It’s a fear that most 17-year-olds would never even imagine, but for Maksym Makavchuk, it’s a nightmare he’s fighting desperately to avoid.
Makavchuk and his younger sister are facing the heartbreaking reality of returning to Ukraine after fleeing the war two years ago and moving to Kelowna, B.C.
Like many Ukrainian refugees, Makavchuk’s family arrived in Canada on a three-year emergency visa but with those visas set to expire, refugees have until March 31 to apply for an extension — though some are struggling to get one.
“I need to leave the country on Feb. 22, 2026. I can’t even apply for a work permit because my passport is expiring,” said Makavchuk.
Without a valid passport, he says he can’t get a work permit, but even worse, getting a Ukrainian passport renewal in Canada will take years.
“Here in Canada, over two years, but in Germany it should be quicker, so we have one chance to go to Germany but the problem is it’s so expensive,” said Makavchuk.
Makavchuk turns 18 years old next year, but what should be a milestone celebration could quickly turn into a nightmare if he’s forced to return to Ukraine.
“We have rules in Ukraine if you’re older than 18 (you can’t leave the country) because they think you are able to be in the war, and a lot of guys my age are in the war. They make the military age 18,” said Makavchuk.
In a similar situation is Sergii Mazur. Both of his daughters’ passports and visas expire in July, which means a permit extension is unlikely.
“They spoke to the Ukrainian embassy and consulate and people and they don’t see a way how to resolve it,” said Mazur’s translator.
In a statement, the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said, “While it strongly encourages even those with expired documents, to still apply to extend their status, those with so-called ‘maintained’ status are not subject to removal back to Ukraine while the administrative deferral of removals is in place.”
