Searching for Immigration / Sponsorship

Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, facilitates the arrival of immigrants, provides protection to refugees, and offers programming to help newcomers settle in Canada. It also:

• grants citizenship,
• issues travel documents (such as passports) to Canadians
• promotes multiculturalism
• Dual Citizenship and Refugee Claims information

Canadian Citizenship Application Centre

• Federal service handling applications for the grant of Canadian citizenship
• Apply to visit, study, work or immigrate to Canada, apply for citizenship or a permanent resident card, check the status of your application or find a form.

Immigrate:

• Includes applications for federal skilled workers, family sponsorship, start-up visas, refugees, and tips on fraud and using a representative

Visit:

• Includes visitor visas and extensions for tourists, parents and grandparents and business travellers, transit visas and necessary travel identification documents

Work:

• Includes work permit applications and extensions, live-in caregiver applications, getting credentials recognized and hiring temporary foreign workers

Study:

• Includes study or student work permit applications and extensions

Citizenship:

• Includes how to apply, resume or give up Canadian citizenship, prepare for the citizenship test and get proof of citizenship

New Immigrants:

• Permanent Resident Cards, immigrant services in your area, and citizenship applications

Passports/Sponsorships: Canadians:

• Includes family sponsorship, proof of citizenship, passports, adoption, refugee sponsorship and citizenship celebrations

My Application:

• Includes application status, processing times, online applications and paper forms, fee payments, medical and police checks. Click Here for Details

Find an Office:

• Includes where to send your application, visa application centres, visa offices outside and in Canada. Click Here for Details

Court of Canadian Citizenship:

• Information and advice to the public on citizenship
• conducts hearings and court ceremonies
• application kits for acquiring or proving Canadian citizenship available on website or by telephone

Enforcement and Control:

• Investigates offences and enforces the Immigration Act and Regulations
• regulates and facilitates the entry of visitors or immigrants to Canada at port of entry
• various application kits available for mail-in service

Immigration Recruitment and Selection:

• Accepts and processes applications from groups for the sponsoring of refugees
• all other applications must be mailed to the address provided in the application kit

InMyLanguage.org Website

• InMyLanguage.org provides multilingual information for newcomers to Ontario, Canada
• All translations have been completed by certified translators
• InMyLanguage.org is managed by OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants) and funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Click Here to use Website

Settlement, system navigation and community orientation for refugee claimants.

• assistance with refugee claim process, CBSA, IRCC
• connection to community services and supports like Legal Aid, Social Assistance and Housing
• referrals to experienced refugee claimant lawyers
• transitional housing
• help with translation and interpretation
• orientation to Canadian life
• connection to established Canadians who can help individual or family settle
• help finding permanent housing, furnishings, dishes, and other household items
• assistance locating volunteer and employment opportunities
• operates as an emergency shelter for anyone when space permits

Volunteer opportunities available both at Matthew House, and by friending Refugee Claimants and helping them settle in community. See website for more information.

Government information about immigrating to Canada, settling in Canada, and Canadian citizenship

Enforcement and Violations - Investigates offenses and enforces the Immigration Act and Regulations * regulates and facilitates the entry of visitors or immigrants to Canada at port of entry * application kits available for mail-in service

Immigration Recruitment and Selection - Accepts and processes applications from groups for the sponsoring of refugees * all other applications must be mailed to the address provided in the application kit

Settlement Services

• orientation to life in Ontario; information on immigration issues
• accessing government resources including social assistance, income security, child tax benefits
• assistance with search for housing and social housing
• emotional support

Helping Our Newcomers Prepare for Employment/Entrepreneurial Success (HOPES) Program: resettlement stress support, education, skills and experience support

LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada): provides basic English skills in English, upon assessment by YMCA of Greater Toronto --see separate entry

Language Instruction Giving Hope to Trauma Survivors (LIGHTS) Program: alternative language program that provides functional English as a second or additional language (ESL/EAL) instruction to vulnerable newcomers who experience emotional, cognitive, or academic barriers to learning in traditional English classes

Free telephone hotline providing legal assistance to Ukrainians arriving in Canada affected by the war in Ukraine, with focus on immigration related issues, and also provides assistance and referrals for other legal issues related to resettlement, such as housing, employment

• assistance identifying nature of legal issue, advice and assistance on steps to take
• help drafting basic legal document for use in Canadian justice system
• where appropriate, referrals to pro bono and other lawyers for ongoing services
• referrals to support services

