New visa for a Ukrainian refugee | The end of a forced exile

After three months of waiting, uncertainties and administrative procedures, Sofiia Holub, 19, finally holds in her hands the hope of a return to Montreal: her visitor visa for Canada has been approved.

“Yesterday my visa was confirmed, and today I have already sent my passport for the sticker to Lyon,” she wrote to us on WhatsApp, in a message punctuated with a crying emoji and two others celebrating the event.

“When I read the confirmation, I cried,” she confided afterwards. I even translated the text into Ukrainian several times to make sure I didn’t make a mistake. With all the stress, I felt like I had forgotten all the languages ​​I knew! »

Originally from Ukraine, Sofiia arrived alone in Montreal in May 2022, at the age of 16, thanks to the Canadian emergency visa program for Ukrainians displaced by the war.

In two years, she had built a new life for herself: a job at VanLife MTL, an apartment in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve that she shared with her cat, and even plans for the future.

Montreal was more than a refuge: it had become his “home”. But in September 2024, everything changed^⁠1. His mother, suffering from cancer, needed his support in Ukraine. Without hesitation, Sofiia took the plane to be by his side. This trip, although essential, would nevertheless disrupt his daily life in an unexpected way.

An administrative journey

After two weeks in Ukraine, Sofiia attempted to return to Canada on October 7. But at Paris airport, she discovered that her emergency visa, issued in 2022, did not allow her to return a second time. To return, she needed a visitor visa.

His first attempt to obtain this document, in Budapest, Hungary, encountered a major obstacle: a processing time of up to 299 days.

In an emergency, she accepted help from her VanLife colleague, Manon Christophel, who offered to come and live with her parents in Annecy, France. It was only after several weeks spent in Annecy that another option presented itself: submitting a new visa application directly from France, where the processing time is shorter, at 52 days.

A surge of solidarity

During her wait in France, Sofiia also benefited from an unexpected outpouring of generosity. Readers of The Presstouched by his story, contributed to a fundraiser which allowed him to pay his rent until February.

Sofiia’s new application, filed on December 16, was processed in just 24 days, much faster than she had hoped.

“I was very surprised, because the visa I applied for only three weeks ago was processed much faster than the one I applied for in October,” she emphasizes.

Plans for the future

With her return to Montreal now imminent, Sofiia views her future with optimism.

“I plan to take my hobby of drawing more seriously and spend more time outside with my friends,” she says. I realized how much I missed it. Also, since I am only 19 years old, I would like to pursue university studies. »

She also hopes to return to her job at VanLife MTL, a company that has been a pillar during this difficult time.

“VanLife has become like family to me,” says Sofiia. I am incredibly grateful to them for not leaving me alone in such a difficult situation. I don’t know what I would have done without them. I still remember the day I found myself in Paris, unable to return to Canada. I called my colleague and my boss in tears, explaining the situation, and they immediately calmed me down, offered me immense support and helped me find a solution. »

As she prepares to turn this trying page, Sofiia expresses all her gratitude to the people who helped her.

“I would like to sincerely thank all the people who have been there for me, both emotionally and physically, and who have supported me with advice, encouragement or financial assistance,” she insists.

1. Read the article “Exiled in spite of herself”