Question Period Note: Settlement services

Update on how IRCC supports settlement services for immigrants.

• Settlement services are essential to help newcomers find the information and support they need to build community connections, learn or improve their English or French skills, find jobs, and make informed settlement decisions.

• In recognition of the continued importance of settlement services for the successful integration of newcomers in Canada, the federal government invested $1.2B in 2024-25 to support the settlement needs of newcomers (outside of Quebec).

• We are not alone in this work: we collaborate with and fund an extensive network of partners and organizations that deliver the services to help newcomers build their lives in Canada.

• Canada is recognized internationally for its inclusive policies that support diversity and for its unique two-way approach to integration. One objective of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act Section 3 (1) (e) is “to promote the successful integration of permanent residents into Canada, while recognizing that integration involves mutual obligations for new immigrants and Canadian society”.

• Canada has a managed immigration model that includes setting annual immigration levels, selecting immigrants, supporting their settlement in the early years after arrival, facilitating the acquisition of Canadian citizenship, and assisting with long-term integration. The ultimate goal is for newcomers to fully participate in the economic, social, cultural and political life of Canada.

Settlement services for newcomers in Canada

• All permanent residents (including protected persons and resettled refugees) are eligible to receive settlement services, until they become Canadian citizens. Certain cohorts of temporary residents on a clear pathway to permanent residence can be granted access to settlement services, while others arriving under a departmental response to an international crisis (e.g., Gaza and Ukraine) can also be granted a time-limited access on an exceptional basis. Other 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 approximately 570 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 in English or French, as well as many other languages:

• Needs and assets assessment and referrals, both pre- and post-arrival to Canada;
• Information and orientation, both pre- and post-arrival to Canada;
• Language training in French and English;
• Employment-related services, both pre-and post-arrival to Canada;
• Community connections to build social cohesion and allow newcomers to develop a sense of belonging; and
• Additional support services to remove barriers and ensure more equitable access to settlement services, including child care, transportation, translation, interpretation, short-term counselling and provision of supports for newcomers with disabilities. New funding agreements established under the 2024 Call for Proposals process also introduced digital supports for newcomers needing help navigating and accessing IRCC-funded remote settlement services.

• IRCC’s settlement programming also works with communities to educate and engage stakeholders and improve systems so that they can better support newcomers as they strive to contribute to their new communities. This aspect of programming helps to reduce the isolation of newcomers, and encourages their integration within diverse communities.

Supporting Francophone immigration priorities

• With the new Policy on Francophone Immigration launched in January 2024, the department continues to strengthen its support of the successful settlement, resettlement and integration of a growing number of French-speaking and bilingual newcomers in Francophone minority communities through the Francophone Integration Pathway.
• This will be achieved through existing initiatives, such as Welcoming Francophone Communities, and new measures, such as a strategy to better support French-speaking women immigrants and investments in language training tailored to Francophone minority communities.
• Overall, over the next three fiscal years, IRCC will be investing approximately $260M in Francophone programming through its base settlement funding and temporary investments received through the Official Languages Action Plan.

Employment-Related Services and Regional Pilots

• Employment-related Services, offered pre- and post-arrival, help immigrants and refugees overcome newcomer-specific barriers in accessing the labour market and typically include one or more of the following services: employment workshops, job search skills, essential skills training, employment counselling, mentorship and networking opportunities, work placements, and preparation for licensure or certification.

• IRCC supports two new pilot initiatives: the Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) and the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP). These aim to attract skilled workers and support international graduates in gaining permanent residence to address labour shortages, and to increase long-term settlement and retention in these communities.

• The Department continues to support the Atlantic Immigration Program (AIP), to address labour shortages and improve newcomer retention in Atlantic Canada. Established as a permanent immigration program since 2022, it involves ongoing collaboration between IRCC, the four Atlantic provinces, local employers, and settlement service organizations. A key feature of the program is the employer's active role in the settlement and retention of newcomers and their families, including partnering with settlement services to create a tailored plan. Employers also complete intercultural competency training to foster a welcoming workplace, which has helped improve newcomer retention in Atlantic Canada.

