Abbotsford MLA calls for changes to medical exam process for immigrants and refugees
After more than 15 years of helping others as a doctor in his home country of Ukraine, 44-year-old Oleksandr (Alex) Martsiv is now living in Abbotsford, where he works as a welder in order to make ends meet.
While he’d rather be continuing to help save lives here in Canada, Martsiv said he is being held back by the high costs associated with the immigration medical examinations.
Martsiv, his wife, and their seven children first came to Canada in 2022 shortly after the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War, utilizing the Canada–Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program.