Explore this guide of newcomer resources to help you prepare for your new start.
Every day, newcomers arrive in Canada with dreams of settling in and finding a new home. Of course, getting to Canada is only the first step.
Once you are here, the possibilities are truly endless. You can find a new job, learn a new language, discover a new culture, and so much more. Thankfully, there are a large number of beneficial in-person and online resources in every province and territory to help you accomplish it all.
Keep reading to explore the best newcomer resources to help you set and achieve your goals for your new life in Canada.
Choose your province, below:
- Ontario
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
- Yukon
Newcomer Resources in Ontario
The Welcome Centre service delivery model is based on a holistic, flexible approach that provides a broad range of cross-sector services and expertise to immigrants/newcomers in multiple languages, under one roof.
Locations: Toronto, Vaughan, Mississauga, Newmarket, Woodbridge, Brampton, Markham, Richmond Hill
Services: Employment Services, English Language Training, Settlement Services, Post-Settlement Support, Houston Support, Family Counselling, Immigrant Women Support, Senior Support, Translation Services
Culture Link
CultureLink is a settlement and community organization with more than 30 years of experience in developing and delivering services to meet the needs of diverse communities.
Location: Toronto
Services: Community connections program, Newcomer settlement program, Newcomer youth and senior services
Rexdale Women Centre
Located in Toronto, Rexdale supports immigrant, refugee and newcomer women and their families to become fully participating in Canadian society. The centre enhances clients’ self-sufficiency and competence by providing essential services and facilitating access to community resources.
Services: Women Services, Employment services for women, Support for the families and the community, Children service
Newcomer Centre of Peel
Newcomer Centre of Peel (NCP) is a multi-service agency that assists the entire newcomer family in achieving settlement. Through innovation and a progressive attitude, the agency leverages the broad experience of staff and community partners to overcome settlement barriers.
Location: Mississauga
Services: English training, Employment services, Start a business, Counselling services, Community connections, Co-op and volunteering, Care for newcomer children
Welcome Centre
The Welcome Centre Immigrant Services provides newcomers and immigrants with all their services in one place. They are here to help provide information and to educate on what other help is available in the York and Durham Regions.
Locations: Richmond Hill, Markham, Ajax, Pickering, Newmarket, Vaughan
Services: Help settling in Canada, English classes, Job/ Employment support, Services for youth/ women/ seniors
Cross Cultural Learner Centre
Founded in 1960, CCLC is a registered charity with close to 100 employees. The organization focuses on servicing Government Assisted Refugees, Refugee Claimants, and other vulnerable newcomer settlers.
Location: London
Services: Newcomer services, English services, Employment services, Settlement workers in schools, Community connections, French language resources
Coopération Intégration Canada Inc
Their mandate is to initiate concrete and effective actions allowing Francophone and Francophile immigrants to overcome the daily difficulties they face. Their services are supported by multiple forums on different themes (employability, justice, health, youth, citizenship, etc.).
Location: Ottawa
Services: Individualized French lessons, Job training, Consulting services, Health services, Canadian Culture and Life Information Program, Volunteering programs, Translation services, Health services
Wellington County
Settlement Services at Wellington County is a program funded through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The mandate of this program is to assist newcomers in accessing community services and adjusting to life in their new community.
Locations: Wellington County, City of Guelph
Services: Access an interpreter or translator, Find a place to live, Enrol children in school, Get language training, Find a family doctor, Look for a job, Find out about government and community services for newcomers
Immigrant Services Guelph-Wellington Incorporated
Founded in 2019, the agency offers multiple services to newcomers to help with settling, navigating the Canadian system, and integrating into Canadian society.
Location: City of Guelph
Services: Settlement services, Language assessment, Community connections classes, Interpretations and translations, Employment services, Informative workshops, Volunteering program
Immigrant Women Services Ottawa
Immigrant Women Services Ottawa is a community-based agency serving immigrant and racialized women. They create opportunities for women as they integrate into a new society, rebuild their lives free of violence, and achieve their personal goals.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Services for Refugees
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa (JFS) is a full-service, non-sectarian agency serving residents of the greater Ottawa area. They offer more than 65 programs and services to children, youth, adults and seniors, be they individuals, couples, families or groups.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Services for Refugees
Kingston Community Health Centres
The KCHC – Immigrant Services Kingston and Area program envisions Kingston as a community that is strengthened by the contributions and skills of immigrants, newcomers, and refugees. They offer a variety of settlement programs and services.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Services for Youth
Lebanese and Arab Social Services Agency of Ottawa
LASSA strives to provide the highest quality services to facilitate and expedite the settlement and integration of new Canadians in general and Arabic-speaking ones in particular.
Services: Preparation for Citizenship Test, Services for Refugees
Ottawa Catholic School Board – Queen of Angels Adult School
They offer a variety of programs and learning pathways from Kindergarten to grade 12 with the ultimate goal of setting children up to thrive. Fuelled by passionate educators in caring Catholic communities, they strive to offer families a unique and enriching learning experience.
