Infographics: 2023 Settlement Outcomes Report: Part 1

Spotlight: Pre-arrival services

IRCC provides some newcomers the opportunity to access settlement services prior to arriving in Canada as permanent residents, once they have received confirmation of approval in principle of their permanent residence application and if they are residing outside of Canada. These pre-arrival services are intended to help clients prepare for and adjust to life in Canada.

• More information
• Clearer expectations
• Earlier start

The intent is to accelerate the settlement process by reducing information gaps and allowing clients to be better-prepared upon arrival through, for example, providing realistic expectations of what will be necessary to successfully settle and integrate, and supporting early preparations for labour market entry.

A bar chart shows that 48% of pre-arrival clients were Resettled Refugees receiving pre-departure I&O services from the IOM, and 52% were not.

About the bar chart’s 48%

A central focus of pre-arrival services is the provision of pre-departure I&O services to refugees who are scheduled to be resettled to Canada (GARs, PSRs, and BVORs).

These clients, who are provided these services through an agreement with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), represented 48% of all pre-arrival clients in these two years.^{Endnote 1}

99% of all resettled refugees receiving pre-arrival services did so through the IOM.

IOM’s pre-arrival clients

• 52% PSRs
• 48% GARs^{Endnote 1}

Many pre-arrival services were already being delivered remotely prior to the pandemic. However, pandemic restrictions on admissions to Canada reduced the demand for pre-arrival services among newcomers about to depart.

Note: Outcomes information is not available for clients of pre-arrival services specifically.

About the bar chart’s 52%

Of the pre-arrival clients not receiving services through the IOM, the majority (59%) were from the Economic Class, with most of the remainder coming from the Family Class (28%). There were 23.5K non-IOM clients of pre-arrival services, only 4% of the number who accessed domestic settlement services.^{Endnote 1}

Compared to domestic service clients, clients of pre-arrival services were:

• Younger:
  • Pre-arrival: 48% aged 18-34
  • Domestic: 46% aged 35-64
• More likely to speak French
  • Pre-arrival: 8%
  • Domestic: 3%^{Endnote 1}

Areas of Future Study

The 2018 evaluation found that clients of pre-arrival services find them helpful.^{Endnote 2} However, additional study is required to understand, and expand, the specific advantages of thinking of Pre-Arrival as a time (prior to receiving full PR status), rather than a place (outside of Canada). This culd include expanding access to these services for those transitioning from TR to PR status within Canada, as encouraging broader uptake of these services by interested newcomers earlier in their settlement journeys.

Spotlight: Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP)

RAP services assist resettled refugees and other eligible clients with their immediate and essential needs in the period directly after arriving in Canada. This includes meeting refugees at the airport as well as providing temporary accommodation and assistance in finding permanent accommodation, interpretation and translation services, orientation and assessments, and linkages to further services, including to the Settlement Program.

In addition to providing RAP services, IRCC provides income support to GARs and certain other eligible clients for up to twelve months to help cover costs associated with starting their lives anew in Canada.

During the reporting period, RAP program funding increased significantly (+307%), which reflects in part the impact of the influx of Afghan refugees on the Program.^{Endnote 2}

Funding

• 2020/21: $27M
• 2021/22: $108M

The number of resettled refugees receiving assistance significantly increased between the two years (+231%), reflecting Canada's commitment to Afghan refugees and the resumption of general refugee admissions post-pandemic.^{Endnote 3}

Number of resettled refugees receiving assistance

• 2020/21: 5,400
• 2021/22: 17,900

Client demographics

Compared to other clients of the Settlement Program, more RAP clients:

Were minors

• RAP: 42% aged 0-17
• Settlement: 20% aged 0-17

Spoke neither official language

• RAP: 74%
• Settlement: 35%

Top 5 Nationalities of RAP clients

• Afghanistan
• Syria
• Eritrea
• Iraq
• Somalia

As most RAP clients are GARS, and all GARS receive RAP, demographics of RAP clients mirror those of the GAR population.^{Endnote 3}

Outcomes

The expected outcomes for RAP include:

• meeting the immediate and essential needs of RAP clients, and
• ensuring that resettled refugees have the tools to live independently in Canadian society.

These are intended to be achieved sooner than the broader settlement outcomes sought for all newcomers. Once resettled refugees enter the Settlement Program, that Program’s outcomes apply to them as well.

68% of GARs agreed that their needs during their first six weeks in Canada were met.^{Endnote 1} These results are broken out in the chart.

The lollipop chart shows the percentage of GARs who agreed that specific immediate needs were met.

• 70% agreed that the help they received with immediate needs met their needs.
• 66% agreed that the support services they received met their needs.
• 66% agreed that the information about living in Canada they received met their needs.
• 55% agreed that the help finding permanent housing they received met their needs.
• 67% agreed that the information about money and finances they received met their needs.
• 85% agreed that the help registering for government services they received met their needs.
• 65% agreed that the information about settlement and community services they received met their needs.

Settlement program uptake: GARs had the highest uptake rates for domestic settlement services in their first year in Canada: 82% of GARs accessed services, compared to 19% overall. GARs used similar types of services as other client groups, but with greater intensity.

GARs continue to have high uptake rates for Settlement Program services over time. In their fourth year since admission, 68% of GARs accessed settlement services, compared to 14% overall, highlighting the importance of continued access to support for GARs once RAP eligibility has completed.^{Endnote 4}

Because the resettlement of Afghan nationals began in August 2021, outcome information for this important cohort of newcomers is not yet available.

