LANG – Settlement and Integration – March 28, 2022

Key messages

Canada’s settlement services help newcomers integrate into the Canadian labour market and society, and build a successful life in Canada.
In 2021-2022, the Government is investing approximately $923M in the Settlement Program to support the settlement and integration of newcomers to Canada (outside of Quebec, which is covered by a separate agreement).
This investment reflects the Government’s recognition that strong settlement services provide newcomers a solid foothold to contribute to Canadian society in the years to come.
My Department is also committed to enhancing the vitality of Canada’s linguistic duality through the delivery of settlement services in French and English, including for French-speaking newcomers in Francophone minority communities.

My Department works closely with Canada’s well-established network of more than 550 settlement service provider organizations, the private sponsorship community, Francophone minority communities, as well as our provincial/territorial counterparts and other federal departments, to ensure that newcomers are well-supported and that services continue to meet their needs.
The extensive network of service providers is critical to ensure that newcomers receive the supports they need. This includes services like language training, help finding employment, and finding connections in communities.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on newcomers, including racialized newcomers. This has worsened, or created new economic and social integration hurdles. Settlement services will play a key role to support an inclusive recovery.

To support the vitality of Francophone minority communities outside Quebec, IRCC has implemented the Francophone Integration Pathway. This initiative aims to strengthen settlement services offered to French-speaking newcomers by Francophone organizations. This includes language training in French and English for French-speaking newcomers.
In 2021-2022, IRCC has allocated approximately $61M, including $8.2M from the Official Languages Action Plan, to close to 80 Francophone organizations working for the integration of French-speaking newcomers. These services support newcomers in their economic and socio-cultural integration, and creates ties between newcomers and Francophone communities (see separate note on Francophone Immigration Outside Quebec).

Through the Settlement Program, permanent residents outside of Quebec can access settlement services in English or French. Federally-funded language training helps adult newcomers acquire the official language skills they need to contribute to the Canadian economy and integrate into their communities.

My Department provides funding to settlement service providers to deliver tailored services to newcomers who are at increased risk of marginalization (see separate note on Racialized Newcomer Women Pilot).
These tailored services include in-school programming, peer mentoring, LGBTQ2+ settlement supports focused on newcomer youth, women’s only language classes and conversation circles for seniors. Support services such as childcare, translation, interpretation, transportation, short-term counselling, and services for newcomers with disabilities also facilitate access.

My Department has issued a value statement on anti-racism highlighting the importance of examining its own practices in relation to racialized employees and to programs affecting newcomers (see separate note on Anti-Racism).
For Canada’s settlement program, this means showing accountability under four pillars:
- (1) decreasing clients’ experience of racism within settlement programming;
- (2) improving IRCC policy directions related to anti-racism;
- (3) enhancing the anti-racism capacities of the settlement sector;
- (4) increasing connections between newcomers, all Canadians, and Indigenous populations.
My Department is committed to improving settlement programming for racialized clients. It is critically important to measure the outcomes of anti-racism initiatives and assess the effectiveness of any changes that are made to IRCC-funded settlement programming.

In 2020-21, nearly 380,000 clients accessed at least one settlement service.
In 2020-21, 31% fewer clients used settlement services, attributed to the 46% decrease in permanent resident admissions compared to 2019-20 in light of pandemic restrictions. Despite the decrease in the number of clients, the demand on service provider organizations has remained high due to the challenges of delivering services in a pandemic context.
Current figures for 2021-22 indicate increased demand for settlement services from newcomers compared to the same period last year.
In recent years, an increased percentage of French-speaking newcomers have received at least one service from a Francophone organization: 44% in 2018-19; 51% in 2019-20; and 57% in 2020-21.

All permanent residents and protected persons, outside of Quebec, are eligible for federally-funded settlement services until they become Canadian citizens.

Third-party service provider organizations ensure that Government-assisted refugees have access to immediate and essential services upon arrival in Canada. Supports are provided through the Resettlement Assistance Program and include being greeted at the airport upon arrival in Canada, temporary housing and help to find permanent housing, help to register for mandatory federal and provincial programs, orientation to community services, and income support. In general, financial support can last up to one year after arrival in Canada, or until they can support themselves, whichever occurs first.

The federal government does not generally fund settlement services for temporary residents. However, in the context of certain immigration programs and pilots, such as the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot, certain limited supports are available to temporary residents who have been selected and are on a pathway to permanent residence.