COVID19 -- call or visit website for current information irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/stay-connected/Pages/covid-19-irb-operations.aspx



Refugee Protection Division: panel determines refugee claims, for more detailed information, click irb.gc.ca/en/applying-refugee-protection/Pages/index.aspx

• appeals of negative decisions may be heard at Refugee Appeal Board or other bodies, for more information, click irb.gc.ca/en/filing-refugee-appeal/Pages/index.aspx

Immigration Appeal Division: hears appeals on immigration-related matters including sponsorships, removal orders, and residency obligations, for more information click irb.gc.ca/en/making-immigration-appeal/Pages/index.aspx

Detention Reviews and Admissibility Hearings: detention reviews and admissibility hearings conducted for persons believed to be inadmissible or removable from Canada; located at 385 Rexdale Blvd, 1-833-222-0408; for more information, click irb.gc.ca/en/detention-hearings/Pages/index.aspx

COVID19 -- Follows all current public health restrictions


Provides support and expertise to groups involved in refugee sponsorship and resettlement

• refugee sponsorship training, toolkit and online resource centre
• public awareness of refugee needs

Represents the Anglican Diocese of Toronto and supports the Toronto Conference of the United Church of Canada as a Sponsorship Agreement Holder (SAH)

Settlement Services

• orientation to life in Ontario; information on immigration issues
• accessing government resources including social assistance, income security, child tax benefits
• assistance with search for housing and social housing
• emotional support

Helping Our Newcomers Prepare for Employment/Entrepreneurial Success (HOPES) Program: resettlement stress support, education, skills and experience support

LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada): provides basic English skills in English, upon assessment by YMCA of Greater Toronto --see separate entry

Language Instruction Giving Hope to Trauma Survivors (LIGHTS) Program: alternative language program that provides functional English as a second or additional language (ESL/EAL) instruction to vulnerable newcomers who experience emotional, cognitive, or academic barriers to learning in traditional English classes

Members include international unions, provincial organizations, provincial federations of labour, chartered unions, labour councils

• assists in organizing new unions
• information and referral

Permanent Residence for Out-of-Status Construction Workers in the Greater Toronto Area -- help out-of-status construction workers find a pathway to permanent residence

COVID19 -- services provided by phone or online, as well as in-person services

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Information and training support services

• online applications and forms, serves Canada (except Quebec)

Provides traveler, commercial and immigration services

• Accounts Receivable Ledger Office
• e-Longroom - Manifest
• Duty-Free Shop
• NEXUS/Highway
• Designated Commercial Office
• Highway/Land Border Office
• e-Longroom - Release
• Electronic Data Interchange
• Designated Export Reporting Office

Provides traveller and commercial services

• authorized marine site for commercial vessels (no ferry boats or cruise ships) reporting to Canadian Border Service Agency
• Low Value Shipments Program clearances
• reporting and clearing of commercial goods
• reporting of exports
• duty free shop
• electronic transmission and interchange of cargo, release, and accounting data
• authorized port of entry from the United States for traffic arriving by land (passengers and/or commercial)

Office mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect people forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict and persecution

• provides shelter, food, water, medical care, and other life-saving assistance to refugees around the world

Protection:

• observes Canadian asylum practices and policies in order to promote the highest standards of protection for refugees and asylum-seekers

Resettlement:

• works with the Canadian government and private sponsorship groups to help coordinate resettlement opportunities in Canada

Awareness:

• informs and educates Canadians about the situation of refugees and other displaced persons around the world

Fundraising:

• encourages the Canadian public and the Government of Canada to provide financial assistance to UNHCR programs worldwide

UNHCR Gift Shop:

• targeted donations toward essential resources for refugees such as shelter, medical care, education, nutrition,and clean water

Governmental information centre

• the Client Support Centre can answer questions about immigration, refugees and citizenship services and programs, and on status of an application in process inside Canada

University hub that delivers core programming in the area of refugee law and policy

• refugee law education
• research
• advocacy

University of Ottawa Refugee Assistance Project (UORAP):

• offers resources for community workers who are assisting refugee claimants, and for refugee lawyers

Refugee Law Research Team (RLRT): Team of law students involved in the refugee field that provides:

• legal research
• analysis
• strategic support
• high-level domestic and international refugee advocacy initiatives