Canadas Free Settlement Services

Although most immigrants benefit from Canada’s government-funded settlement assistance, many are unaware of how to make use of them.

For Quebec-bound newcomers, both Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation, and Integration (MIFI) provide settlement assistance beginning even before they arrive.

According to the IRCC’s first-ever Settlement Outcomes Report, these services are genuinely beneficial. The data in the paper was derived from the 2018 and 2019 Newcomer Outcomes Surveys. A total of 120,897 immigrants were polled in this study. There were 55,370 settlement program participants and 65,527 non-participants among them.

Almost everyone who got assistance felt they were helpful, and the majority believed that they aided them in their efforts to settle in Canada.

Timing has a role in the effectiveness of settlement services. Someone who has already arrived in Canada, for example, will not benefit from pre-arrival assistance. Roughly 70% of those polled who did not get settlement services claimed they were unaware of them, and about a quarter of those who did indicate they had no idea how to utilize them.

On the other hand, the majority of respondents who said they had no trouble getting help were linked via federally supported referral programs. In their first year, around 23% of arrivals utilized them, and the vast majority received the assistance they needed.

How to get settlement assistance prior to arriving in Canada

Different governments provide settlement services, which may assist you even before you arrive in Canada. The IRCC lists around 1,259 persons on its website. Visitors are not eligible for these pre-arrival services since they are only provided to authorized permanent residents outside of Canada.

On a national level, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offer services to help you prepare to live in Canada. In-person services are accessible in China, India, and the Philippines. However, due to the pandemic, the majority of people have gone online. These websites might assist you in obtaining information on topics such as healthcare, housing, and transportation in Canada. They may also refer you to more specialized community services, depending on your needs.

The IRCC also provides several services to help you prepare for employment in Canada. With resources to help find a job in Canada, write a résumé, and have your credentials recognized. There are also some industry-specific resources for persons working in design, engineering, trades, finance, technology, construction, nursing, and other sectors.

On the federal website, there are also links to province-specific settlement programs.

Tools are also provided on the IRCC website that may help newcomers find resources to fulfill their needs. Unfortunately, it excludes Quebec settlement services since the province has its own immigration system and aids in French, including a search engine. It does, however, offer a Quebec-specific webpage with settlement tools for future Quebec citizens.

Different types of settlement services

Support services

Translation, child care, and transportation are just a few examples. Yet, they are critical for people who are unable to attend IRCC Settlement Programs due to obstacles.

Needs assessments

Assist immigrants in determining what services they need to aid in their settling and how to get them. Only approximately 23% of customers utilize them, but according to the IRCC analysis, if more immigrants used them, they would be better linked to services. According to the paper, it would also provide IRCC with a better grasp of the requirements of immigrants.

Information services

Give information to assist new immigrants to Canada with their settlement. Although most settlement service customers say they acquire information from their friends, settlement service providers are the second most common source of information.

Language training

Assist immigrants in gaining a better command of the English language. The IRCC spends the majority of its funds on language instruction. It is a crucial component of a newcomer’s success in Canada. It not only helps immigrants find jobs and make contacts with locals, but it is also a requirement for citizenship candidates to have a basic knowledge of English or French.

Employment services

It helps immigrants in getting ready to work in Canada. Work placements, mentoring, license and certification preparation, networking opportunities, job search skills and matching services, and career counseling are just a few of the extended- and short-term services available. Although employment services had the lowest acceptance rate of any settlement service among clients, over 78 per cent of users indicated these services helped them prepare for the Canadian labor market.

Community services

Assist immigrants in making new acquaintances and participating in community activities. Community services were the second-least utilized program after job services. However, approximately 60% of individuals who used them said they met close friends via community groups. Both IRCC settlement service customers and non-clients reported roughly identical engagement rates in community activities. Religious activities are the most popular, followed by school or civic activities, cultural activities, and sports and amusement.