My husband sponsored me to come to Canada. I got permanent resident status. But I’m unhappy in our relationship. He says if I leave him, I will be forced to leave the country. Do I have to stay with him so I can stay in Canada?
Your spouse or partner can sponsor you to live and work in Canada. If your sponsor is no longer willing or able to support you, it’s called a sponsorship breakdown. It can be scary to be in this situation. Learn about your rights and how to keep yourself — and your children — safe.
What you should know
If your relationship with your sponsor has ended, your right to stay in Canada depends on your immigration status. This information is for you if:
your spouse or conjugal partner sponsored you to come to Canada under the family class immigration program from outside Canada, or
you were sponsored by a spouse or common-law partner when you were already in Canada.
Importantly, the information only applies if you have already been granted permanent residence in Canada.
Immigration uncertainty when a relationship ends
If you do not yet have permanent residence status, and your relationship with your sponsor breaks down, you may need to take steps to stay in Canada. You should talk to a lawyer straight away. There are legal options that may be available for you to stay in Canada.
When someone sponsors you, they make some promises to both you and the government. They do this by signing an undertaking and sponsorship agreement.
A sponsor promises:
To financially support you. This includes providing food, clothes, a place to live, and other everyday needs. Your sponsor will also need to cover your medical costs that aren’t covered by the BC medical services plan, such as dental and eye care.
That you will not need to apply for social assistance benefits. This is money from the BC government to cover basic needs. If you get welfare, your sponsor promises to repay the government. The government may take action against your sponsor (and not you) if you end up getting welfare.
“My partner sponsored me to become a permanent resident. Since I moved here, our relationship hasn’t been good. I’m conflicted: I do love them but I’m very unhappy. Our relationship causes me stress but I know life might be hard if I leave, too.”
– Yasmin, Surrey, BC
Sponsorship breakdown is when your sponsor can’t or won’t support you in the way they promised. Some examples of a sponsorship breakdown are when your sponsor:
refuses to support you after you leave the relationship,
wants to support you but doesn’t have enough money,
allows you to stay in their home but doesn’t pay for your basic needs, or
leaves you and no longer supports you.
You have the right to leave your partner for any reason, even if they are your sponsor. You can leave them if they are scaring you, hurting you, or if you are unhappy. Your sponsor doesn’t have to be violent for you to leave.
If your relationship ends, your sponsor is still responsible to provide for your needs until their undertaking ends. (If your spouse or partner sponsored you, that’s three years after you became a permanent resident.) This is an obligation they owe to you and the government.
Your sponsor can’t make you go back to your home country, no matter what kind of problem you have with them. And you won’t be ordered to leave Canada just because your sponsorship breaks down. Being ordered to leave the country is called being “removed” (sometimes, people call this being “deported”). This won’t happen simply because you left your sponsor, or they are no longer supporting you. As a permanent resident, you keep all your rights and benefits even if your relationship with your sponsor ends.
Immigration officials will take action if they believe either you or your sponsor lied on your immigration application. This includes situations where they suspect that the relationship was not genuine. In this situation, they may try to take away your immigration status and require you to leave Canada. There is a legal process that immigration officials must go through before they can order someone to leave Canada. You have rights in this process.
If you think your sponsor will report you to immigration
If you think your sponsor might have lied on your application, or if you think they’ll tell the government you lied, you can talk to a lawyer. You may qualify for free legal help. You can call the Immigration & Refugee Legal Clinic at 778-372-6583 or visit their website irlc.ca. Talk to a lawyer straight away if you have received a letter from immigration authorities asking you to attend an interview or hearing or to give them information.
It is a good idea to keep records of the abuse. You may need to provide these to immigration authorities.
“In my country, I worked in an office — I had a good job, lots of friends. When my husband sponsored me, everything changed. I don’t know anyone in Canada. I don’t have the support I did back home. My husband says I can’t ride the bus, take English classes, look for work, or even say hi to the neighbours. It’s so isolating. All of this makes it harder for me to leave him. When I say no to sex, he gets angry and says he will take the kids away from me. He can be so cruel and controlling, but he’s never hit me. So is it even abuse?”
– Miriam, Abbotsford, BC
Sometimes a sponsor treats you so badly that you have to leave, even if they don’t tell you to go. If you’re forced to leave your sponsor because of abuse, this is also a sponsorship breakdown.
