Services for Non-status Residents

At Access Alliance, we work with people who come to Canada looking to create a life free from poverty, political instability and violence for themselves and their children. While some of the people we work with are here as refugee claimants or landed immigrants, others fall through the cracks and find themselves without legal status. We recognize that many newcomers who find themselves without legal status are for all intents and purposes permanent residents of Canada. People without status make significant contributions to Canadian society: they work, own their own businesses, spend their money in Canada, and pay taxes. They are involved in their communities where they have developed meaningful connections and relationships. They attend schools and raise their children within the community and contribute to the fabric and the diversity of Canadian life.

The ideal of health promotion requires that everyone have access to quality health care, education and employment opportunities. Access to status is a critical issue for the health and wellbeing of people without status in Canada. AAMCHS has put resources towards ensuring newcomers’ access to status. Over the years this has taken the shape of providing direct services to non-status individuals, advocating on their behalf with funders to allocate resources for this purpose, undertaking educational campaigns, and actively participating in advocacy initiatives such as the STATUS Coalition and the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell campaign and submitting briefs and position papers to various levels of government.

Health for All is another group working locally to improve access to health care services. They work with "solidarity with individuals and communities to mobilize towards full access to healthcare, and to raise awareness among communities and health professionals on the links between global migration, social justice and migrant health." Please visit their website to learn more.