Moscow.
I suppose that you've heard that Russian Federation has annexed the Crimean Peninsula and is now considering it as a Russian territory. Although all other countries didn't recognize it, but the situation stays the same, and Russia continues to claim that its actions were completely lawful. We take pro-ukrainian position, and don't want to take russian citizenship, but if we return to Crimea and refuse to take it, we'll have to encounter all difficulties of living as an immigrant, like a need to get a permission to work and even live - in our HOME town.
Besides, all pro-ukrainian people are exposed to a huge life risk, especially in Crimea, where a big part of population have supported the annexion. On local forums people are exchanging the addresses of ukrainian activists, and discussing pro-ukrainian citizens that they encounter. It's often accompanied with their plans of punishment...
Self-proclaimed patrols of "kossacks" and "people self-defence" have been seen on the streets, they stop people without any lawful rights and ask to show your documents. Basically, life is full of such "presents" at the moment.

So, we want to try to ask for refugee status in Canada. I have a friend living in Burnaby, who is willing to help with all possible means. And we ourselves don't want to be a burden for the country. I plan to find a position of software developer. I have a ukrainian diploma of Computer Science. Of course, I understand that I'll have to finish some IT courses to prove my knowledge, but, again, it's my primary goal.
My girlfriend is a professional photo retoucher, so she'll try to find a job in some photo studio.

Is all of abovementioned may be any good foundation for claiming refugee status? I believe that our chances are small but anyway... worth a try.

Also, if we decide to give it a try - can we just buy a ticket from DR to Canada and get to the country? Or some kind of visa is needed to even fly out of the DR in Canada's direction?
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
95,731
22,029
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
No - you can't just buy a ticket and fly from DR to Canada.

You need a visitor visa to board a plane and fly to Canada. The airline won't let you board the airplane without a visitor visa. However because you are in DR illegally, you have zero chance of being approved for a visitor visa to Canada while in the DR.

Even if you could get here, you have zero chance of being approved as refugees. You would need to show that you were directly impacted by the events in Crimea - but you can't, since you weren't there when everything happened. Also, nothing is stopping you from moving to a different part of Ukraine to avoid the situation in Crimea. You don't meet the refugee requirements.
 

scylla

VIP Member
Jun 8, 2010
95,731
22,029
Toronto
Category........
Visa Office......
Buffalo
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
28-05-2010
AOR Received.
19-08-2010
File Transfer...
28-06-2010
Passport Req..
01-10-2010
VISA ISSUED...
05-10-2010
LANDED..........
05-10-2010
Good luck. Hope something works out for you.