When people think of abuse, they often think it has to involve physical violence. But that’s not true. Domestic abuse can happen in a broader range of situations. It often includes a pattern of threats or violence by one person to gain power and control over a person living with them. So it can still be abuse if your partner hasn’t hurt your body. Abuse can also be emotional, verbal, psychological, sexual or financial.
For example, a sponsor is abusive if they:
hit or threaten you,
force you to work for them for no money,
force you to have sex or make you feel like you can’t say no to sex,
threaten to harm you, your children, or themselves if you don’t stay with them, or
don’t allow you to leave the house or have contact with other people.
Children may also be experiencing or witnessing abuse or neglect.
Abuse can be complicated and can involve one or more of these examples. These are just examples of what abuse can look like; it can also look entirely different. If you are not sure if you are being abused, it may be helpful to reach out to a legal advocate, community organization or counsellor. They may be able to help you understand if it is abuse.
Abuse is against the law in Canada. You have the right to be safe. If you or your child are being abused by your sponsor, get help. If you’re in immediate danger, you can call the police by dialing 911. On page 7 below, we walk you through some steps you can take to get help and remove yourself from an unsafe situation.
Tell others about the abuse
Telling others about the abuse can provide emotional and practical support., It also helps to create a record of the abuse. It can include talking to a doctor, the police, staff at a shelter, or trusted friends or family members. These types of records can be helpful if you’re speaking with immigration or welfare officials.
“I called a friend I’d met at the library. She took me to an immigrant agency. I’m glad she showed me there were places to go for help. They told me I could leave my boyfriend and I wouldn’t be forced to leave Canada, even if he was the one who sponsored me. I was afraid to tell people what was going on because I didn’t know what was safe for me. So I put up with abuse for a long time.”
– Anaya, Hope, BC
You might have conflicting or changing feelings about your sponsor, and whether or not you should stay. Whatever you’re feeling is valid.
It can feel like it will be too difficult to leave your sponsor — even if you want to. You might:
still be in love or attached to your partner,
be worried about how you’ll pay for food and housing,
fear your partner, the government or the police,
wonder whether leaving will put your immigration status at risk,
be stressed at the thought of dealing with others who don’t speak your language, or
have concerns about being mistreated because of your race, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Below we address some common barriers to leaving an abusive or unhappy relationship with a sponsor. Sometimes the barriers are myths that can be cleared up. Others are real concerns. Leaving an abusive partner is hard, especially for newcomers. But with the help of others, you have the choice to leave a bad situation.
You have the right to apply for welfare. Welfare benefits provide financial support to those in need. There are four types of welfare benefits. We explain them here. The benefits are provided by the provincial government, through the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. Applying for welfare will not impact your status as a permanent resident.
If you get welfare during the period of your sponsor’s undertaking, the government may try to recover this money from your sponsor. They will not take action against you to recover this debt. If you have experienced abuse, and you tell the ministry when you apply for welfare, they should not contact your sponsor (unless you ask them to). And they should not reach out to your sponsor to recover the debt your sponsor owes. If you tell the ministry at a later time that there is no longer a safety concern, they may reach out to your sponsor then.
We have detailed instructions on the general steps that most people have to follow to apply for welfare. If your sponsorship broke down because of abuse, you can skip some of those steps. This means you can get access to money faster. Here’s a quick snapshot of what a welfare application may look like if your sponsorship broke down because of abuse.
Take steps to keep safe
If you’re in immediate danger, you can call the police by dialing 911. If English isn’t your first language, tell the operator what language you speak. They will get you an interpreter. If you live in one of the few areas of BC that doesn’t have 911 service, call your local emergency police or RCMP.
You may feel scared or nervous about getting help from the police. Remember, the abuse is not your fault. In Canada, it’s a crime to threaten or harm someone, even if they’re family.
To keep you safe, the police may take you away from your partner or take you (and your children) to a safe place. This could be a shelter or a friend or family member’s home. They can also take you to a doctor if you’re hurt.
Some newcomers are unsure or fearful about engaging with the police because of bad experiences with police or others in uniform in their home country. Or they may have heard about bad experiences with the police in Canada among people in their communities. For some, there is a fear of an increased risk to their safety due to racism, mental health or addiction issues, or transphobia.
Being in an abusive relationship — and ending one — is a dangerous time. As someone experiencing domestic violence, you make decisions every day to keep yourself safe. It’s up to you to assess the level of risk and danger, and decide what you feel is the safest option. You need to make the right choices for you at the time.
