Welcome to Vive
How Can Vive Help Me?
Vive provides temporary housing for individuals and families while assisting Canada-bound refugee claimants who have a qualifying family member according to the Safe Third Country Agreement by scheduling an appointment with the Canada Border Services Agency.
Canadian Claimants
To inquire about availability at Vive, please contact us first at 1-716-892-4354 or [email protected].
Vive provides temporary housing for individuals and families while assisting Canada-bound refugee claimants who have a qualifying family member according to the Safe Third Country Agreement by scheduling an appointment with the Canada Border Services Agency.
For Canadian claimants we will:
- Request an appointment on your behalf with the Canada Border Services Agency
- Assist in gathering documentation to support your claim and proof of qualifying family member
- Provide an orientation about entering Canada to make a refugee claim
- Provide taxi services to the Canadian border (please refer to the Fee Schedule page)
- Answer your questions to the best of our ability, but we cannot give Canadian legal advice.
US Asylum-Seekers
Vive also provides temporary housing for individuals and families filing for asylum in the United States.
Information on US asylum-related relief and benefits is available at https://uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum/asylum
Immigration forms are available at: https://uscis.gov/forms/all-forms
For US Asylum-Seekers we will:
- Assist with communication with ICE officers to maintain good standing on your case.
- Review the circumstances of your current legal case and help refer to outside legal counsel.
- Refer to case management organizations if you qualify for additional assistance as a survivor of human trafficking, intimate partner violence, or torture.
- Assist families with minor children enroll in Buffalo Public Schools
- Connect you with free medical care with Jericho Road Community Health Center.
- Upon gaining your work authorization we will assist your transition into community living with education, employment, and housing support.
Fee Schedule
Food and lodging are provided to residents free of charge.
Taxi Fee: $30 per person, regardless of age. Payment is due prior to departure. (This is for transportation to the Canadian border on the day of your appointment/interview, if you are making a claim to enter Canada. This does not apply to those working on American asylum cases.)
Suggested Documents
During your appointment, you will be asked to provide documentation to the Border Officers.
It is our recommendation that you (and your family members) have the following:
- Birth certificate AND passport or national/country identity card
- Photo identification
- Marriage certificate
- Common Law proof (proof of co-habitation for at least one year)
For Your Anchor Relative:
- Birth certificate
- Proof of relationship (for instance, if the anchor relative is your uncle, we suggest having a copy of your mother’s birth certificate)
- Evidence of status in Canada
Click here to learn more about the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Everyone staying at Vive must abide by our house rules.
COVID-19 Safety Policies
- All new residents at the shelter must complete a COVID-19 test. Every new resident will be required to quarantine until they receive a negative result on their test.
- If a resident tests positive at arrival or at any point during their stay at Vive, the resident and all their family members will need to stay in isolation for up to 10 days to ensure all residents stay safe. Isolation may be in our building or may be in another location. Any resident who violates the isolation rules will be asked to leave Vive and not return.
- All new residents over 5 years old are expected to be vaccinated for COVID-19 or become vaccinated within two weeks of arriving at the shelter.
- All residents over 4 years old must wear a mask at all times while in Vive. The only exceptions are while eating in the cafeteria and while sleeping.
Special Information for Children
In addition to identifying documents, a child under the age of 18 traveling with one parent should have permission from the absent parent to travel and enter Canada.
Adoptive parents, legal guardians, or persons separated or divorced are advised to keep all legal documents to clarify custody rights.
If you are under the age of 18 and traveling alone and unmarried, you are considered an unaccompanied minor. This is a separate exemption and can be used to enter Canada under the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Special Information for Children
In addition to identifying documents, a child under the age of 18 traveling with one parent should have permission from the absent parent to travel and enter Canada.
Adoptive parents, legal guardians, or persons separated or divorced are advised to keep all legal documents to clarify custody rights.
If you are under the age of 18 and traveling alone and unmarried, you are considered an unaccompanied minor. This is a separate exemption and can be used to enter Canada under the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Other Important Information
Additional information for understanding asylum relief and benefits, please see: https://uscis.gov/humitarian/refugees-and-asylum/asylum
Immigrations forms are available at: https://uscis.gov/forms/all-forms
Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR)
CCR – Safe Third Country Page
Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Map of refugee claimant support organizations within
200 km of Canada/U.S. border