ARCHIVED – Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 2008

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Section 5
Integrating Newcomers

The successful settlement and integration of new immigrants is an important objective under IRPA. To maximize the economic, social and cultural benefits of immigration, newcomers should be enabled to fully participate in Canadian society and have access to the same quality of life that Canadians enjoy.

Settlement Services for Newcomers

Each year, eligible newcomers[note 13] receive, and have access to, settlement services and programs, and services delivered by service providers such as community-based organizations funded through formal contribution agreements with the Department. CIC-funded settlement programs and services include language instruction and skills development, information and orientation, and initiatives to support social engagement, community connections and labour market participation. Through federal-provincial agreements, British Columbia, Manitoba and Quebec assume direct responsibility for the design, administration and delivery of settlement programs and services to newcomers who settle in these provinces.

Recognizing the importance of settlement activities to a successful immigration program, the Government of Canada began in 2006 to invest an additional $1.4 billion over five years in settlement funding across the country. With this increased funding comes the opportunity to make better use of available funding to maximize the positive social and economic outcomes for newcomers. In 2007, CIC announced a modernized approach to settlement services intended to support these improved outcomes.

This new approach aims to:

• enhance flexibility, coordination and responsiveness in programming to better meet newcomer needs;
• strengthen and more clearly demonstrate the link between settlement activities and improved newcomer outcomes; and
• improve planning and assessment activities.

To support this new approach, revised terms and conditions for settlement programs were recently approved by the Treasury Board and came into effect in May 2008. Highlights of the changes include eliminating artificial barriers between the various settlement programs so that programs are more responsive to newcomer needs, extending eligibility to some prospective immigrants and refugees who have been approved in principle for permanent residency and providing, where appropriate, additional support for capital expenditures required to deliver effective programs. Both the new programming approach and the revised terms and conditions will be phased in, providing an opportunity to build on existing initiatives.

Language Learning

The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program provides language training to adult newcomers in one of Canada’s official languages. Aimed at facilitating social, cultural and economic integration into Canada, LINC courses are provided, either on a full- or part-time basis, through school boards, colleges, community organizations, workplaces or community settings. The program also provides information that helps acquaint participants with the Canadian way of life.

In 2007–2008, CIC continued to focus on reducing waiting lists for LINC programming while expanding and diversifying program offerings. In particular, increased funding levels led to expansion into new service areas, additional evening and weekend classes, more childminding services, and increased numbers of LINC classes tailored to the needs of particular language learners. The number of students in LINC-funded classrooms rose significantly in 2007–2008 to 68,940 from 59,240 in 2006–2007. CIC also funded the development of exit assessment tools for higher LINC levels that will provide teachers with a standardized means of measuring student performance at intermediate and advanced levels. New standardized assessment material will provide accurate reports of learning outcomes with respect to the national standard (Canadian Language Benchmarks).

CIC also funds projects under the Enhanced Language Training initiative, which supports immigrants in acquiring the language proficiency, workplace culture and bridge-to-work opportunities they need to pursue careers in very diverse fields.

Information and Orientation

CIC’s Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP) aims to help newcomers settle so that they can participate in Canadian life as soon as possible. This program funds the delivery of services, such as the provision of general information on life in Canada, translation and interpretation, referral to community resources, solution-focused counselling, and basic employment-related services. ISAP also provides funding to SPOs to undertake “service-bridging” activities with other community organizations, and special projects aimed at complementing and improving the delivery of settlement services.

ISAP services include the Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) Initiative. COA is aimed at orienting future newcomers to life in Canada before their arrival. Different COA modules are designed to meet the needs of a diverse clientele. Topics include an introduction to Canada, the settling-in period, employment and education, rights and responsibilities, climate, finding a place to live, living in a multicultural society, the cost of living, family life, communications and adapting to life in Canada. During 2007–2008, 15,000 people received COA training in approximately 22 countries.

Along with COA, CIC’s strategy for the development and delivery of settlement information includes print publications and the Going to Canada Immigration Portal (www.goingtocanada.gc.ca). This portal, developed by CIC and HRSDC, offers comprehensive and integrated information to prospective and new immigrants to assist them in preparing to live, work and study in Canada. Work continues on the enhancement of portal tools and content. Through contribution agreements, CIC also funded the development and implementation of immigration portals in most provinces and territories to provide further settlement information to newcomers.

