Backgrounder - Governments of Canada and Ontario help internationally trained professionals strengthen their language skills

The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario want to help newcomers succeed. To help newcomers settle in Toronto, the Government of Canada is committing more than $7.8 million and the Province of Ontario more than $3.4 million to 11 organizations that provide settlement services to internationally trained individuals in the community.

The funding is provided under the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement. Listed below are the organizations receiving funding under today’s announcement.

Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government’s immigration program. Through the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA), the Government of Canada has increased settlement funding for Ontario by $920 million over five years. Under the COIA, CIC works with the province and immigrant-serving agencies to make a real difference in the lives of newcomers. In 2006, the Government of Canada began investing an additional $1.4 billion over five years in settlement funding across the country.

The 2008 Budget also introduced changes to modernize the immigration system and to shorten the time it takes to bring newcomers and their families to Canada. Under this system, instructions will be issued to immigration officers related to the processing of applications, including in relation to the jobs available in Canada, so that people with those skills and experience can be brought to Canada more quickly. With these changes, newcomers could have more opportunities to find work sooner, to provide a better life for themselves and their families and to benefit more from life in Canada.