Immigrants and Refugees

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Gathered on this page are resources that were developed with you in mind. But there may be general resources that are also appropriate.

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CPLEA Suggested Resources

Not sure where to begin finding answers to your questions. Get started with our suggested resources. See additional resources below for more information.

Alberta Resources

Immigrant Services Calgary is a comprehensive immigrant settlement agency. ISC provides information on housing, education, the Calgary school systems, employment, health care, documents, citizenship and immigration, accreditation and general help in adjusting to life in Canada. Services provided also include offering advice in immigration law for permanent residents and Canadian citizens.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration, Refugees

Immigrant Services Calgary provides a wide range of settlement services to immigrants and refugees looking to begin a new chapter of their lives in Canada. Their aim is to reach newcomers in a timely and responsive manner to facilitate a smooth transition, proper settlement and successful integration into the Calgary community. They provide interpretation and translation of official documents in over 50 languages theough their language bank.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration

This online resource is from the Student Legal Services of Edmonton. Topics include: Temporary Residents; Permanent Residents; Citizenship; Settling In Canada; Appeals; Refugees. This resource is also available for download as a PDF.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration, Refugees

This is a 2017 Alberta guide to law in Alberta on immigration published by Student Legal Services Edmonton. The guide provides general information on becoming a Canadian citizen, attaining temporary status and permanent status. It also provides information on protections for refugees both from inside and outside Canada as well as sponsorship.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration

REACH is Edmonton's Council for Safe Communities. REACH is a community-based organization working to mobilize and coordinate organizations, community groups and Edmontonians to find innovative solutions to prevention and community safety.

Related legal topic(s): Consumer protection and fraud, Credit and debt, Crime prevention, Gangs, Multiculturalism, Prostitution and pornography, Public safety, School safety, Sexual harassment

The Refugee Hearing Preparation Guide is for refugee claimants and their service providers. It educates, guides, and supports refugee claimants who are preparing for their refugee hearings. It was developed to help inform and empower service providers in their understanding of the refugee hearing preparation process. The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada – Refugee Protection Division (IRB-RPD) holds refugee hearings in six locations across Canada. The Preparation Guide is uniquely adapted to each location, and available in the following languages:

  • Montreal – English, French, Spanish, Sorani Kurdish
  • Toronto – English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Sorani Kurdish
  • Winnipeg – English, French, Spanish, Somali
  • Calgary – English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Urdu, Mongolian
  • Edmonton – English, French, Spanish, Somali, Tigrigna
  • Vancouver – English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Farsi, Sorani Kurdish
Related legal topic(s): Immigration, Legal process

This new website which goes live in May of 2015 will serve as 'information hub' for refugee resources in Alberta. The site which is funded by the Government of Canada is expected to address some of the challenges facing Syrian refugees and their sponsors in Alberta.
Related legal topic(s): Refugees

This division of Alberta Employment and Immigration will help temporary foreign workers to learn about their rights and find solutions for problem situations. Booklets and brochures are available for employers and for workers. (Guide for Employees is available in 13 languages.) A walk-in office and a helpline are offered for assistance.

Related legal topic(s): Temporary foreign workers, Workers' health and safety, Workers' rights and employment standards

United Cultures of Canada Association is a non-profit community based organization located in Edmonton, Alberta. It provides a variety of program and services to Edmonton's multicultual community. Their mandate is to create situations of social inclusion for immigrant communities leading to their effective participation and successful integration into Canadian society. Included in the many initiatives offered by the Association are services, programs and publications on that provide information on human rights, residential tenancies, domestic abuse, interpreting services and a free Multicultural Family Law Facilitation (Interpreting) Service.  This free service is provided to ensure equal access to justice for those who are experiencing language barriers and assist service providers and newcomer communities in family law matters, UCCA provides on-site and phone legal interpreting in a number of lanaguages.

Related legal topic(s): Family law general resources, Family violence general resources, Legal services, Multiculturalism

This is a guide on how to buy products and services in Alberta and contains information about your consumer rights. You will need to buy certain items and you will need to use certain services as you settle into as you start your new life in Alberta.

Related legal topic(s): Consumer protection and fraud, Contracts, Credit and debt, Landlord and tenant

Canada/Federal

Free help on Canadian refugee law and procedures. This resource aims to provide brief, high-level guidance for lawyers and settlement agencies, or asylum seekers themselves entering from the U.S., in need of preliminary guidance on Canadian refugee law and procedure. It also provides more general information about the Canadian immigration and refugee determination procedures regardless of the country of origin, and about other options for legally entering the country. Included in the toolkit are tips on filling out your immigration application.

Related legal topic(s): Refugees

The Canadian Council for Refugees is a non-profit umbrella organization committed to the rights and protection of refugees in Canada and around the world and to the settlement of refugees and immigrants in Canada. The membership is made up of organizations involved in the settlement, sponsorship and protection of refugees and immigrants. The CCR site provides basic information about immigration and refugee issues, policy documents, public education materials about refugees and immigrants, as well as statistics and links to other sources of statistics.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration, Refugees, Statistics

This website of the Government of Canada provides information on how to apply for refugee status from within Canada, how to come to Canada as a refugee, and how to sponsor a refugee or find refugee services in Canada. Additonal resources provided are; forms (applications, sponsorship, and publications such as a Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program as well as links to relevant legislation (Immigration and Refugee Protection Act)

Related legal topic(s): Immigration, Refugees

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) is Canada's largest independent administrative tribunal. It is responsible for making well-reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters, efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law. The IRBdecides, among other responsibilities, who needs refugee protection among the thousands of claimants who come to Canada annually.

Related legal topic(s): Administrative law, Immigration, Refugees

The uOttawa Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (SSP) brings together sponsorship experts, pro-bono lawyers, law students, and community organizations to offer direct support to Canadians seeking to sponsor refugees. The SSP has three primary components: a matching program, which provides sponsor groups with direct support from a pro-bono lawyer and law students (this program is available in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria. Sponsors outside Ottawa should consult our Pro Bono Lawyer list and contact a lawyer directly),  a training program, which trains lawyers and law students on the completion of sponsorships, and provides ongoing support for their work through sponsorship experts, and  a public information program, which provides Canadians with easy-to-understand materials regarding sponsorships.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration, Refugees

Topics covered in this resource are:

  • What is the Private Sponsorship of Refugees?
  • Who can sponsor under the PSR Program? Who can be sponsored?
  • What do you need to know about the Blended Visa Office Referred (BVOR) and Joint Assistance Sponsorship (JAS) Programs?
  • What is a sponsored refugee's immigration status?
  • What are the sponsors' responsibilities?
  • What is the role of a Settlement Counsellor in assisting privately sponsored refugees?
  • What should settlement counsellors consider when supporting privately sponsored refugees?
  • What should you do if you believe that refugees may not be receiving sufficient support?
Related legal topic(s): Immigration

Through its refugee protection system, Canada offers safe haven to persons with a well-founded fear of persecution, as well as those at risk of torture or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. This online resource from the Government of Canada describes in detail about Canada's refugee protection programs.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration, Refugees

CPLEA Resources

A collection of LawNow's news articles on Canadian Immigration.  Find out how cnadian immigration law is being used and how it is changing.

Related legal topic(s): Citizenship and nationality

Citizenship and Immigration Law

LawNow.org articles on Citizenship and Immigraion.  Tax, employment, and legal obligations of new Canadians are popular topics.

Related legal topic(s): Immigration

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