BC SAFE HAVEN
BC SAFE HAVEN offers you free support as a refugee claimant, helping with settlement, English, job search, and mental health referrals.
Jump To:
BC SAFE HAVEN
BC SAFE HAVEN is a free program that offers all-in-one support for you, as a refugee claimant or asylum seeker, to settle in British Columbia. ‘Haven’ in English is another word for ‘home’.
The program is only available for refugee claimants and asylum seekers in British Columbia (BC), Canada.
If you are claiming asylum in BC, please contact the program:
Benefits of the program:
- Free program for refugee claimants and asylum seekers settling in British Columbia
- Guidance through the refugee claim process
- English language support to improve communication skills
- Assistance in finding a job
- Connections to community groups and counseling services for additional support
- Urgent accommodation search support.
When you join BC SAFE HAVEN, you’ll receive:
- Support to understand the refugee claims process in Canada.
- Assistance with job searches and work or employment training.
- Orientation to life in BC, including healthcare, education, housing, banking, and legal services.
- English language classes.
- Access to mental health support and community connections.
- Urgent accommodation search support.
| Service Area | Service | Client Groups | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refugee Claimants* | Asylum Seekers* | ||
| Settlement & Immigration Services | Settlement information, orientation & referrals | ||
| Claim submission process support, immigration information or application & assistance completing non-immigration related forms | |||
| Community connections and informal language practise | |||
| Short-term non-clinical counseling | |||
| Urgent accommodation search support | |||
| Labour Market Services | Labour market information, orientation and networking | ||
| Information on workplace rights and responsibilities & support in the event of a workplace safety or employment standards violation | |||
| Customized employment counseling | |||
| Short-term pre-employment training & supported access to WorkBC and other employment training programs | |||
| Language Services | Language assessments | ||
| Formal English language training | |||
| Accomodation Services | Short-term Emergency Accomodation | ||
| Housing Search & Coordination | |||
| Clinical Counselling Services* | Psycho-Social Trauma Counseling |
Find answers to common questions about BC SAFE HAVEN:
Get quick answers to frequently asked questions about BC SAFE HAVEN services, eligibility, application process, and how we support your career journey
You may qualify for the SAFE HAVEN program if you meet any of the following criteria:
-
Refugee Claimants: You have submitted your refugee claim and received one of the following documents:
- Confirmation of Referral letter (CoRL).
- Acknowledgment of Claim (AoC).
- Refugee Protection Claim Document (RPCD).
- Client application summary (from IRCC’s online portal).
- Asylum seekers: You intend to submit a refugee claim but have not yet done so. You can access settlement services through BC SAFE HAVEN.
- Canada-Ukraine Authorisation for Emergency Travel (CUAET) visa holders: You can access clinical counselling services through the program.
- Other refugees: If you are a protected person, a resettled refugee, or a government-assisted or privately sponsored refugee, you may also qualify for clinical counselling services through BC SAFE HAVEN.
When you join BC SAFE HAVEN, you’ll receive:
- Support to understand the refugee claims process in Canada.
- Assistance with job searches and employment training.
- Orientation to life in BC, including healthcare, education, housing, and legal services.
- English language classes to improve your communication skills.
- Access to mental health support and community connections.
- Urgent accommodation search support.
You can access SAFE HAVEN services at these ISSofBC locations:
- Vancouver
- Burnaby
English language training is also available at:
- Vancouver
- New Westminster
- Richmond
- North Shore
For locations outside of Metro Vancouver, visit WelcomeBC.
For more information about the BC SAFE HAVEN program, including eligibility and services, you can contact the program directly via email: sos@issbc.org
Several ways to support BC SAFE HAVEN include volunteering, donating, or sharing our services within your community. To learn more about how you can get involved, please contact us directly.
Contact SAFE HAVEN
ISSofBC provides services and support only to newcomers living in British Columbia, so it cannot offer support if you live outside the province or Canada.
If you are overseas, we refer you to the websites of Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the BC government for more information. For more information on Canada’s asylum and refugee processes, visit here
Please note that the supports and services for Refugee Claimants and Asylum Seekers differ from province to province. For supports and services in other provinces, you will need to contact a service provider in that province.
The BC SAFE HAVEN program does not provide legal advice, but it does support asylum seekers and refugee claimants to navigate the Canadian asylum claims process.
The program can also provide referrals to other agencies that support asylum seekers/refugee claimants, e.g., the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, Ready Tours, Legal Aid, food banks, and emergency housing shelters.
For more information, visit the BC Hubs BC SAFE HAVEN Service Directory
Legal Aid BC can provide legal information and advice on your refugee (asylum) claims process. Please note that Legal Aid is an independent organisation from ISSofBC that will conduct its own assessment and decide whether to take on your case.
There are no shelters dedicated to migrants specifically; asylum seekers and refugee claimants can access regular shelters available to all Canadians on a first-come, first-served basis.
Shelters usually require lining up, and you may not get a room. For a list of emergency shelters, check the BC 211 website.
Transitional housing may be available to Asylum seekers and Refugee claimants; however, there is a high demand for the limited number of units, and it may take months to access one.
The BC SAFE HAVEN program providers will be able to refer you to transitional housing; however, securing that housing is not guaranteed. For more housing information, check out BC Charms website.
BC Housing is available for low-income households. An application must be completed. Unfortunately, the wait time for such housing can be very long, and many have waited many years to access BC Housing.
There is also transitional housing that is available for migrants. They are often in short supply and require referrals from settlement agencies like ISSofBC. See more details about transitional housing above.
Our BC SAFE HAVEN program can support you in applying for transitional housing, so if you need housing in Metro Vancouver, please contact the program – sos@issbc.org
Locations Available
Through the BC SAFE HAVEN program, ISSofBC offers FREE settlement and job search support in two locations:
These services can help you build your life in your local community.
We also offer formal English language training to residents of five cities in Metro Vancouver:
For a full list of BC SAFE HAVEN service locations, visit WelcomeBC.
Languages Available
We can support you through this program in Spanish (Español), Farsi (فارسی), Dari (دری), and Arabic (عربي).
Contact BC SAFE HAVEN
If you would like to join this program and benefit from its services, please contact the team via email here:
Funding Partners
The Government of British Columbia funds BC SAFE HAVEN.
Government of British Columbia
