Here you will find 45+ guides, videos and websites that cover a range of topics important to immigrant settlement and integration.
Settlement
IRCC Pre-Arrival Services
New immigrants can get free in-person and online services to help them prepare for and adjust to life in Canada. Pre-arrival services can help new immigrants get their education and work experience recognized in Canada, connect with employers, and access free services when they arrive in Canada.
Select ResourceCommunity Airport Newcomers Network
The Community Airport Newcomers Network (CANN) provides information to newly landed immigrants and refugees. Services are provided inside the secured area at the Vancouver International Airport and are available immediately upon arrival into Canada.
Select ResourceWelcomeBC
The WelcomeBC website provides information for immigrants and service providers on topics related to settling and working in BC. Visit this site to find information on immigration, jobs, education and work experience recognition, support services, and more.
Select ResourceNewcomers’ Guide
The BC Newcomers’ Guide helps new immigrants settle in BC. It is available in English and in 12 other languages — Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Dari, Farsi, French, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Ukrainian.
Select ResourceNewcomers’ Videos
Information from the BC Newcomers’ Guide is available in videos in several languages. View the videos to learn about government services and get tips on money management and banking, health care, public transportation, and more.
Select ResourceIRCC Videos – Immigrating and Settling in Canada
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has a series of videos that help new immigrants settle into their new life in Canada. The videos provide information on what new immigrants should do in their first two weeks in Canada, on renting or buying a home, on learning English or French, and on working in Canada.
Select ResourceCost of living in BC
WorkBC’s Cost of Living Calculator provides cost of living estimates based on cities / neighbourhoods, occupations, and other information such as house size and modes of transportation.
Select ResourceLegal Aid BC
Legal Aid BC provides legal information, advice, and representation services. They help British Columbians with serious family problems, child protection, immigration, and criminal law. Legal Aid BC’s priority is to serve people with low incomes, but their services are available to all British Columbians.
Select ResourceDiscover Canada: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
This study guide helps immigrants prepare to take the Canadian citizenship test. This guide was developed by the Government of Canada.
Select ResourceEmployment
WorkBC
The WorkBC website helps people understand local labour markets, explore career options, and find jobs. The website features a list of WorkBC Employment Services Centres.
Select ResourceWorkBC Resources for New Immigrants
WorkBC provides services to help immigrants succeed in the BC job market. Visit this page to learn about employment services, available jobs, success stories, and more.
Select ResourceCareer Paths for Skilled Immigrants Program
Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants helps new immigrants find employment that uses the education and experience they bring to Canada. Career Paths offers occupation-specific supports including language training.
Select ResourceWorkBC Career Profiles
WorkBC Career Profiles provides overviews of 500 occupations in BC including annual earnings, educational requirements, and industry highlights. Profiles are based on National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016, a system of classifying all occupations in Canada.
Select ResourceGetting Certified to Work in BC
Some jobs in BC are regulated. This means people need specific education and training to do these jobs and they need to prove that they have the required skills and training. Visit this site to learn about regulated jobs including certification and training and education.
Select ResourceWorkBC Job Search
WorkBC helps British Columbians navigate BC’s labour market. Check out the WorkBC Job Search to browse thousands of jobs in BC.
Select ResourceHigh Opportunity Occupations
High Opportunity Occupations are jobs that are expected to experience higher demand and offer higher pay compared to other occupations. Visit this site to learn about occupations in BC that are expected to offer the best opportunities over the next 10 years. You can search for occupations by region, education, and wage.
Select ResourceTop In-Demand Trades
According to BC’s Labour Market Outlook, a variety of industries are expected to have thousands of job openings in the skilled trades in the coming years. Visit this website to explore the trades that are most in demand in BC.
Select ResourceJob Bank: Explore the Canadian Labour Market
Visit this site to explore the Canadian labour Market and learn more about occupations. You can search the Job Bank by occupation, wages, outlook, job title, or location.
Select ResourceLanguage Learning
Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks
Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are used across Canada to assess the English and / or French language proficiency of adult immigrants and prospective immigrants for living and working in Canada. Visit this website to learn about CLB and to find English and French learning and teaching resources and language assessment information and tools.
Select ResourceLINC Home Study Canada (LHS)
The Centre for Education & Training’s LINC Home Study Canada (LHS) program provides free distance education for eligible newcomers who cannot attend Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) classes in person.
Select ResourceABC Life Literacy Canada
ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non-profit organization that aims to strengthen organizations that promote adult learning. Visit ABC Life Literacy Canada’s website to find a literacy program in your community or access free online activities and resources.
Select ResourceFree Language Learning Resources
Using your local public library card, you can access to a wide range of free resources to learn English, French, and other languages. Visit the library in your community or its website for details and instructions.
Select ResourceEducation
WorkBC Parents
WorkBC Parents is a career development resource for parents, guardians, relatives, or friends working with a young person as they explore career and education options.
Select ResourceEducation Planner BC
EducationPlannerBC helps learners plan, search, and apply for admission to post-secondary institutions in BC. Students can use the Plan section to find articles and information about the different paths along the student journey.
Select ResourceHealth
BC Health Guide
The BC Health Guide Handbook has information on how to recognize and manage common health problems. Learn about preventing illness, home treatment options, and when you should see a doctor. The guide is available in Chinese, Farsi, French, and Punjabi.
Select ResourceKids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone offers free and confidential mental health support to all young people across Canada including newcomers. The website offers mental health tips, tools, and stories for newcomers. You can connect with Kids Help Phone via text, Facebook messenger, phone and live chat.
Select ResourceHealthLink BC
HealthLink BC provides free non-emergency health information and advice that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by telephone, a website, a mobile app, and printable information. If you have questions, you can call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 toll-free in BC. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 7-1-1.
