View source for I Want to Claim Refugee Status in Canada

== First steps ==

# Before you start a refugee claim, try to get help from a lawyer or settlement agency: 
#* If you cannot afford a lawyer on your own, apply for legal aid. See legal aid representation in the Resource List for information about how to apply for legal aid or call the Legal aid immigration line at 604-601-6076 or 1-888-601-6076. To get legal aid you must be financially eligible and your refugee claim must have merit. 
#* If you do not qualify for legal aid, contact an immigrant settlement agency. 
#* Contact the Law Students' Legal Advice Program if you live in the Lower Mainland. 
#* Pay for a lawyer or immigration consultant. 
# If you are at an airport or at a Canadian border crossing, start your refugee claim by telling a Canadian Border Services Agency officer that you want to make a refugee claim. Staff at the Canada Border Services Agency will interview you. They will ask you to complete immigration forms and provide identity documents. If you come from the United States of America you might be returned to the USA because of the safe third party agreement between Canada and the USA.
# If you are already in Canada, you must submit the required forms to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada office to start your refugee claim. To find a list of offices, see [[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada]] in the Resource List of this guide. You must provide identity documents. For information on preparing refugee claim forms see the online tool [http://www.vrsa.ca/?page_id=279 Refugee Claim Process]. It is advisable to complete the forms with the help of a lawyer.  
# Once your immigration forms are complete, an immigration officer will interview you. The interview could take place when you first make your claim, or you might get an appointment to return for an interview. At your interview, the officer will decide whether you are eligible to make a refugee claim. If you are eligible, your case will go to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and you will get a date for your hearing. 


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| tips = Complete the immigration forms and answer questions at your interview with the immigration officer carefully and truthfully. The information you provide will be used at your refugee hearing. Keep a copy of the forms for your records.   
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