Settlement Services
This page was last updated on January 30, 2023.
Moving to a new country can bring many opportunities, but also many challenges. Once in Canada, you may need help to find a job, make new friends, or learn English.
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What are settlement services?
Settlement services are programs and services that can help newcomers to Canada. Settlement services may be able to help you:
- look for a job
- make new friends
- register for language classes
- assist you in accessing government/community services
- understand the local culture and customs
- understand your rights in Canada
Settlement services are usually free for newcomers to access. The services you receive are confidential.
Settlement services are most often provided by local community organizations, such as multicultural societies, neighbourhood houses or libraries. Settlement workers at these organizations can often support you in your first language (i.e. your “mother tongue”), in addition to providing services in English and/or French.
Most organizations that offer settlement services have requirements that you must meet in order to access their services. These eligibility requirements may be different depending on the kind of support you need and your current circumstances. The best way to know if you are eligible to receive services is to visit the organization’s website or contact them to learn more about how they can help you or your family members.
Settlement services for permanent residents
The Government of Canada supports many organizations across the country. These organizations deliver settlement services for permanent residents. They also deliver settlement services for for displaced Ukrainians and their immediate family members arriving through the
Canada Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program.
Before you arrive in Canada
If you have been approved for permanent residence in Canada but have not yet moved here, you may be eligible for free online and in-person services and supports while you are still overseas.
Pre-arrival services can help you to:
- prepare for your move to Canada
- get your education, work experience and credentials recognized in Canada
- connect with employers to find a job
- connect with free services after you arrive in Canada
Learn more about
pre-arrival services from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
After you have arrived in Canada
If you arrived in Canada as a permanent resident, you can access free settlement and language services through a settlement agency.
Find a settlement service agency near you.
Get help when you arrive at the airport in B.C. from the
Community Airport Newcomers Network (CAAN).
Get support from
Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants if you are a skilled professional and would like to practice in your field in Canada.
Find your local WorkBC Centre and learn about the
employment services they offer.
Settlement services for temporary residents and naturalized citizens
The Province of British Columbia supports many organizations across the province to deliver settlement services for temporary residents and naturalized Canadian citizens. A naturalized Canadian citizen is someone who came to Canada as an immigrant and is now a Canadian citizen.
The BC Settlement and Integration Services (BCSIS) program allows for a broad range of people to access settlement supports. A service provider can help you understand your rights and help you adjust to life in B.C.
Eligible clients include:
- temporary workers with a valid work permit
- international post-secondary students (if services are not offered at their educational institution)
- Provincial Nominees awaiting a decision on their application for permanent residence
- refugee claimants (and some limited supports for refugees)
- naturalized Canadian citizens
- displaced Ukrainians and their immediate family members arriving through the CUAET program
The types of services vary by organization, but often include:
- one-on-one information and referral
- workshops and support groups
- peer support and mentoring
Find a settlement service agency near you that supports temporary residents and naturalized Canadian citizens.
Visit the B.C. government’s Welcoming Ukraine page to learn more about the
supports for displaced Ukrainians.
The
Migrant Worker Hub includes many links and important information that may be helpful for temporary workers in B.C, and includes a
map of services available across the province.
Visit the Working in B.C. page for more
information on the rights of workers in B.C.
Services for refugees and refugee claimants
Government-assisted refugees
Under the
Government assisted refugees program, refugees are referred to Canada for resettlement by the United Nations Refugee Agency or another referral organization. Government-assisted refugees receive support for up to 1 year from the date they arrive in Canada or until they can support themselves – whichever happens first. This may include accommodation, clothing, food, and help finding employment.
IRCC has a video about
what to expect as a refugee resettling in Canada.
Privately sponsored refugees
Groups of volunteers in Canada can
privately sponsor refugees. They will help newcomers adjust to life here. Sponsorship groups must support a refugee for 1 year after they arrive or until they can support themselves – whichever comes first. You do not need to pay your sponsor for these services. Sponsors are not allowed to ask you for money to help you resettle.
