What is the settlement service most accessed by immigrants in Canada?
To support the settlement and integration of newcomers, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides funding to third-party organizations to deliver settlement services in all provinces and territories except for Quebec. These services are crucial to newcomers because through them they can get help to find jobs. They also can get help to find a place to live and learn English or French. In general, these services help newcomers to succeed in this country.
A recent report from Statistics Canada examines the settlement services accessed by adult immigrants admitted from 2016 to 2020. Moreover, it shows the most commonly accessed type of settlement services. It also reveals the group of immigrants that accessed settlement services the most.
The most commonly accessed type of settlement services
According to the report, information and orientation services were the most common type of services accessed among recent immigrants. “This type of services provide newcomers the knowledge they need to better integrate into Canadian society,” says the report. They include:
- procedures to obtain official documents,
- information on how to obtain health and child benefits,
- as well as information about daily life in local communities.
On the other hand, needs assessment and referrals were the second most accessed services (30.4%). Most refugees (77.3%) used these services, followed by economic principal applicants (21.5%). Also, the third type of most commonly accessed services by adult immigrants was language training (13.4%).
The group of immigrants that accessed settlement services the most
By April 2021, close to half (46.3%) of adult immigrants admitted from 2016 to 2020 accessed at least one type of settlement services. Among all immigrants, refugees, who came to Canada in order to escape war, violence or conflict, accessed settlement services the most. “The vast majority of refugees (89.4%) accessed settlement services” says Statistics Canada. By comparison, dependents of economic immigrants (51.0%), family sponsored immigrants (40.4%), and economic principal applicants (35.2%) relied less on those services.
Free newcomer services
To find free newcomer services near you, please visit the government’s website. Also, be aware that If you are outside Canada, you may be able to get pre-arrival services before you move to Canada.
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