There are more steps you can take to plan for leaving an abusive situation. We discuss these next, in step 2.
If I call for help, will the police turn me in to immigration officials?
Police officers can contact immigration officials when they feel it’s appropriate to do so. For example, they may contact immigration to verify your status or for various other reasons.
There are certain situations where a permanent resident could face immigration risks. (People with temporary or no immigration status face even greater risks.) It’s up to you to weigh these immigration risks against your safety concerns.
For example, permanent residents can lose their status and be removed from Canada if they’ve committed a crime. Say there is a situation where both spouses are accusing each other of abuse. If the sponsored person ends up getting charged, the police could contact immigration authorities.
A permanent resident could also lose their status if they misrepresented something to immigration authorities. This could include providing a false document, or saying that their relationship was genuine when it was not.
You have the right to leave your partner, even if they are your sponsor.
Whether you want to stay in your relationship or not, you can get help. A legal advocate, a counsellor, or a victim support worker can:
meet with you to talk about the abuse and assess the situation,
provide emotional support, and
help you make a safety plan, so that you have a list of practical steps you can take to keep you (and your children) safe whether you decide to stay or leave.
There are specially trained people who can give you this support. Some examples are:
VictimLinkBC is a 24-hour information and helpline for victims of family violence. Operators give support and information. They can also connect you to a legal advocate, counsellor or support worker. Call 1-800-563-0808 (toll-free in BC). If you are hard of hearing or experience difficulty with speech, you can use TELUS IP Relay. Call 711 to use this free service.
Battered Women’s Support Services offers crisis support, legal advocacy and counselling. Contact them if you’ve been abused in an intimate relationship. Call 604-687-1867 (Lower Mainland) or 1-855-867-1868 (toll-free in BC).
QMUNITY provides free counselling and support groups to the LGBTQ+ community and operates a legal clinic. Call 604-684-5307 (Lower Mainland).
The Vancouver & Lower Mainland Multicultural Family Support Services Society (VLMFSS) offers assistance to immigrants, refugees, visible minorities, and women without immigration status and children facing family violence within the Metro Vancouver area. Call the victims services helpline on 236-865-1194.
Legal Aid BC may be able to help you get a protection order against a spouse or partner to stop them from being able to contact you. You can apply at Legal Aid BC’s website or call 1‑866‑577‑2525.
With a safety plan, you and your children can stay safe while you’re in the relationship or if you decide to leave. Battered Women’s Support Services has an online tool to help you create your own safety plan. Among their resources is a guide for trans people who are experiencing intimate partner violence.
If you have children and are leaving your sponsor
If you do decide to leave, don’t tell your sponsor that you’re leaving until you’re in a safe place with your children. And try to talk to a lawyer at least once before you leave, or meet with one soon after you leave. They can tell you about your legal options to keep your children safe. See step 5 below on getting legal help.
It can be scary to leave your sponsor, especially if you feel that you are alone. A support system can help keep you safe. If you’re planning to leave an abusive sponsor, try to set up a check-in system with family and friends. Let them know about your safety plan.
Your support network can do things like take you to appointments, be on stand-by if you need a safe place to go, give you information, and point you to resources. They can also advocate for you and support you during difficult conversations. This is helpful if English isn’t your first language. Or you find it hard to talk when you’re stressed. Or you’re scared of talking to the police or other authorities.
Here are some people and organizations you can try to reach out to:
Trusted friends, family, and neighbours.
Your doctor or nurse.
A teacher, counsellor, or principal at your child’s school.
Social workers or settlement workers.
Community organizations who can help you find someone who can speak your language and who understands your culture. These include places like MOSAIC and the Immigrant Services Society of BC.
There are safe places you can go
To find a safe place to stay, phone VictimLinkBC at 1-800-563-0808. They can connect you with a women’s centre, transition house or other support worker.
If you are in an abusive situation, you (and your children) can stay at an emergency shelter or a transition house until you find a better place to live. These places are free and usually offer support services, including free food. You can also ask the police to take you to a safe place.
If you are not in an abusive situation, BC Housing might place you in housing where the rent is cheaper than the market rate. If you are still in the period of your sponsor’s undertaking, BC Housing might choose not to place you. This is because your sponsor has promised to cover your basic needs, including housing during that time. If you’re in this situation, you may need a lawyer, legal advocate, or even a trusted friend to help advocate for you.
