Legal Disclaimer
This site provides general legal information. This information can help you understand the law and processes that apply at the border, your rights and responsibilities and when and where you can get help.
This website does not provide legal advice about your specific situation. This information does not tell you what will happen to you at the border or what decision you should make.
The law that applies to people arriving at the Canada-United States border is complex and every person’s individual situation is different. We encourage you to get legal advice. Learn about the legal services that our clinic provides to see if we can help you.
Advocates
If your client needs direct support, please ask them to contact us themselves in any language. If they cannot do so because of technology or accessibility barriers, you may contact us for them.
You can also contact us for general information, advice, or coaching about a client.
Service providers in Canada and the United States can request virtual workshops about refugee eligibility at the Canadian border, depending on our capacity.
Border Crossers
If you think you may qualify under an exception to the Safe Third Country Agreement, contact us with a short description of your situation. We will ask some questions to see if you are eligible for our services.
Advocates
If your client needs direct support, please ask them to contact us themselves in any language. If they cannot do so because of technology or accessibility barriers, you may contact us for them.
You can also contact us for general information, advice, or coaching about a client.
Service providers in Canada and the United States can request virtual workshops about refugee eligibility at the Canadian border, depending on our capacity.
Border Crossers
If you think you may qualify under an exception to the Safe Third Country Agreement, contact us with a short description of your situation. We will ask some questions to see if you are eligible for our services.
Our Process:
We cannot provide urgent help. Wait times vary and there may be delays because we are a small team.
We are a virtual clinic. We do not have a physical office. We communicate by email, phone, and video call.
Because we are a small team with a focused mandate, we do not offer:
- In-person services
- Urgent services (including applications with short deadlines)
- Services for people in US detention
- Advice about how criminal charges or convictions affect immigration
- In-person representation at the border
- Opinions on the strength of a refugee claim
- Advice about other immigration pathways to Canada
- Legal advice for US citizens moving to Canada (see this resource: Considering Canada)
