If you are a newcomer in Canada, you are bound to have a lot of questions. Canada has a large number of people migrating there every year. The permanent residents of Canada enjoy a lot of benefits along with a high standard of living. The decision to become a permanent resident here and make Canada your home is very wise. But a change of this magnitude can scare you, and raise a lot of questions about finding a job, finding a home, getting healthcare and finding a good educational institution for your children.
The Government of Canada has introduced Settlement Services to help newcomers in Canada feel right at home. You may have a lot of questions you want to be answered and you can score through the internet all day long. But sometimes it is better To be able to sit with someone who has expertise in this field and talk.
What Are Canadian Settlement Services?
These are the services provided by agencies. They exist for the purpose of providing support to newcomers like you through your journey into settling in Canada a permanent resident. They may be getting their funding partially or fully from the federal government of Canada depending on which province you are living in. This is the initiative of the government to help newcomers integrate easily into the Candian society and economy.
Settlement services will be able to provide you support in different areas of your new life in Canada such as your job, your housing needs, deciding on your healthcare plans, finalizing your immigration, finding the right educational institutions etc. When you opt to use a settlement service in Canada, a settlement worker will be assigned to you. They will be able to provide you one-on-one personal support throughout your settlement process.
If you already know where you are going to settle, you can visit the online website of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. There you will be able to find settlement agencies or newcomer centres that are closer to your new home.
Who Is A Settlement Worker?
It is a person who will be able to give you guidance through your settlement process. They will be able to provide you with resources relating to your cultural needs, your educational needs, your recreational needs, your financial needs etc.
The agencies providing settlement services are often working directly with libraries, schools as well as community and newcomer centres. This helps in making an easy connection with settlement workers so that they can provide the best to the newcomers.
You can make a connection with a settlement worker who is in your area by making contact with community centres or libraries or even the newcomer centres that are near you. You will also be able to find out information about if they are in partnership with a settlement agency. If they have a partnership, they will be able to give you different options regarding who you want to work with as your settlement worker.
How Settlement Workers Help Newcomers?
A settlement worker will take a holistic path to help you settle in Canada as a newcomer. This approach includes taking into consideration all aspects of your life, which includes your life, your cultural background, your skills, your educational qualifications as well as your career path. Keeping all this in kind, the settlement worker will then give you specifications for helping you as well as your family members settle.
Conversing with your settlement worker in person will help you have greater clarity on the matter. It will also save you a lot of time and prevent you from making mistakes because you will be getting clearer advice.
As a newcomer, you do not have any lack of information being available to you. You can very easily find answers to your queries and doubts on the internet. But this can also mislead you easily. You may also have difficulty when it is time to connect all the aspects of settling in Canada.
Here is where a settlement worker will be very helpful because they are very well acquainted with the Canadian system and have helped a lot of people like you. They will be able to teach you how the different systems work in Canada, make you get a deeper understanding of the educational system, the work culture in Canada, as well as help you with the best way to find relevant information and resources. Their guidance will be able to help you in the future too when you are no longer in contact with them.
It is common for newcomers to listen to the advice of those who came to Canada before them and have settled successfully now. While their advice has value too, their situation may not be applicable to your personal case. A settlement worker is adept at finding solutions that are customized to your needs. Listed here are some of the ways that settlement services will be able to benefit you.
- They will be able to give you information that is specific to your settlement needs, that will be applicable to your career, your educational qualifications, your language skills, your finances etc.
- They will be able to give you information about how you can secure essential services for life which include housing facilities, healthcare services, social services as well as transportation services.
- They will be able to guide you as well as provide you resources that can be used by your family members and children. These will be mostly centred around education, recreation and childcare.
- They will help you get awareness about your obligations and rights as a citizen and permanent resident of Canada.
- They will be able to give you advice and help for the completion of your forms and applications.
- They can get you in touch with agencies that can help you find employment and even provide assistance for your career search.
- They can give you assistance with or contacts of those who can assist you with your language skills or for translation services.