Social Engagement

A key challenge in ensuring effective integration involves reaching out to community partners and engaging a broad spectrum of Canadians in facilitating the integration of newcomers. The Host Program is a volunteer-based program whereby newcomers are matched with Canadian volunteers who help them learn about available services in their community, practise their English or French, participate in community activities, understand the Canadian labour market, and find job contacts in their field. By connecting newcomers with Canadians, the program promotes inclusion and diversity, improves cross-cultural understanding and helps reduce racial stereotyping. Over 5,440 clients received Host-related services in 2007.

CIC is also an active participant in A Canada for All: Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism. Led by the Department of Canadian Heritage, this plan provides an overarching approach across federal departments and agencies to build a society free from racism, and a partnership between governments and civil society. CIC’s contribution to this multi-departmental endeavor is the Welcoming Communities Initiative (WCI). The WCI supports a range of anti-racism activities intended to foster more inclusive and welcoming communities and promote the full participation of newcomers in Canadian society. Under the WCI, funding is allocated to regions and provinces for anti-racism activities directed at newcomers, communities and community-serving organizations. Regional and provincial projects fall within the categories of awareness-raising, outreach, direct services, and tools and resource development. Such projects include, for example, a tool kit for smaller centres to attract and retain newcomers to Canada, which includes ways to reduce racism and discrimination at the community level, and a partnership between the Settlement and Family Resource Programs sectors to ensure that newcomers can access family-related programs that are respectful of cultural differences and respond to the unique needs of immigrant families.

Special Initiatives to Facilitate Integration into the Labour Market

Canada welcomes thousands of skilled immigrants every year who want to contribute to the country’s need for skilled workers. However, many newcomers are finding it challenging to enter the labour market due to issues such as the lack of recognition of foreign credentials and experience, and difficulties associated with language and literacy skills in one of Canada’s official languages.

One year after its launch, CIC’s Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO) is fulfilling its mandate to provide authoritative information, path-finding and referral services on foreign credential recognition and labour market information that benefit thousands of newcomers in Canada, as well as prospective immigrants abroad.

Through a network of 320 Service Canada centres, the FCRO currently provides toll-free telephone and in-person services to newcomers, prospective immigrants and employers. The FCRO website (www.credentials.gc.ca) provides information inside and outside Canada, including Working in Canada, an online search tool developed and maintained by HRSDC that provides individualized information on specific occupations, communities and labour market conditions, and other information targeted to internationally trained individuals. The website has had over 400,000 visits, the majority from persons overseas. The toll-free telephone and in-person services delivered in Canada have received and helped close to 20,000 internationally trained individuals.

The FCRO also works with federal, provincial and territorial partners and a broad range of stakeholders to strengthen foreign credential recognition processes through improved coordination of foreign credential recognition issues; policies, programs and services; information sharing; and the exchange of best practices. The FCRO provides services that complement other programs and services offered by the Government of Canada to help integrate immigrants into the economy and Canadian society. Working in partnership with other federal programs, the FCRO is improving the coordination of foreign credential recognition policy and program activities that will help newcomers in Canada and prospective immigrants overseas integrate into the labour market more quickly.

As part of these efforts, the FCRO has engaged the Canadian Network of National Associations of Regulators, as well as other regulatory bodies, to explore initiating foreign credential assessment and recognition processes overseas to help prospective immigrants prepare to work in Canada. In addition, the FCRO partnered with employers through The Alliance of Sector Councils (TASC) to design tools and resources for foreign credential recognition so that employers, particularly small- and medium-sized businesses, can successfully hire and integrate internationally trained employees. The FCRO, in collaboration with TASC and major organizations, such as the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses, the Canadian Chambers of Commerce and others, developed a prototype foreign credential recognition roadmap for employers—a tool that includes a step-by-step information guide for employers on hiring and retaining internationally trained workers.

In April 2008, the FCRO held a conference on foreign credential recognition in Calgary which brought together 130 key players to find collaborative solutions to foreign credential recognition issues. Creating these opportunities to share promising practices and advance these issues is a key part of the FCRO’s role.

