On May 11, 2023, Canada Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) Announced more than $65 million in funding extensions for service provider organizations across Canada. Settlement services include pre-arrival services, services for newly arrived women of color, and language training for newcomers in French-speaking minority communities.
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The announcement emphasized that settlement services are key to helping newcomers succeed in Canada. These services provide information and support to new arrivals so that they can make informed decisions about their new life in Canada before and after their arrival.
“Providing services to newcomers before they arrive in Canada is critical to successful integration. This investment will allow Canada to continue to support the needs of newcomers around the world,” said Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration, Marie-France Lalonde, during the announcement.
In 2021, the IRCC conducted a study to see how settlement services have affected newcomer outcomes. The study showed that 95% of newcomers who received settlement services said they were helpful. Additionally, 78% of those who received employment services reported that it helped them gain skills, knowledge and connections that helped prepare them for the Canadian job market.
IRCC’s pre-arrival service programs help maximize the social and economic integration of new immigrants by:
- Directly connecting customers with the information and services they need through a streamlined, easy-to-navigate process.
- Encourage newcomers to apply for recognition of their foreign credentials prior to arrival, if necessary.
- Linking clients with federal and provincial settlement services in Canada
Lalonde also announced that the YMCA of the National Capital Region will receive more than $1.2 million to continue providing essential pre-arrival services to new arrivals. “Investments like these allow the YMCA to continue to provide specialized information and guidance on the skilled trades, engineering and construction sectors, and help people ease their transition to Canada,” said Bob Gallagher, president and CEO of the YMCA of the National Capital Region.
The YMCA offers a wide range of services abroad, which can be accessed online and in person. Through pre-arrival service providers, new immigrants can access resources before they come to Canada that focus on Canadian workplace information, job counseling, and social skills development.
How to access settlement services
Settlement services are free and are managed at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. The types of settlement services available include:
- Help with daily living in Canada
- Help finding a job
- Help preparing for a citizenship proof
- Language training and assessments
- Job-specific language training
- Specific services for refugees, women, etc.
- Finding a mentor as a newcomer or becoming a mentor for a newcomer
To help newcomers access the services they need most, IRCC has created Compass to Connect, bringing these services together in one tool which has a search filtered by zip code to find the closest available services. The tool also shows specific programs for women, seniors, youth, and 2SLGBTQi+ people.
compass to connect is an IRCC-funded website that provides easy-to-search directories of settlement services. Settlement counseling and referrals they are also available for those who are not sure what services they need or what applies to them. These services connect newcomers with a settlement advisor who can help them determine what services might be beneficial to them.
Newcomers can also consult directly with their municipal and provincial settlement service providers. The easiest way to do this is to search for settlement services in your area.
Finally, it is important to note that settlement services in Canada are only available to permanent residents, protected persons and some temporary residents. The Canadian government has a separate settlement program for refugees called Resettlement Assistance Program.
reference: www.cicnews.com