Settlement services
Canada offers a wide range of settlement services to support the arrival of newcomers. To make sure you receive all the help that is offered, it is recommended that you contact a settlement organization in the province and city or town where you plan to land before you arrive.
Settlement Agencies
Settlement agencies provide settlement services designed to help newcomers adjust to their new lives in Canada. Settlement agencies are sometimes also called immigrant-serving agencies, refugee-serving agencies, or newcomer services. These organizations are located in major urban centres in each of Canada’s provinces. Many settlement agencies offer pre-arrival and post-arrival support to help newcomers prepare. If you are approved to immigrate to Canada or have recently arrived it is recommended that you contact a settlement agency in your destination province as early as possible.
Settlement agencies provide a wide variety services to help you succeed including:
- Learn language skills
- Assistance with technical resume preparation
- Helping to understand licensure requirements
- Search for jobs
- Helping identify transferable skills
- Introductions to employers and employer networks
- Start businesses
- Explore new careers
- Find educational opportunities
- Get documents translated
- Access to programs to help you gain Canadian experience
- Access information about community services, schools, healthcare
- Make new friends and feel more at home
Finding A Settlement Organization
Most settlement programs are free of charge and are often available in different languages. These programs are typically offered by government funded not-for-profit organizations. Settlement and language programs may also sometimes be offered by organizations such as libraries, schools, colleges and universities. There are hundreds of these organizations across Canada.