Select ResourceHealthLink BC – In Your Language
HealthLink BC has translation services in more than 130 languages. When you call 8-1-1, say the name of your language (for example, “Punjabi”). The Translated Resources section of the HealthLink BC provides health resources in some of the languages most common spoken by BC residents.
Select ResourceCanada’s Food Guide
Canada’s Food Guide provides access to information about healthy eating. The food guide snapshot is available in 17 languages: Arabic, Farsi, German, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Simplified Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Traditional Chinese, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Select ResourceRefugee Supports
The BC Refugee Hub
The BC Refugee Hub provides information about refugees arriving in British Columbia, reports and publications, statistics and factsheets, and a resource centre with a variety of information to support refugee settlement in BC.
Select ResourceRefugee Claim Process
Refugee Claim Process resources are for refugee claimants and their service providers. The resources educate, guide, and support refugee claimants who are preparing for their refugee hearings.
Select ResourceMy Refugee Claim
This website helps refugee claimants get informed, connected, and prepared to participate in the refugee claim process.
Select ResourceBC Government: Welcome Ukraine
The Welcoming Ukraine website helps Ukrainians arriving in BC and helps residents volunteer and donate to support Ukrainian newcomers. The website is available in English, Ukrainian, and Russian.
Select ResourceAMSSA: Ukrainian Migration Resources
Visit AMSSA’s Ukrainian Migration Resources webpage to learn about Government of Canada and Province of BC programs and supports that help Ukrainian nationals and their family members find safety in Canada.
For more information on these supports, visit the AMSSA ‘Ukrainian Migration Resources’ webpage.
Canada-Ukraine Transitional Financial Assistance
Visit this factsheet to learn about transitional financial assistance from the Government of Canada to help Ukrainians newcomers and their dependents arriving in Canada (including those who have already arrived) meet their basic needs
Select ResourceNewcomer LGBTQ2S+
Government of BC – Gender Equity & LGBTQ2S+ Resources
Visit this website to learn about Province of BC services and supports related to general equity and for members of the LGBTQ2S+ community including access to childcare, health care, education and training, affordable housing, counselling and crisis support services, as well as support for people facing domestic violence and sexual assault.
Select ResourceTrans Care BC: Newcomers & Refugees
This website provides information on the BC health care systems and on resources, services, and supports for transgender, non-binary, and Two-Spirit newcomers.
Select ResourceLGBTQ+ Youth Resource Guide for B.C.
This guide features information on resources such as phone lines, shelters, drop-in programs, and other informational sites that will help youth and service providers navigate options for LGBTQ2S+ youth to find support.
Select ResourceRainbow Refugee – Support and Advocacy for LGBTQ+ Refugees
Rainbow Refugee is a Vancouver-based community group that supports people seeking refugee protection in Canada because of persecution based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression (SOGI), or HIV status.
Select ResourceQMUNITY – BC’s Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Resource Centre
QMUNITY is a non-profit organization that works to improve queer, trans, and Two-Spirit lives. QMUNITY provides a safe space for LGBTQ2S+ people and their allies to fully self-express while feeling welcome and included.
Select ResourcePrideline
The Prideline is a phone line that provides information for members of the LGBTQ2S+ community on social and community events; tourist information; referrals to social service agencies, support groups, LGTB friendly doctors or therapists; and information on services offered at The Centre. It operates 7 days per week from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Select ResourceLearning About BC’s First Nations & Indigenous Peoples
Surrey First Peoples Guide for Newcomers
The Surrey First Peoples Guide for Newcomers provides information on the traditional protocols, histories, and current realities of Indigenous, Metis, and Inuit people in Canada, and addresses common misconceptions about the First People of this land. The guide takes a community-centred approach that seeks to uplift and amplify the voices of the land-based Nations that Surrey occupies.
Select ResourceFirst Peoples: A Guide for Newcomers
This guide provides information about the First Peoples in Vancouver. It introduces newcomers to three important topics: who are Aboriginal people (or First Peoples) in Vancouver and Canada; a brief overview of the relationship between the Government of Canada and First Peoples; and current initiatives and ways for newcomers to learn more about Aboriginal people in the community.
Select ResourceNative Land Digital
Native Land Digital strives to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources and information.
Select ResourceVideo: Welcome to Our Homeland
As of 2016, there were 1,673,785 Indigenous people in Canada, which represented 4.9% of the total population. This video introduces Indigenous people’s values and views while highlighting some of the many complex historical events that have shaped this country and the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Select ResourceNouveaux Arrivants Francophones
La coopérative d’immigration francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
Le Programme d’immigration francophone de la Colombie-Britannique offre des services d’établissement gratuits, d’intégration et d’aide à l’emploi aux détenteurs d’un statut d’immigration au Canada ainsi qu’aux citoyens naturalisés. Découvrez comment des services individuels et personnalisés peuvent vous aider.
Select ResourceIRCC – Immigrer dans une communauté francophone hors du Québec
Ce site fournit des informations aux nouveaux arrivants francophones intéressés à s’établir dans des communautés hors du Québec.
Select ResourceAider et orienter les nouveaux arrivants en Colombie-Britannique
Il y a au total plus de 40 organisations communautaires, organismes et institutions francophones pour accueillir et aiguiller les nouveaux arrivants d’expression française en Colombie-Britannique. Le Répertoire des services francophones développé par le RIFCB permettent de trouver facilement les organismes de notre communauté et leurs services.
Select ResourcePublic Health Services Authority – Services Francophones
Ce site fournit des renseignements sur les ressources et les services de santé en français en Colombie-Britannique.
Select Resource