Pre- and post-arrival resources on the sponsorship process and starting your life in Canada.
When you first arrive in Canada, you will need to stay somewhere temporarily until you are able to find more permanent housing. This temporary housing might be in the home of a settlement team member. Your settlement team will work with you to find housing that is appropriate for your budget and is in a…
Driving in Canada is regulated by provincial and territory governments, which means that you will be issued a driver’s license by the province or territory where you live. There is no driver’s license for all of Canada. If you reside in British Columbia, for example, you will obtain a driver’s license from British Columbia. If…
Canada provides financial benefits for eligible families, including newcomer families, in Canada. These include the Canada Learning Bond, the Canada Child Benefit and recreational subsidies.
When you arrive in Canada, one of the first things you will need to do is obtain a bank account. Having a bank account is essential in Canada in order to make purchases, make payments and organize your finances. Banks & Credit Unions There are many different banks in Canada, and each offer different services…
If you have young children then childcare may be an important consideration for you. Childcare will allow you to attend English or retraining classes and to pursue employment after you arrive. Education is compulsory for children between the ages of 6 to 16, and your settlement team will work with you to locate the local school that your child will go to.
Finding employment is one of the most important tasks facing newcomers. Settlement teams play an important role in helping newcomers develop a job-search and employment plan and in understanding the particularities of Canadian work culture. Because you may have been out of the workforce for a long time, you may be anxious that you have lost skills. Or you may want to make up for years in detention by achieving employment right away.
We know that many people had their education interrupted when they left their countries of origin but would like to re-start it in Canada. Whether you have completed an advanced degree, attended technical schools, or were were not able to attend formal schooling at all, there are opportunities to continue your education as a newcomer.
LGBTQ+ newcomers may face additional challenges as they negotiate the effects of long-term detention but also issues around sexual and gender identity or gender expression. Here are resources that work specifically to help LGBTQ+ newcomers to Canada.
Every newcomer who arrives in Canada will find it challenging to adjust to their new lives. You may come here alone or you may come here with family or friends. You are thrilled to leave the uncertainty and trauma of detention, but you don’t know what waits for you. In addition to the things that most newcomers experience, refugees from PNG and Nauru have faced significant trauma during their period of prolonged detention. This is in addition to the traumas you may have experienced that caused you to flee in the first place.
Canada has what is called a “universal health-care system”. This system is publicly funded and is paid for through taxes. “Medicare” is the term that refers to Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system, and each province and territory are responsible for the management and delivery of healthcare to its residents.
No more items
No more items