You can try applying to a housing co-operative. Many co-ops have application forms and long waitlists. You will have to pay to stay in co-op housing, but it’s usually cheaper than market rent.
You may need to get legal help. Depending on your circumstances, there are different options for legal help.
You may be dealing with immigration law issues, such as:
your immigration status is at risk because your sponsor has told the government you lied on your application or the relationship was not genuine, or
you have precarious immigration status and need help to stay in the country.
For immigration law issues
You can call the Immigration and Refugee Legal Clinic at 778-372-6583. Legal Aid BC also has a direct immigration line free of charge at 1-888-601-6076. As well, you can reach the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program at 604-822-5791 for other immigration questions.
As well, you may be dealing with family law issues, such as:
you want to apply for a protection order against a spouse or other family member,
your sponsor is threatening to take your children, or
you want to apply for child support or spousal support.
For family law issues
Legal Aid BC may be able to help you with legal representation, legal advice or information. Even if you don’t qualify for legal aid, you may be able to get legal advice about your family law issues. You may be able to talk in-person to family duty counsel at court locations across the province. Or you might be able to connect with a lawyer over the phone through Family LawLINE. Call Legal Aid BC at 1-866-577-2525. They will ask you some questions to see if you are eligible for their services.
A legal advocate can help you with legal issues. They are not lawyers. Advocates have experience supporting people who are fleeing abuse. They can give you legal information and emotional support. They can be a support person in meetings and at court. You can reach out to different advocates to find someone who you are comfortable with and who understands your culture. To find a legal advocate, call VictimLinkBC at 1-800-563-0808 or visit PovNet.
If you need a lawyer, ask a legal advocate or support worker if they know someone who has experience working with people in your situation. You can also contact Legal Aid BC to apply for help. If you qualify for legal aid, you may be paired with a navigator. This is a non-lawyer who can help guide you through the legal aid process. For example, a navigator can help you to find housing, apply for income assistance, prepare for a meeting with your Legal Aid lawyer, as well as access and use legal information.
Working with a lawyer
The idea of talking to a lawyer might make you feel nervous. And the thought of going through with your case or upsetting your ex-partner may feel like too much. Feeling sad, angry or guilty are also normal.
You know what you’ve been through and what you can handle. The hope is that a lawyer can get you legal outcomes that make your life easier. If you decide to go ahead with your case, here are some things to keep in mind:
Gather your documents (such as text messages and photos) to give to your lawyer. If you don’t have any documents, that’s okay.
Try your best to think about what’s happened in your relationship. Try to tell your lawyer in the order that it happened and in point form. If you don’t know or don’t remember, tell your lawyer you are having trouble with your memory. (Your meeting will be confidential. That means your lawyer cannot tell anyone about your case unless you say they can.)
Tell your lawyer the truth even if you think it might hurt you. Your lawyer needs to know all the information to do their best work for you. It’s also important to let the lawyer know what you want. If you’re not sure, it’s okay to ask your lawyer to explain what your legal options are.
Use your time with your lawyer well. Be on time for your appointments. If you’re running late or have to cancel, call your lawyer’s office to let them know. Come prepared to meetings with questions or issues you want to discuss.
You don’t have to do this alone. A counsellor can give you emotional support. And you can ask the lawyer if a friend or community worker can come with you to meetings.
Get help with money
If you are leaving your sponsor, try to take your important documents with you. You will need these to apply for welfare (though there are some exceptions, especially if you are in an abusive situation). If it’s safe to do so, try to take any documents that:
can identify you, such as your birth certificate, passport and identity cards,
show your social insurance number (or SIN) if you have received one, such as tax returns,
prove your immigration status, typically your confirmation of permanent residence or your permanent resident card, or
give you continued access to health care, such as your BC services card and medical records.
Take your children’s documents as well.
Information about the sponsorship
You’ll need to tell the ministry you were sponsored. The ministry will ask you to provide information about your sponsor and how the sponsorship broke down. The ministry will ask for information such as:
your sponsor’s full name, and any other names they may use,
your sponsor’s address and phone number, and
your sponsor’s work address.
If you have any proof that your sponsor isn’t supporting you, bring this with you. For example:
You could provide text messages to the ministry where you have asked your sponsor for financial support.
Try to bring letters from any places that have supported you when your sponsor wouldn’t help out. The letters should confirm what help they gave you and when. This can include letters from food banks, places of worship, or community groups.