Refugee claimants
If you do not have refugee status but want to seek asylum in Canada, there are steps you will have to take to file a refugee claim and obtain a hearing. You can contact Settlement Orientation Services or MOSAIC for specialized supports to navigate the refugee claim process and get help with your immediate needs.
- Settlement Orientation Services at the Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC)
- Multi-Lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (MOSAIC).
More information on
claiming refugee status from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
The Interim Federal Health Program
The Interim Federal Health Program provides limited, temporary healthcare benefits for specific groups of people in Canada who don’t have provincial, territorial, or private healthcare coverage. Protected persons, resettled refugees, and refugee claimants can apply for the program. Learn more and apply on the website.
To get coverage, your health care provider must be registered with the Interim Federal Health Program. Find a
registered healthcare provider in B.C.
Resettlement Assistance Program
You may be eligible for assistance under the
Resettlement Assistance Program. If you were sponsored as a refugee, contact your sponsoring organization to find out about settlement assistance. You can also get information on settlement assistance by contacting a service organization directly.
Refugee Readiness Fund
In response to the global humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and Ukraine, the Government of B.C. has created the Refugee Readiness Fund (RRF). The RRF is a one-time, two-year investment of $4 million to enhance federal and provincial refugee programs and programs for people arriving through the Canada Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program.
The RRF provides additional resources for communities and private sponsors who are working to bring refugees and displaced Ukrainians to B.C. The funding is in place until March 31, 2024.
There are two types of teams funded by the RRF:
- The BC Refugee Resource Network: for province-wide coordination, education, information sharing and data collection
- Refugee Readiness Teams: Across six regions of the province, the teams support coordination of resources and information for refugees, CUAET arrivals, and community stakeholders. The teams also work with cultural organizations to help build their capacity to serve refugees and CUAET arrivals
For more information, contact your local Refugee Readiness Team or the BC Refugee Resource Network.
Refugee Readiness Team and BC Refugee Resource Network service providers
| City |
Team |
Organization |
Address |
Contact |
|
All of province
|
BC Refugee Resource Network (BCRRN) |
AMSSA
Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC |
4445 Norfolk Street, Burnaby, BC V5G 0A7 |
jlee@amssa.org
Toll Free 1-888- 355-5560
T 604-718-4222 |
| Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Coquitlam/Port Coquitlam, New Westminster, Port Moody and area |
Metro Vancouver Refugee Readiness Team (MV RRT) |
MOSAIC
M.O.S.A.I.C. Multi-Lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities |
5575 Boundary Road, Vancouver, BC V5R 2P9 |
MVRRT@mosaicbc.org
604-365-4578 |
| Surrey, White Rock, Delta (including Tsawwassen), Langley |
South Fraser Refugee Readiness Team (SF RRT) |
DIVERSEcity
DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society |
13455-76 Avenue, Surrey BC V3W 2W3 |
southfraserrrt@dcrs.ca
604-307-2738 |
| Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope and area |
Fraser Valley Refugee Readiness Team (MV RRT) |
Archway
Archway Community Services Society |
301-2975 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford BC V2T 5T4 |
FVRRT@archway.ca |
Victoria, Nanaimo and the rest of the Island |
RRT Vancouver Island |
ICA
Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria |
808 Douglas St., Suite 102, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 2B6 |
RRT@icavictoria.org
250-388-4728 |
| Kamloops, Kelowna, Nelson and the remainder of the Region |
RRT Thompson Okanagan Kootenay |
KCRS
Kelowna Community Resources Society |
620 Leon Avenue, Kelowna, BC V1Y 9T2 |
RRT@kcr.ca |
Prince George and rest of North |
RRT Cariboo North |
DIVERSEcity
DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society |
13455-76 Avenue, Surrey BC V3W 2W3 |
amorrison@dcrs.ca
604-307-2738 |
Information for refugees