Foreign Credential Recognition (FCR)

• IRCC works closely with Employment and Social Development Canada, the Federal lead on the foreign credential recognition program, as well as with provinces and territories, to make collective advancements on foreign credential recognition in Canada and offer service complementarity to newcomers.

• IRCC’s Settlement Program funds a range of pre-arrival employment and FCR-specific services to help newcomers make informed decisions about their new life in Canada and working in their chosen occupation. Post-arrival settlement programming is also available to support these clients.

Newcomer mental health and well-being

• While health care is a provincial/territorial responsibility, federally-funded settlement services also offer newcomers a number of non-clinical mental health and well-being supports.

• In addition, the federal Settlement Program offers Case Management as a client-centered, comprehensive approach to service delivery for newcomers facing persistent and multiple barriers to integration, which includes a tailored settlement plan, supported by coordinated referrals to settlement and community services such as mental health services.

• To build on current programming and to complement existing settlement mental health and well-being supports, new well-being navigation activities have been introduced in 2025 as a dedicated support for newcomers to find resources and information on the Canadian health care system.

• The Department also funds health sector organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health to help institutions such as hospitals and community health centers better address newcomers’ mental health needs.

Supporting Specific Populations

• Targeted programming and supports are available to meet the needs of specific newcomer populations that face distinct barriers to integration. Targeted programming contributes to departmental commitments to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus), and to priorities such as Anti-Racism, Gender Equality, and addressing inequities for diverse populations, including women, seniors, youth, 2SLGBTQI+ populations, racialized newcomers, people with a disability, newcomers experiencing sexual and gender-based violence, or those in need of mental health supports.

• In 2021-22, IRCC became an official partner department under the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS). The Government of Canada’s response to helping young Canadians ages 15-30 gain the skills and work experiences required to get job ready and successfully transition into the labour market through supporting targeted settlement services to newcomer and refugee youth, such as: employment preparation training services, work placements, retention support for newcomer youth and employers, and support services.

• In 2025, the Settlement Program introduced a new Equity Stream to provide funding to a limited number of intermediaries to support lower-capacity, grassroots organizations that serve and are led by equity-deserving populations to enhance these organizations’ capacity to apply for and be successful in future departmental funding processes. Funding has also been allocated for indirect services that build the capacity of Service Provider Organizations in equity, diversity and inclusion.

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 and territorial partners, the department will continue to provide information to newcomers to assist them with finding housing.

• To better support government-assisted refugees and other eligible clients, the department funds immediate and essential services under the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). These services are generally provided during the first four to six weeks of an eligible clients’ arrival in Canada and include temporary accommodation and assistance finding permanent accommodation. Eligible clients may also receive income support, which includes a one-time start-up payment to help clients set up a new home, as well as monthly income support generally for one year for shelter and other basic needs.

• 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 the department.
• The Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) is a grant and contribution-based program that supports provinces/territories, municipalities, and non-profit organizations in providing interim housing to asylum claimants while they await determination of their claim. Budget 2024 provided $1.1 billion in funding over three years, starting in 2024-2025, to extend and renew IHAP. This investment will continue support to partners, while helping them advance more cost-effective and sustainable approaches to supporting claimants in achieving housing independence. Funding in 2026-27 will be conditional on provincial and municipal investments in permanent transitional housing solutions for asylum claimants.

• The amount of resources available for settlement services depends on how many newcomers are expected to arrive. Since fewer newcomers are planned for in 2025-2027, there will be a decrease to federal settlement funding in those years.
• IRCC is sensitive to the impact our funding decisions may have on organizations, their staff and the clients we serve. In making these difficult decisions, we carefully considered the number of newcomers expected to arrive, the needs for those accessing services, relationships with our partner organizations and available resources.