The federal government is investing approximately $1.1B in 2023-2024 to support the settlement needs of newcomers (outside of Quebec).
The number of newcomers accessing settlement services has increased over time, reaching a record high of 680,000 unique clients in 2022-2023.
Key Messages
Canada is recognized as a world leader in the settlement and integration of newcomers.
Through language training, employment-related services, and more, the settlement sector plays an important role in helping newcomers integrate into the labour market and society.
We are not alone in this work; we rely on the extensive network of partners and organizations that deliver services to help newcomers build new lives in Canada.
The Department’s investments in settlement services for newcomers have grown over time to support increases in immigration levels, as well as the recent arrival of Ukrainian temporary residents. As a result, all provinces and territories saw an increase in Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) investment in service providers in their jurisdictions in 2023-2024, compared to 2022-2023.
On January 31, 2024, IRCC closed the national Call for Proposals 2024 for the Settlement Program and the Resettlement Assistance Program. This funding process will make funding available to settlement and resettlement service providers for up to five years. Funding for this Call for Proposals 2024 process starts on April 1, 2025 and projects may be eligible to receive funding for up to five years, ending March 31, 2030.
Supplementary Information
All permanent residents (including protected persons, such as resettled refugees) are eligible to receive settlement services in many languages, until they become Canadian citizens. Temporary residents, asylum seekers, and Canadian citizens are generally not eligible for federally-funded settlement services.
Federally-funded settlement services are delivered in many languages by more than 550 third-party service provider organizations across Canada (excluding Quebec, where services are determined by the Canada-Quebec Accord). This includes close to 80 Francophone service providers in Francophone-minority communities.
Through these organizations, newcomers can access the following federally-funded settlement services:
Needs and assets assessments and referrals;
Information and orientation, both pre- and post-arrival to Canada;
Language training in English or French;
Employment-related services;
Community connections to build social cohesion and allow newcomers to develop a sense of belonging; and
Additional support services to encourage uptake and remove barriers to accessing settlement services, including child care, transportation, translation, interpretation, short-term counselling, and provision of services for newcomers with disabilities.
Supporting specific populations
Tailored supports are available to newcomer populations that face additional barriers to services and who are at increased risk of marginalization, including racialized women, youth, seniors, people living with a disability, and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
For example, the government has invested $5.9M for ten projects until 2025 to support targeted employment services for racialized newcomer women through the Settlement Program.
To help those fleeing the war in Ukraine settle in their new communities, IRCC has temporarily extended access to the Settlement Program to Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel holders, Ukrainian nationals with temporary resident status in Canada, and their dependents, until March 31, 2025.
Housing availability and affordability for newcomers
The government recognizes that the lack of affordable and available housing is affecting both Canadians and newcomers.
For newcomers, housing is a key component in their successful settlement and integration, which allows them to achieve the long-term social and economic benefits of immigration.
In collaboration with settlement service providers in communities across Canada, as well as federal and provincial/territorial partners, IRCC will continue to provide information to newcomers to assist them with finding housing.
To better support vulnerable newcomers such as government-assisted refugees, IRCC funds supports under the Resettlement Assistance Program, including temporary accommodation upon arrival, assistance finding permanent accommodation, and up to 12 months of income support, which includes allowances for accommodation.
The Settlement Program also plays an important role in increasing the supply of housing by supporting the successful integration of newcomers into the Canadian labour market, including in the skilled trades and construction sector, through a suite of employment-related services funded by IRCC.
Opportunities for newcomers to learn French
IRCC’s Settlement Program promotes both of Canada’s official languages by funding language training across the country (outside Quebec) in French or English to meet the needs of newcomers settling in Canada. Programming is designed to be flexible and accessible to all permanent residents and other eligible clients through full- or part-time classes in classroom, online, or hybrid classes. To facilitate participation, training is offered to newcomers in tandem with support services such as care for their children and transportation.
Through funding from the Action Plan for Official Languages (2018-2023), seven service providers receive funding to deliver English and/or French language training services specifically adapted to the needs of French-speaking newcomers in Francophone minority communities to help them settle economically and socially.
The Government announced in April 2023 funding of $10.5M for the period of 2023 to 2028 from the new Action Plan for Official Languages (2023-2028) to expand the availability of this programming.
