Are you thinking about seeking safe haven in Canada?

If you’re considering seeking refuge in Canada, read this page first, and contact the North Star Network for help.

Is Canada an option for you?

A man with POLICE and ICE written on his jacket stands on a bus full of seated male prisoners

Migrants in the U.S. are facing increased threats.

Hundreds of people who came to the U.S. to build new lives are being criminalized, hunted down and arrested randomly in the streets.

Every one of these uprooted people faces a different situation and responds differently.

Those who are caught up in raids have no choice and are forced into detention. Others who are living in fear feel they have no choice and submit. Some go into hiding.

Some are considering going to Canada.

Canada is a country with a humanitarian history stretching back to the 1700s. It is a nation of immigrants. And it has a long tradition of accepting refugees and persecuted people.

Canada offers support to newcomers, including legal aid, shelter, help finding a job, medical services, and resettlement assistance.

The Canadian flag flying in the breeze

Canada may be an option for you, but seeking asylum without a plan could put you at greater risk.

Many migrants currently in the United States are facing increased danger of arrest, detention, deportation, or family separation.

If you’re in the U.S. without legal status, with temporary protected status, or are otherwise vulnerable, you may be considering seeking refuge in Canada. 

There may be a pathway to Canada for you, but Canadian border policies are complicated. Seeking asylum without a plan can put you at even greater risk. 

No matter how strong you think your asylum request might be, if you just go to a border station and try to cross without preparation, you will put yourself at risk. You may be sent back to the U.S. side and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or Customs and Border Protection (CBP). You could be deported. 

The night sky full of dense stars

The North Star Network is here to help you figure out if Canada is an option for you.

The North Star Network is a Quaker humanitarian organization that supports uprooted people who are looking for alternatives.

Our network provides counseling, accompaniment and humanitarian aid to migrants and other people in need. We can provide advice before you act.

Get advice and support

  • Are you 18 or under? Are you in the United States without a parent, guardian or custodian?

    Do you have a client or friend who is?

    Are you interested in exploring a pathway to Canada? Canada has special provisions for Unaccompanied Minors. You may qualify for protection.

    The North Star Network will help you understand your options. Get in touch.

  • This can be dangerous. If the Canadian authorities won’t let you in, you’ll be returned to the U.S. side and could be picked up by ICE. Learn about your options before you try to cross the border. North Star Network can help.

  • Canadian border law is in flux. Canada accepts immigrants and refugees. If you want to seek refuge in Canada your claim has to be eligible under a Canada-U.S. treaty governing border crossings. The North Star Network can help you understand how Canadian border regulations apply to you.

  • When people try to enter Canada and ask for protection from persecution, the Canadians call it “making a refugee claim.” In the United States, it's called “seeking asylum.” They're essentially the same.

    To make a refugee claim when you enter Canada at a border crossing, Canadian border officials must decide if your claim sounds legitimate. If they think your claim is eligible, they will refer it to Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) for a decision. The IRB is a sort of tribunal. You will likely be admitted to Canada. You might have to wait many months for a final decision.

    If Canadian border officials don't think your claim is eligible, you will be sent back across the border to the United States. 

    To make a refugee claim (or asylum claim), you must meet several conditions. One of these requirements is that your claim has to be eligible under a treaty governing border crossings by asylum-seekers that Canada and the United States have agreed to. The law is difficult to understand, but there are many exceptions to it, which may work to your benefit.

    Get in touch with the North Star Network for advice about who is eligible to make an asylum claim in Canada and find out more about other options.

  • If you have already requested asylum in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand, and this is confirmed by the Canadian government, you will not be permitted to make a refugee claim in Canada.

    Confirming whether this application has actually been made and is in the system can be difficult and is not always successful, so there could be an exception. In some cases it might be possible for you to request a so-called "Pre-Removal Risk Assessment," which is different but offers some protection. It may also be possible to enter Canada as an immigrant.

    Get in touch with the North Star Network for advice about exceptions and to find out more about other options.

  • Are you a citizen of the United States or another country? Do you fear persecution? Have you already applied for asylum in the U.S.? It’s possible that you could make a claim for protection or enter Canada through another window, but it depends very much on the particulars of your situation. There’s no across-the-board answer.

    North Star Network can help you understand and sort through the options.

  • Several services are available to newcomers. The North Star Network partners with groups in Canada that can help. They offer shelter, advice as you pursue claim, support getting a work permit, help signing up for medical care and other services.

    If you go to Canada and need help, the North Star Network can put you in touch with partner groups there. Get in touch.

Support and advice from the North Star Network are free and confidential.