If you need money and you don’t have all the information you need, you may be able to receive temporary hardship assistance. This includes situations where the ministry has been unable to contact your sponsor to verify that your sponsor is unable or unwilling to support you.
If you’ve experienced abuse
If you tell the ministry you have concerns for your health or safety, you don’t have to talk or write to your sponsor asking them for information. And the ministry shouldn’t contact your sponsor. In other words, once you tell the ministry about your sponsor’s abuse, they do not need to contact your sponsor in order to assess whether you’re eligible to receive welfare.
If your sponsor won’t let you have your immigration documents
Usually, you must prove you’re a citizen or a permanent resident to be eligible for welfare. The ministry will accept your confirmation of permanent residence (marked as IMM 5292 or IMM 5688) or your permanent resident card as proof.
If your sponsor has your documents, you can ask the police for help getting them from your sponsor. A community worker can help you ask the police to go with you to your sponsor’s home. The police won’t force your sponsor to give you the papers, but they can make sure you’re safe while you’re in your sponsor’s home discussing the case.
If you used an immigration lawyer for your sponsorship application, you can reach out to them. They may have copies of your immigration documents.
If you can’t get your documents back from your sponsor, let the ministry know. The ministry worker will ask you for some information including the reason you are missing the documents, your immigration status and the date it was granted.
The ministry’s financial branch will then complete an immigration status verification request. This process takes about five business days. Your immigration status will be confirmed by the financial branch.
You will still have to apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for replacement documents in order to receive income assistance. While you’re waiting for your new documents to arrive, you can access hardship assistance. (Hardship assistance is temporary and is paid on a month-to-month basis. Depending on the situation, there may be some time limits involved. The ministry may approve hardship assistance beyond these limits in exceptional situations.)
You can apply to replace your immigration documents
In order to receive regular income assistance payments, you must provide the ministry with replacement immigration documents. You can apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada for a replacement permanent resident card. The form “application for a permanent resident card” (marked as IMM 5444) is available to download or you can apply through the online portal.
A replacement card costs $50. If you don’t have $50, you can ask the ministry to pay for it.
You can apply for welfare benefits in one of three ways:
Online. You can apply online at My Self Serve. (This website is in English only.) The ministry usually tries to get people to apply for welfare online, but you don’t have to if it’s hard for you.
By phone. Call 1-866-866-0800 for free. After you’ve spoken to an employment worker, you will need to go to an income assistance office in person within five business days. You need to do this to sign the application. If you can’t get to an office, you can find someone you trust like a doctor, nurse, or social worker. The ministry will send them the form so that you can sign it in front of them instead. Let the ministry know if you prefer this option.
In person. To find the location of the nearest income assistance office, call the ministry at 1-866-866-0800.
The ministry may contact your sponsor
If there are no safety concerns, the ministry will contact your sponsor. They will tell them that you’ve applied for welfare. They will ask your sponsor if they will support you financially. If the sponsor says no, the ministry will continue to process your application. And they will ask your sponsor to repay the welfare amount.
If you tell the ministry that contacting your sponsor may put your health or safety at risk, the ministry should not contact your sponsor. As well, the ministry will not collect on your sponsor’s debt. The debt will be kept on record. The debt is between your sponsor and the government. You will not have to repay the government for any welfare you receive.
If your sponsor has abused or threatened you, it’s important to let the ministry know. Do this the first time you contact the ministry. You can receive money and help much sooner. You won’t have to go through all the steps that most people have to follow to apply for benefits.
The ministry doesn’t need to contact the police or anyone else to check about the abuse. They can take your word for it. If you do have documents that help show the abuse, it’s helpful to give them to the ministry. This includes a police report, a doctor’s report, photographs, or emails and letters from witnesses (such as staff at a shelter, community workers or friends).
You have the right to get support right away if you need it. This applies whether or not you are fleeing abuse. When you first contact the ministry to apply for welfare, they should do an immediate needs assessment. The purpose of the assessment is to find out if you have an immediate need for food, shelter, or urgent medical attention. Having an assessment just means that the ministry worker will ask you some questions. It’s important to answer the questions honestly so that the ministry worker can figure out how to best meet your needs.
Unfortunately, there’s a chance that this step may be rushed or missed. Make it clear that you have a need. For example, you can say, “I am in immediate need of diabetes medication” or “I need food for myself and my kids straight away.”
If they agree you have an immediate need, the worker should help you meet that need on the same business day. For example, they may give you access to food vouchers or to a medical prescription. The ministry will also speed up the welfare application process, and relax some of the eligibility requirements for you.