Services: Services for Refugees, Language Training
Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre
The Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre is a non-profit, non-partisan, charitable organization committed to advancing the full social and economic integration and participation of newcomers, immigrants, refugees, and people of Chinese descent in the City of Ottawa.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Language Training
Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization
OCISO supports immigrants through the journey of making Canada their home by providing creative and responsive programs that are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
Services: Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Language Training
The Ottawa Community Loan Fund
The Ottawa Community Loan Fund (OCLF) is an incorporated non-profit organization working for financial empowerment in the Ottawa area. OCLF arranges loans to start, buy or expand a small business, and professional development loans to increase employability.
Services: Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees
Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre
Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre is a non-profit organization and the largest community health centre in Ontario. Their team of more than 347 employees includes physicians, nurses, social workers, counsellors, dietitians, community developers, health promoters and outreach workers.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Services for Refugees, Job-Specific Language Training, Services for Youth
Punjabi Community Health Services
PCHS began in July 1990 as a community development project. It is now a not-for-profit, charitable, accredited and Health Service Provider organization. Its mission is to improve the well-being of individuals, families and communities using an anti-racism and anti-oppression framework.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers, Language Training
Réseau de Développement Économique et d’Employabilité Canada (RDÉE)
RDÉE is the driving force behind the economic development of Francophone and Acadian communities, actively contributing to the development of the Canadian economy.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Francophone SErvice Provider
Social Enterprise for Canada – Welcome Centre Immigrant Services – Newmarket
A forerunner in the practice of social enterprise, their organization serves thousands of unique individuals and hundreds of other service agencies per year. Their head office is located in Newmarket, Ontario, and their centres are situated all across York Region and beyond.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees
Somali Centre for Family Services
Their mission: to assist newcomers, multi-ethnic communities and vulnerable populations in need, through services and programs that are equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Job-Specific Language Training
Vanier Community Service Centre
The Vanier Community Service Centre is a francophone organization offering a range of services in French and English to improve the quality of life for citizens of Ottawa-Vanier and its surroundings and an innovative service hub at the heart of a proud, healthy and safe community.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Francophone Service Provider
The Woman’s Economic Council is the only national organization advocating for women-centring community economic development in Canada, and they’re the only organization that supports networks of like-minded organizations that help women-centred CED flourish across the country.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees
World Skills Employment Centre
World Skills has been a leader in enhancing newcomers’ economic integration into the Canadian economy for over 20 years. World Skills is a non-profit employment centre dedicated exclusively to the employment needs of newcomers and to the needs of the local labour market.
Services: Job Help, Services for Refugees, Job-Specific Language Training
YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region
The YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region is at the centre of their community, helping people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities live engaging, more rewarding lives. The Y is accessible to all, serving more than 90,000 people in their region each year.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees
Newcomer Resources in Alberta
YMCA of Northern Alberta
Offering various settlement and immigration services, YMCA of Northern Alberta is a great resource for newcomer families to start navigating the Canadian system. The agency services PR residents, convention refugees, and caregivers in the Wood Buffalo region.
Locations: Wood Buffalo Region, Edmonton Region, Grande Prairie Region, Red Deer Region
Services: Needs assessment, Information and orientation, Supportive counselling, Newcomers outreach workshops, Interpretation and translation, Commissioner for Oaths, English conversation circle, Immigrant women’s wellness group, Referrals to other support agencies
Edmonton Immigrant Services Association (EISA)
EISA exists to provide programs and direct services relating to Integration, Settlement, Adaptation and Education for new immigrants, refugees and first-generation Canadians in Edmonton and surrounding areas to assist them in making a smooth transition into Canadian life.
Location: Edmonton
Services: ESL classes, Document translation, Settlement in schools, Settlement services, Community integration programs
Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers
They serve as a key catalyst and leading collaborator in positively shaping the attitudes, behaviours and practices of organizations and individuals to value the diversity that newcomers bring to the community.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers, Language Training
Settlement Services in the Bow Valley
Their services support Permanent Residents, Live-in Caregivers, Refugees and Temporary Foreign Workers transitioning to permanent status who are living in the Bow Valley – Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Kananaskis – no matter the length of time living in Canada.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees
Somali Canadian Women and Children Association
They provide resources and share knowledge to empower women and families in Alberta. Through community collaborations, they create programs, promote opportunities and build connections to support healthy and vibrant communities.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Women/Youth
Newcomer Resources in British Columbia
Cercle Canadiens Francais de PG
The association organizes socio-cultural and educational activities for the community; contributes to the creation of new services in French; promotes the French language, culture, products and services; welcomes and promotes the integration of newcomers.
