Resettlement from outside Canada: Country of Asylum Class
The Country of Asylum Class is for people in refugee-like situations, who do not qualify as Convention refugees.
You are in the Country of Asylum Class if you:
- are outside your home country or the country where you normally live
- have been, and continue to be, seriously and personally affected by civil war or armed conflict, or have suffered massive violations of human rights
- cannot find an adequate solution to your situation within a reasonable period of time and
- will be privately sponsored or have the funds required to support yourself and your dependants.
Referrals from UNHCR and other organizations
Canada relies mainly on private sponsorship groups to identify and refer refugees who meet the criteria of the Country of Asylum Class.
A Canadian visa officer then decides whether a person meets the requirements of Canada’s Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program, and if the person will be admitted to Canada.
Learn about:
Canada-Quebec Accord
Under the Canada-Quebec Accord, the Quebec government selects the refugees who will settle in Quebec. Citizenship and Immigration Canada is responsible for determining whether a person selected abroad by Quebec qualifies as a refugee based on Canadian immigration regulations.
For more information on Quebec’s refugee selection program, and the process that Quebec uses to select refugees, go to the Related Links section at the bottom of this page.