How To Get Help Before Arriving in Canada: Pre-arrival Services

• help you decide on the right province and city
• 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

Requirements To Get Help Before Arriving in Canada

You can get free in-person and online pre-arrival services, if:

• Government of Canada has approved your permanent residence application
• You are currently outside Canada
• any of these documents are in your possession:
  • a letter from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada saying you can get pre-arrival services
  • confirmation of permanent residence letter
  • passport request letter that indicates Permanent Resident visa issuance
  • letter from IRCC asking for your medical exam results
  • a single-entry permanent resident visa
  • letter from IRCC letting your know you can pick up your permanent resident visa

If you are only approved to come to Canada for a short time, you don’t qualify for the pre-arrival services.

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When accepted into the program, the pre-arrival service organization will need to assess your needs and create a personalized plan to help you settle in Canada. They will also connect you with the pre-arrival services you need and with organizations for services you can get after you arrive in Canada.

Services to plan your move to Canada

Below are settlement organizations that can get you the help you need about living in Canada.

Active Engagement and Integration Project

This project offers in-person services in China, and online services globally, such as:

• general information about living in Canada
• orientation to education, health care, housing and transportation in Canada
• needs assessment
• referrals to community services

Languages of service are English, French, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Planning for Canada

The program offers in-person services in India and the Philippines, as well as online services globally, including:

• general information about living in Canada
• orientation to education, health care, housing and transportation in Canada
• needs assessment
• referrals to community services

Languages of service are English, French and other local languages.

Next Stop Canada

This organization offers online services globally, including:

• general information about living in Canada
• orientation to education, health care, housing and transportation in Canada
• needs assessment
• referrals to community services
• specialized programming for youth between 12 to 19 years old, such as connections to youth mentors

Languages of service are English, French, Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Farsi, Hindi, Kurdish, Mandarin, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Urdu.

Services for Francophone communities and French-speaking newcomers

Connexions Francophones

This program offers in-person services in Morocco and online services globally. If you want to live in a Francophone community in Canada, they can help you with:

• information and orientation
• connections with Francophone local organizations
• needs assessment
• a personalized settlement plan with other links to in-Canada resources

Languages of service are French, English and Arabic.

Services for refugees

Canadian Orientation Abroad

This program offers specialized group orientation in local languages to refugees selected to resettle in Canada. You can access support services on-site such as:

• child-minding
• translation
• interpretation
• transportation

Languages of service are English, French and Arabic.

Organizations to help you find work

Many organizations can help you prepare to find work in Canada. Some of the things they can help you to achieve include:

• search for and find employment
• write your Canadian-style resume
• learn about Canadian workplace culture
• find a mentor with experience
• prepare to get your credentials recognized

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Active Engagement and Integration Project (AEIP)

This project offers online services globally. It offers general employment services through information orientations, workshops and webinars. The AEIP can help you:

• write your resume
• prepare to work in Canada
• get your credentials recognized
• attend online job fairs to learn about potential employers

Languages of service: English, French, Cantonese and Mandarin.

Canada InfoNet

This organization offers online services globally to help you achieve the following:

• prepare for work
• access employer-interactive webinars
• access job matching platforms
• find a mentor with experience in your sector
• learn about Canadian workplace culture

Languages of service are English and French.

Settlement Online Pre-Arrival (SOPA)

This organization offers online services globally. and they offer support such as:

• online courses, including “Job Search Strategies” and “Working in Canada”
• webinars
• help for preparing to work in Canada

Languages of service are English and French (coming soon).

Connexions Francophones

This program offers employment services to French-speaking newcomers wishing to settle in Francophone communities. Services include:

• virtual job fairs in real time with potential employers seeking French-speaking employees
• how to prepare to work in Canada and get your credentials recognized
• webinars about mentoring, writing a resume and Canadian workplace culture

Languages of service: English, French and Arabic.

Global Onboarding of Talent Initiative (GO Talent)

This initiative offers online services globally and they support newcomers from the information and technology sector to help you:

• with sector-specific help
• attend career events
• find a job
• get your credentials recognized

Languages of service are English and French.

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Industry-specific Pre-arrival services

These organizations provide assistance and information specific to various industries.

ACCES Employment: Canadian Employment Connections and Entrepreneurship Connections Pre-Arrival (CEC-ECP)

This organization offers industry-specific job services, including one-on-one coaching and their service is available online globally. Their service includes the following:

• preparation to look for jobs
• work-place training
• learning about workplace culture

If you are looking to work in any of the feeds listed below, then consult this organization:

• engineering
• entrepreneurship
• finance
• leadership
• human resources
• sales and marketing
• supply chain management

Language of service is English.

BCCA Integrating Newcomers

The British Columbia Construction Association Integrating Newcomers (BCCA-IN) program provides free one-on-one pre-arrival services to newcomers

• with a construction background
• interested in learning how their education and experience can apply to construction work

Services BCCA-IN offers include

• skills assessment
• job leads
• accreditation advice
• settlement services referrals

BCCA-IN supports

• architects
• designers
• project managers
• estimators
• engineers
• tradespeople
• and those in strategic business supports (like human resources, finance, analytics, information technology and others)

Language of service is English.

BuildON

This organization offers online services globally. If you plan on living in Ontario, you should explore BuildOn’s services focusing on:

• construction
• skilled trades and
• engineering

Languages of service are English and French.

Integrating Newcomers

This organization offers online services to prepare newcomers for jobs in the construction industry. Languages of service are English, French, Tagalog, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Pre-Arrival Supports and Services Program (PASS)

This program helps nurses prepare to work in Canada’s health-care field. It offers information about the nursing registration process and the Canadian health-care system.

PASS provides connections to sector-specific information including:

• workplace practices in health care
• mentoring with Canadian nurses
• schools
• the nursing registration process and
• regulatory bodies

Language of service is English.

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