What services can I get in Quebec while my refugee claim is being processed?
Short answer
In Quebec, a person who has filed a refugee claim with the federal government and lives in Quebec may have access to last-resort financial assistance if their situation warrants it, to care through PRAIDA, to school for their children, to French courses, and to legal aid services.
In detail
The Gouvernement du Québec describes the services offered to asylum seekers: last-resort financial assistance (applied for online or on a paper form, in French or in English, with the documents from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), preventive and front-line care through the Regional Program for the Settlement and Integration of Asylum Seekers (PRAIDA), and coverage under the federal Interim Federal Health Program.
Children have access to preschool, elementary and secondary education. Adults can take French-language courses free of charge. There are also psychosocial services, help with temporary housing and with finding housing, and reduced-cost childcare.
Processing the refugee claim itself is a federal responsibility, not Quebec's. The two files move forward in parallel: protection (federal) and services (Quebec).
What to document
Your IRCC documents (refugee claimant document, confirmation that the claim was filed), the dates of each request for a service, the names and contact details of the workers you met with, and the decision letters you receive for each program.
Put your facts in writing, free. Writing your version down early, keeping your documents dated and preparing your questions for a lawyer: the tool is there to document, never to advise.
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Official sources
Related questions
- Can I get legal aid for my refugee claim in Quebec?
- How many hours can I work on my study permit?
- Can I sponsor my partner if we are not married?
- What proves my relationship is genuine for a sponsorship?
- Can I apply for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds?
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What this page is not
This is general legal information about the law of Quebec and Canada, dated and sourced. It is not legal advice, not a strategy, and not a prediction about the outcome of a case. In Quebec, only lawyers and notaries may give legal advice (Act respecting the Barreau du Québec, ss. 128 and 133). Laws and amounts change: the official source always prevails over us.