Services: Help with Daily Life. Mentorship for Newcomers, Francophone Service Provider
Kelowna Community Resources Society
A community where individuals and families are supported in leading healthy, productive and fulfilling lives, KCR is a not-for-profit agency fostering diversity, collaboration and resourcefulness by tailoring services to meet community, family and individual needs.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees
Vernon & District Immigrant Services Society
They want to be a catalyst for positive change, and since their beginnings in 1989, they’ve been driven by the same ideas they initially founded their non-profit organization upon: support, empowerment, and progress.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Mentorship for Newcomers, Language Assessments, Language Training
Newcomer Resources in Manitoba
Board of Governors of Red River College
The Language Training Centre has innovative and accessible programs. They support students and their success through the delivery of educational and cultural activities – in classrooms and computer labs, online, in the community, or in the workplace.
Services: Help with Daily life, Job Help, Language Training, Services for Women/Youth
Westman Immigrant Services is a not-for-profit registered charity that provides services and programs to immigrants and refugees in the Brandon and Westman areas.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers
Newcomer Resources in New Brunswick
Multicultural Association of Carleton County Inc. (MACC)
MACC is a rural Immigrant Service Organization (ISO) located in Carleton County, New Brunswick Canada. MACC is a privately incorporated company with a non-profit designation. It is a membership-driven organization with governance provided by an elected Board of Directors.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Mentorship for Newcomers, Job-Specific Language Training
New Brunswick Multicultural Council
The New Brunswick Multicultural Council is working to enrich and grow their communities and enhance life in their province by enabling newcomers and members of the multicultural community to fully participate in society.
Services: Help with Daily life, Mentorship for Newcomers, Francophone Service Provider
Newcomer Resources in Newfoundland and Labrador
Association for New Canadians (ANC)
For 40 years, the Association has delivered programs and services that support all aspects of immigrant integration, ranging from settlement information and orientation to language learning, skills development and employment.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Language Assessments, Language Training
Fédération des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FFTNL)
La Fédération des Francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FFTNL) is a not-for-profit organization that defends and promotes the rights and interests of the Francophone and Acadian communities in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Francophone Service Provider, Job-Specific Language Training
Newcomer Resources in Nova Scotia
Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS)
ISANS recognizes the key role of immigrants in Canadian society. They work with newcomers to help them build a future in Canada. They provide a wide range of services to immigrants, from refugee resettlement to professional programs, from family counselling to English in the Workplace.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Language Training
From its beginnings as a pioneer in community-based economic development, MetroWorks has helped thousands of people overcome obstacles and realize their employment and educational goals
Services: Job Help, Services for Women
Newcomer Resources in Prince Edward Island
PEI Association for Newcomers to Canada
Their mandate is to provide short-term settlement services, and long-term inclusion and community integration programs for new immigrants in the province of Prince Edward Island.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Preparation for Citizenship Test, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Refugees, Language Assessments
Newcomer Resources in Quebec
Actions Interculturelles de Développement et d’Éducation (AIDE) inc.
Their mission is to promote the contribution of cultural diversity and support socio-professional integration for a just, inclusive and prosperous society through innovative, structuring and collaborative actions.
Services: Francophone Service Provider
Newcomer Resources in Saskatchewan
Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre
The Settlement Services offered through the Battlefords Immigration Resource Centre are designed to cover the areas that newcomers to Canada may need assistance with. They have found that people often require assistance with Immigration, Visas, Life Resources, Studying and Education.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Mentorship for Newcomers
The Humboldt Regional Newcomer Centre Inc.
The HRNC is a one-stop gateway for assistance with immigration concerns and referrals to necessary agencies to help meet the needs of newcomers.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Mentorship for Newcomers, Services for Youth
Southeast Newcomer Services is a one-stop shop for anyone new to the country, from another part of the country or relocating from an Indigenous community to settle in Southeast Saskatchewan. They provide all of their programs and services completely free of charge.
Services: Help with Daily Life, Job Help, Language Assessments
Newcomer Resources in Northwest Territories
CDETNO is the Northwest Territories referral centre for bilingual immigrants seeking employment. They provide information about the NWT labour market and put them in contact with the business community.
Northwest Territories Nomination Program
The Northwest Territories Nominee Program is for newcomers looking to open, purchase or invest in a business in the NWT; or have a job offer from an employer in the NWT.
They offer various categories to provide practical information, job opportunities, employability and entrepreneurship tips, the immigration process, events, news and more.
Introduction to Nunavut for Newcomers
The northern territory of Nunavut is lesser-known to many newcomers than Canada’s big cities, yet it offers great opportunities for career options and lifestyle choices. Located in the northeastern corner of Canada, this territory is known for its indigenous culture, cold weather, and majestic tundra scenery.
Newcomer Resources in Yukon
Introduction to Yukon for Newcomers
Yukon, or “The Yukon,” as locals call it, is one of three territories located in Canada’s North, offering immigration programs, history and culture, a resource-based economy, and additional newcomer resources.
This guide offers information on different topics regarding first steps in Canada like how to get a Social Insurance Number and about daily life like housing and shopping. It also includes information on Canadian traditions and entertainment in the Yukon.
Know a great resource that isn’t listed? Work somewhere that offers services to newcomers? Get in touch with us! This list will keep growing with more information on all the best newcomer resources in Canada that we can find.
*Opinions expressed are those of the author, and not necessarily those of Student Life Network or their partners.
