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Earlier this week Marie-France Lalonde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), recently announced a significant investment of over $65 million in funding extensions to immigration settlement Services. This investment aims to support service provider organizations across Canada that deliver essential settlement services to newcomers.
The funding will help the following organizations continue providing critical services, including:
Pre-arrival Assistance
Providing essential information and resources for immigrants, assisting them in understanding the Canadian job market, obtaining necessary credentials, and connecting with local communities.
Support for Racialized Newcomer Women
Providing several specialized support services to help radicalized female immigrants overcome issues like language barriers and difficulties accessing employment opportunities.
Language Training for Newcomers in Francophone Minority Communities
Helping newcomers communicate effectively in their new communities, access employment and educational opportunities, and build strong connections with their neighbors through improving their language skills in both French and English.
Lalonde said of the investment:
Providing services to newcomers before they arrive in Canada is critical to successful integration. These services help newcomers make decisions about the life they want to live in Canada as early as possible in their immigration journey and help them contribute to the economy more quickly. This investment will allow Canada to continue supporting the needs of newcomers across the world.
This major investment comes in the wake of a noticeable drop in Canadian immigration applications in the first quarter of 2023. According to IRCC latest data, there was a 12% decrease in immigration applications during the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same timeframe in 2022. In this year's first quarter, only 73,358 applications were submitted, significantly lower than the 83,691 applications received during the corresponding three-month period in the previous year.
This downturn is attributed to reduced applications from key countries that typically contribute many new permanent residents to Canada, such as the Philippines, China, Iran, Columbia, Nigeria, and Somalia. One of the major reasons for this is the difficulty of finding work and housing that newcomers sometimes face. This massive investment in settlement services is designed to combat this directly.
While this application decrease could potentially signal a forthcoming drop in immigration to Canada, the country remains on track to achieve its target of welcoming 465,000 new permanent residents in 2023.
What Does This Mean for Immigrants to Canada?
Starting a life in a whole new country can be incredibly complex, with many unforeseen challenges. One of the biggest challenges many face is getting the opportunity to relocate to another country. However, due to the decreased number of applications in 2023, new applicants to Canada have a higher chance of a successful application due to the decreased applicant pool.
As a result, the Canadian government has designated several organizations, such as S.U.C.C.E.S.S and YMCA, to provide numerous services to help newcomers get started in Canada.
The over $65 million in funding extensions for settlement services will significantly impact the lives of newcomers in Canada. By supporting service provider organizations that deliver essential services, the government demonstrates its commitment to ensuring the successful integration and well-being of immigrants, refugees, and their families.
These investments will strengthen the capacity of service providers to meet the diverse needs of newcomers and contribute to the overall growth and prosperity of Canadian society.
This means that not only will you have a far greater chance of a successful Canadian immigration application, but you will also be well-taken care of by Canada’s settlement services once you arrive.
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