You don’t need to prove that you’ve tried to get help from food banks or shelters before you can get an immediate needs assessment.
There are usually time limits on how long you can receive hardship assistance. If you stay separated from your partner and have no money, apply for regular income assistance or disability benefits as soon as you can.
If you are fleeing abuse, you won’t have to do a work search. A work search involves looking and applying for work for a three-week period. There are other situations where you won’t have to do a work search. (These include not being legally able to work in Canada or being the sole caregiver of a child under three.)
If your sponsorship broke down but you did not experience abuse, you may need to do a work search. Look for a WorkBC Centre near you for help with your work search. You must keep a record of your work search activities using this form. If you have an immediate need, you’ll get temporary money called hardship assistance while you look for work.
This is the last step in the welfare application process. An eligibility interview is where the ministry looks at your situation and decides if you qualify for welfare. It may take place over the phone or in person. Here, we go into more detail about what happens at the interview.
Generally, the ministry should schedule your interview for a date within five business days of when you contact them. If you are fleeing abuse, the ministry must schedule your eligibility interview within one business day of you applying. If the ministry cannot schedule the interview within one business day, they should help you meet your immediate needs in the meantime.
If you meet all the other criteria, you should receive income assistance shortly after your eligibility interview. This provides a support and shelter allowance to those on low or no income.
Once you receive welfare, the ministry will give you something called a monthly report with your benefits each month. You have to fill out the form, sign it, and return it to the ministry in order to get the next month’s payment. It’s very important to answer the questions on the report correctly and truthfully.
The ministry will review your file regularly. The ministry will want to know if your sponsor still can’t support you, or if your sponsor can now pay your expenses.
If you experienced abuse, the ministry will want to know if there’s still a safety concern. Because of this, make sure you tell the ministry if you’re still afraid for your safety. You should also do this when you stop receiving welfare. One year after you applied for welfare, the ministry may request documents that prove the ongoing safety concerns.
Common questions
If you don’t understand or speak English very well, you have the right to ask the ministry for an interpreter. The ministry will arrange for the interpreter for free. You can also ask a support person to help you apply (in person or online). Ask someone you trust, such as a friend, relative, neighbour or community worker.
If your spouse is your sponsor and your sponsorship breaks down, they don’t automatically have the right to keep your children or your property.
If you and your spouse separate or divorce, your spouse still has a legal responsibility to help support your children. This is called child support or maintenance. They may also have to give you support payments. This is called spousal support. This is separate from their obligation to support you as a sponsor.
You can go to court to apply for child or spousal support from your spouse. If you don’t want to go to court, you and your spouse can try to work out an agreement with a mediator or with lawyers. You can also get help from a family justice counsellor.
You may also have a right to some of the property you shared with your spouse. The two of you could decide how to divide up your property, or you could go to court to do this.
While you’re on income assistance, you aren’t eligible to sponsor anyone to come to Canada, not even your children. Once you’re able to support yourself and earn enough money, you may qualify to sponsor your family members.
If you receive disability benefits, you can apply to sponsor eligible family members.
Who can help
VictimLink BC
A toll-free 24/7 information and support line for victims of crime in BC.
Battered Women’s Support Services
Provides emotional support, information and referrals to women who have experienced abuse.
BC Housing
Listings for emergency shelters, transition houses and subsidized housing available in the province. Click on “Housing Assistance,” then “Women Fleeing Violence.”
QMUNITY
Provides free counselling and support groups to the LGBTQ+ community.
AMSSA
An association of multicultural agencies that serve immigrants. Lists agencies that have interpretation and translation services.
You can find help in your local communities. These organizations have community workers who can assist you with immigration and welfare matters. They may be able to help you find a lawyer or legal advocate. And they can find help for you in the language you speak.
Association of Neighbourhood Houses BC
In multiple languages, offers services for newcomers ranging from counselling to community events to skill-building workshops.
Immigrant Services Society of BC
Provides settlement and employment services to new immigrants.
MOSAIC
A non-profit providing free settlement services to new immigrants.
Pathways BC Community Services Directory
A public directory where you can search for immigration and refugee services and centres by community.
Access Pro Bono’s Everyone Legal Clinic
Clinicians provide affordable fixed-fee services on a range of everyday legal problems.
Legal Aid BC
Provides free legal help in criminal, family, and immigration matters to those who meet financial guidelines.