The Enhanced Language Training (ELT) initiative helps newcomers gain the skills they need to better access the Canadian labour market at levels in keeping with their skills and qualifications by offering language training paired with a workplace component. Since the inception of the initiative, ELT programs have been developed and delivered across the country. ELT not only supports immigrants, it also provides an opportunity to address the specific labour needs in different areas of the country. With the decentralization of ELT’s administration from national headquarters, regions have been able to respond to varying settlement needs within their communities. It is estimated that, across Canada, CIC currently funds service providers for approximately 3,500 to 4,500 clients in ELT initiatives per year.

ELT is proven to be a successful initiative that meets the immediate needs of its target audience. The formative evaluation of ELT, completed in 2008, found that it contributed to:

• improved language skills;
• increased knowledge/experience of the Canadian work environment;
• increased job-finding skills;
• preparation for licensure exams; and
• the establishment of mentors, contacts and/or networks.

The evaluation indicated that the quality of curricula and tools is a strength of the ELT initiative and has contributed to its success. It also indicated areas for improvement, such as the need for better information sharing and more robust data collection. In response to these findings, and in preparation for the ELT’s summative evaluation in 2009–2010, CIC has been working to enhance its data collection processes and is developing mechanisms to promote ELT successes. For example, regional ELT conferences were held in three locations (Edmonton, Moncton and Niagara Falls) in the winter of 2008 as a way to share promising practices in and between regions.

Immigrants to Francophone Minority Communities

Over the past year, CIC has made progress in fostering immigration to Francophone minority communities (FMCs). To enhance and maintain the vitality of FMCs, the Department is working with its partners to encourage French-speaking immigrants to settle in and integrate into Francophone communities outside Quebec. The target is to achieve a minimum percentage of 4.4 French-speaking immigrants who settle in Francophone communities outside Quebec by 2011.

In 2006, the CIC-FMCs Steering Committee, co-chaired by CIC and a representative from the FMCs, published the Strategic Plan to Foster Immigration to Francophone Minority Communities.[note 14] This plan aims to foster the recruitment, integration and retention of new French speaking immigrants in Francophone communities outside Quebec. In September 2007, the Steering Committee adopted three new priorities: labour market integration, provincial and territorial commitment, and employer commitment. The strategic plan provided a foundation for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to develop their own plans.

Community networks were created across the country to identify needs, shortcomings and priorities that must be addressed to foster immigration to FMCs. These networks also enable the coordination of immigration in FMCs and contribute to their own development. In addition, three immigration networks were created in Ontario in 2007.

CIC continues to include official language clauses in the federal-provincial/territorial immigration agreements to encourage provinces and territories to support the development of their Francophone communities.

CIC has been organizing information sessions and promotional activities abroad in order to attract potential French-speaking immigrants to immigrate, or to study or work temporarily in FMCs. At these events, potential French-speaking immigrants obtain information on the communities, the provinces and territories, CIC’s various programs, and the terms and conditions for applying to immigrate. These events also give potential candidates an opportunity to talk to Canadian employers. In 2007, several Destination Canada events, which targeted the emigration of professionals from France, Belgium and Tunisia, took place in Paris, Lyons, Tunis and Brussels. For the first time, the emphasis was placed on the participation of Canadian employers.

In an effort to gather data on the situation in FMCs, CIC contributed to the Survey on the Vitality of Official-Language Minorities, the results of which were released in December 2007 by Statistics Canada. In addition, CIC helped organize the symposium “Official Languages Research Issues,” which took place in Ottawa in January 2008. The purpose of the meeting was to foster discussion between community representatives, scholars and federal government employees on official languages and on Canada’s linguistic duality. In April 2008, CIC participated in and helped organize a day of reflection on immigration and diversity in FMCs. The publication of a special issue of Canadian Issues/Thèmes canadiens[note 15] coincided with the event. Since the beginning of 2008, CIC’s Ontario Region has been funding the publication of the bilingual newsletter FOCUS Intégration Inclusion, which covers various Francophone immigration issues in Ontario and is published three times a year.

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