List of pre-arrival programs for Canadian immigrants
Credit to Author: Canadian Immigrant| Date: Tue, 08 Jan 2019 20:19:43 +0000
Got your PR visa in hand? Take advantage of pre-arrival services before you land in Canada
Congratulations! Your application to immigrate to Canada has been approved. Fortunately for immigrants today, there are many pre-arrival services and workshops aimed at helping you get ready for the big move — and with more coming on the horizon.
READ MORE: SUCCESS receives funding for pre-arrival services
These online or in-person programs are for people who have already been approved to immigrate to Canada. Some programs are general in nature, and some are occupation-specific to help immigrants get ready to enter their career after arriving in Canada.
You should be eligible for such free pre-arrival services if you have received a Confirmation of Permanent Residence letter (COPR).
Here is a list of 12 programs or services to help you get ready for immigration, some general in nature, others that are occupation-specific.
General pre-arrival programs
- Planning for Canada offers free in-person and online orientation sessions to economic and family-class immigrants worldwide. It gives access to information, resources and contacts to help you and your family succeed in Canadian workplace and community. This program is provided by Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) and the Canadian Immigrant Integration Program (CIIP).
- PrepCan provides free, online employment services to PR visa holders prior to coming to Canada. It offers help on researching labour market information, resumé writing, interview skills development and job searches.
- Settlement Online Pre-Arrival (SOPA) offers free pre-arrival services for job readiness and retention. Resources and courses are offered at no charge, including one-on-one orientation, job search support and workplace culture training, as well as referrals to a range of post-arrival services.
- Active Engagement and Integration Project (AEIP) offers services such as one-on-one consultation, workshops on everything from employment and foreign credential recognition to housing and health care. It also offers employment support and community engagement programs to future immigrants coming to Canada. AEIP is an overseas initiative of Vancouver-based SUCCESS settlement agency.
- Next Stop Canada offers pre-arrival settlement services from the YMCA of Greater Toronto. It provides personalized settlement information and resources to immigrants arriving to Canada, on topics including housing, health, language, education, employment and more. There is also a mentorship program that connects you with someone already in Canada.
- The Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) program is a pre-arrival orientation initiative delivering information and orientation to refugees and immigrants selected for the Canadian permanent residence, prior to their arrival in Canada. COA has 20 permanent training sites internationally and operates in 40 countries. It is the longest running pre-arrival service funded by the Canadian government, and more than 15,000 new Canadians attend our orientation sessions every year.
- International Talent Acquisition Centre (In-TAC) offers pre-arrival services to help the process of economic and social integration for Chinese immigrants. One-on-one counselling is also offered.
Occupation-focused pre-arrival programs
- Attention internationally trained nurses! The CARE Centre for Internationally Educated Nurses offers the Pre-arrival Supports and Services (PASS) program. It offers online supports and services to internationally trained nurses to start their career in Canada on the right foot.
- Build ON provides free online one-on-one employment counselling and resources in English and French to individuals who are approved to immigrate to Ontario. Offered by the YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region, the program offers impartial information, video workshops, mentorship opportunities and tailored job readiness coaching to support future Ontario-based immigrants to prepare for employment in Ontario’s skilled trades.
- FastBC.org is a free online program for skilled immigrants coming to B.C., specifically in the fields of skilled trades, biotechnology and IT. The no-cost online learning program lets them prepare for their careers, before even arriving in Canada.
- Canadian Employment Connections (CEC) is a free pre-arrival program offered by ACCES Employment in Toronto that offers virtual services to prepare internationally trained professionals for the Canadian job market as they prepare to immigrate to Canada. There are four main components to the program: job search tools; Canadian business communication training; sector information and trends; and employer connections. It focuses on the following sectors: engineering, financial services, human resources, information technology, sales and marketing, and supply chain.
- CanInfonet by JVS Toronto, offers specialized services to help you connect with careers that match your specific education background and experience. You’ll learn how to conduct a job search in Canada, participate in online mentoring, learn how to be successful in the Canadian workplace, gain understanding of your industry or sector in Canada, connect with employers and apply for jobs, all guided by an employment counsellor/mentoring coach.