If you as a newcomer are still doubtful if settlement workers can assist you with something, then you can always ask your immigration consultant. If these services are not suitable for you they can make a recommendation of other services or resources that may be more helpful. A settlement worker will help you in making decisions and even help you find various ways to lead a successful life in Canada. But all the final decisions will be made by you as you understand what will work best for your situation.
Build A Relationship With Your Settlement Worker
It is your personal decision and choice to choose to talk to or consult a settlement worker. You should be aware that they may need some personal information about you to make relevant decisions if you sign up for their services. Who you choose as your settlement worker can vary based on where you are located, what their expertise is, whether they can effectively communicate in the language that you are comfortable etc. The best decision in who should be your settlement worker should be made keeping in mind that their main goal is to give expert advice based on your situation, and tell you which direction will be the best suited to your needs.
A conversation with your settlement worker is very different from searching for information online. The conversation with your settlement worker is more personal. Their response I’ll be based on their understanding of your background, your family members and your future goals. The process will require continuous learning from both and your settlement worker. You will be providing information about what are your needs as a newcomer in Canada and they will provide you better and more relevant services.
If you want a change in who should be your settlement worker because of you shifting your residence location, or because of a change in what you prefer or your future goals, you can also do that. If you are moving to a new place in Canada, you can talk with your current settlement worker. They can help you find a new settlement agency that is nearer to your new location. You can even get this shift in your newcomer centre, community or even get this information through an online search.
A settlement service is provided to you free of cost and will prove to be very helpful to you. They will be able to provide you resources that you can make use of as a newcomer. You can go for a visit to a settlement worker within a few months of arriving in Canada, but you can also be in contact over the years with any other questions or doubts you may have. Apart from settlement services, here are a few things that you can do to make the transition into life as a Canadian smooth and easy.
7 Tips To Settle In Canada As A Newcomer
Learning The Language
French and English are the Canadian nation’s official languages. You need to learn English even if you do not immigrate to Canada. You have to make a resolute decision to focus some amount of your energy on learning this Canadian language. You can truly enjoy the best that Canada has to offer if you learn their language. It will help you get comfortable and settle in the new environment.
Staying Positive
Remember that this is a big change. You will have some resistance while finding a job that fits you perfectly. If at first, it is difficult, try to think of all the reasons that made you choose to migrate to Canada in the first place. You may feel a little down in the beginning, but do not let that affect your positive attitude. Focus on your dreams and all the things you came to accomplish in the country.
Embracing The New Country
After you have come to Canada and gained permanent residency here, all that is left for you to do is enjoy your stay here and work on achieving all those goals and dreams that you had when planning this shift to Canada. Try going out and exploring the city that you are settling in, take strolls or go sightseeing, enjoy the beauty of the country and the warmth of the people.
Have The 2nd Plan
You may think that you have to start at the very beginning to succeed as a newcomer in Canada. That is not true. Have another plan about what you wish to do in Canada. Just having another option will provide you with the safety net, the flexibility you need to focus your energy on what you want to achieve.
Find Your Neighbourhood
There are many ethnic groups in Canada, and you are bound to find your own as well here. You will definitely decide to choose to stay within a neighbourhood that has people with an ethnic background similar to yours. This is a comfortable option. But you can also choose a neighbourhood with a mix of ethnicities. This will help you learn and live in a multicultural environment. This will provide you with a shift from home and experience the true Canada, the multicultural and diverse Canada.
Taking Risks
Shifting to a new country, with how much ever planning, is in itself a big risk. You have already decided to leave your comfort zone, seize and explore this new opportunity. Once you become a permanent resident here, do not begin to hesitate to take risks. The key to having success in personal and professional life in Canada as a newcomer is taking calculated risks.
Volunteering And Networking
Try to engage in the community and build connections by volunteering and networking. As a volunteer, you will get a chance of experiencing the authentic Canadian experience. If you can, get mentorship. Your mentor will be able to help you get your professional life beginning in the right direction in Canada. Lastly, networking will help you build connections in your community, in your neighbourhood as well as in your place of work.
