Emergency Financial Assistance for Canadians Victimized Abroad

Are you a Canadian who has been a victim of a violent crime in a foreign country?  You may be eligible for emergency financial assistance for Canadians victimized abroad. 

• Who may apply?
• What crimes does the assistance apply to?
• Eligible expenses
• Expenses not covered by the Fund
• How do I apply?
• Application Review Process
• Contact Us

What is Emergency Financial Assistance for Canadians Victimized Abroad?

As of April 1, 2007, emergency financial assistance is available to individual Canadians who are victims of specified serious violent crimes in a foreign jurisdiction for emergency situations of undue hardship where no other source of financial assistance is available.

This emergency financial assistance is available through the Victims Fund, which is administered by the Department of Justice Policy Centre for Victim Issues (PCVI).

Who may apply for emergency financial assistance?

Any Canadian may apply to the Department of Justice for emergency financial assistance if he or she is:

• the victim of a violent crime in a foreign jurisdiction;
• a family member of a victim who is dead, ill or incapacitated due to their victimization in a foreign jurisdiction; or
• in the case of a child, a parent or the person responsible for the care and support of the child.

What if two or more Canadians travelling together are victimized?

A separate application is required for each victim who seeks funding.

What types of crime does the assistance apply to?

Emergency financial assistance may be available in the case of the following crimes committed in a foreign jurisdiction:

• Homicide
• Sexual assault
• Aggravated assault
• Assault with serious personal violence, including against a child

What expenses are covered by the Victims Fund?

The Victims Fund may help cover the following expenses where the victim has no other source of financial assistance:

• travel expenses to return to the country where the crime occurred in order to attend the preliminary hearing and/or the trial or equivalent process;
• travel expenses to return to the country where the crime occurred in order to testify at the preliminary hearing and/or trial if the host country is unwilling or unable to pay;
• travel expenses for a support person to be with a Canadian victimized abroad, during the immediate aftermath of the crime;
• expenses for a Canadian victim of crime to return to Canada.

Other expenses covered by the Victims Fund

The Victims Fund may help cover the following types of expenses where the victim has no other source of financial assistance, up to a maximum of $5,000:

• Hospital and medical expenses due to being victimized;
• Expenses to replace stolen official documents;
• Upon return to Canada, financial assistance for professional counselling;
• Funeral expenses if the crime resulted in the death of the victim; and/or
• out-of-pocket expenses due to being a victim of a violent crime.

What expenses are not covered by the Victims Fund?

The Victims Fund does not cover:

• expenses covered by the applicant’s medical insurance or travel insurance;
• lost wages;
• compensation costs;
• legal fees;
• losses incurred due to the victim’s own criminal behaviour; and
• expenses incurred for crimes that took place before April 1, 2007.

How do I apply?

• Step 1: Report the crime to the Canadian Embassy or Consulate
  A Canadian who becomes a victim of a serious violent crime in a foreign jurisdiction should immediately attempt to report the crime to the local Canadian Embassy or Consulate. The primary concern of the Embassy or Consulate staff is the victim’s personal and physical safety. Consular staff can assist with arranging help in a medical emergency; provide guidance on sources of information about local laws and regulations; contact next of kin, where authorized, in the event of an accident or death; and request that local authorities investigate suspicious circumstances in the event of an alleged or apparent crime or death. Consular staff should notify the Victims Fund Manager that a victim may be applying for emergency financial assistance.
  
  
• Step 2 : Contact local police
  If possible, a Canadian victimized abroad should contact local police to report the incident and obtain immediate help with safety concerns. It is a good idea to request a copy of the police report. The police report serves a number of purposes. It may provide the victim with contact information, and it may be required for insurance purposes at a later date or for provincial compensation for criminal injuries.
  A copy of the police report should accompany the Application for Emergency Financial Assistance from the Victims Fund.
  
  
• Step 3: Apply to the Department of Justice for Emergency Financial Assistance
  A Canadian victimized abroad may apply for funding by completing the Application Form.

The application form may also be obtained by writing to the Victims Fund Manager:

Programs Branch, Department of Justice
284 Wellington Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa , ON K1A 0H8
Email: Victims-Abroad-Fund-Manager@justice.gc.ca

Applications may be sent electronically, by fax or by mail.

Review Process - What happens next?

Applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility for funding. Decisions on the eligibility of an applicant and the amount of funding are made as soon as possible after a properly completed application is received. Applicants are advised by letter of the decision, including confirmation of the expenses that will be covered.

You can find out more about Emergency Financial Assistance for Canadians Victimized Abroad:

Victims Fund Manager
Programs Branch
Department of Justice
284 Wellington Street  6th Floor
Ottawa , Ontario
K1A 0H8
Phone: 1-888-606-5111 
Fax: (613) 941-2269
Email: Victims-Abroad-Fund-Manager@justice.gc.ca