Service Usage

Domestic Settlement Services in 2020-21 & 2021-22

Eligible newcomers have access to a suite of services through the Settlement Program:

The pandemic changed how and where clients access services.

• Fewer clients accessed services at SPO offices and schools.
• More clients accessed services online or at home.

The ways that services were delivered and accessed also changed during the pandemic

Due to the shift to online services and other COVID restrictions, clients using support services decreased from 30% to 22%, with transportation seeing the largest decrease.

Most clients are learning how they can use their skills and experiences in Canada with 64% of NAARS clients discussing their assets. GARs had the highest rate of assets being discussed (74%), and Family Class the lowest (59%). 

58% of French-speaking clients received at least one service from a francophone organization. There could be several reasons for this, related both to service availability and client preferences.

Top 3 topics that IO clients received info on:

• How to find information (79%)
• Important documents (54%)
• Education in Canada (48%

More clients received digital skills training as part of I&O or CC services, likely enable access to online services.

• More LA clients were assessed for French language skills.
• More LA clients requested online language training.
• More clients were referred to IRCC-funded LT.
• Fewer clients were “not referred” for any training.

ERS clients in health occupations had the highest rate of receiving info on preparation for licensure

ERS clients in management occupations had the highest rate of receiving info on preparation for entrepreneurship.

As a result of pandemic closures, fewer CC clients took part in activities to connect them with the local community

IRCC does not collect data on the race or ethnicity of newcomers or clients of settlement services in iCARE – this is asked in the NOS.

Data Source: iCARE

Newcomers are able to access services that meet their needs

Certain newcomers may experience barriers when trying to access the Settlement Program. In order to support newcomer’s access to services, IRCC funds enabling services. These services include: Needs and Assets Assessment and Referral Services (NAARS) to identify a pathway for settlement, as well as Support Services: child care, translation, interpretation, transportation, short-term counselling, and provisions for those with disabilities - to facilitate access to settlement services.

IRCC enabling services help ensure clients are:

• Aware of Services
• Have their needs and assets understood
• Referred to the right services
• Provided supports to access services

More could be done to improve awareness of settlement services.

• Both IRCC and SPOs promote awareness of settlement services through advertising campaigns.
• 68% of respondents were aware of IRCC-funded settlement services, either because they had taken services or reported being aware of them.
• The remaining 32% had not accessed services and reported being unaware IRCC funded services available.
• Of these, 70% would have accessed settlement services if they known about them, particularly females and resettled refugees or protected persons.
• Similar results were observed for French-speaking and racialized respondents.

Settlement services are accessible to those who seek them, though some barriers exist

• 85% of clients were able to access services without difficulty. Barriers experienced by clients were different from the reasons why non-clients did not access services.^{Endnote 1}

This bar chart shows the kinds of barriers to accessing settlement services reported by clients and non-clients.

• Among clients with service barriers, 55% said that they did not know how or where to get services, compared to 20% of non-clients with service barriers.
• Among clients with service barriers, 39% said that services were inadequate, compared to 7% of non-clients with service barriers.
• Among clients with service barriers, 24% said that sessions were full, compared to 7% of non-clients with service barriers.
• Among clients with service barriers, 22% said that the hours were inconvenient, compared to 17% of non-clients with service barriers.
• Among clients with service barriers, 13% said services weren’t offered in their preferred language, compared to 3% of non-clients with service barriers.
• 61% of non-clients with service barriers said that they did not need services.

22% of barrier-experiencing French-speaking clients identified services not being offered in their preferred language as a challenge.

Access to services can be facilitated through support services.

Although most clients who received support services agreed they met their needs, others could not access services due to gaps in support service availability.

This bar chart shows the kinds of barriers related to support service availability reported by clients and non-clients.

• Among clients with service barriers, 15% said that there were no free bus tickets, compared to 5% of non-clients with service barriers.
• Among clients with service barriers, 10% said that there was no translation service, compared to 2% of non-clients with service barriers.
• Among clients with service barriers, 9% said that there was no child care, compared to 3% of non-clients with service barriers.
• Among clients with service barriers, 2% said that there was no disability accommodation, compared to 1% of non-clients with service barriers.

Most SPOs were able to convert to remote delivery of many services in just a few weeks.

SPOs reported an increase in clients’ needs for digital skills and access to devices during the pandemic, as well as for mental health service needs.

Newcomers gain knowledge and are able to make decisions about life in Canada

Knowledge about life in Canada, and resources to draw on for further information is fundamental to newcomers’ successful settlement and integration and can help immigrants gain confidence in their ability to make informed decisions. While many, if not all, of the Program’s services aim to increase knowledge, Information and Orientation services are the main information support provided to newcomers.

IRCC services help clients increase their knowledge of life in Canada by:

• Promoting realistic expectations about life in Canada
• Assisting in the navigation of the Canadian system
• Facilitating access to and use of services

Clients and non-clients received settlement information from similar sources.

• Among clients, the top four sources were friends, family, the internet, and IRCC-funded settlement services.
• Among non-clients, the top four sources were the internet, friends, family, and employers or co-workers.

French-speaking non-clients relied on employers or co-workers as a source of information more so than non-French-speaking clients, with 40% indicating this as a top source of information.

Newcomers are improving their knowledge of life in Canada over time.

A higher percentage of clients reported knowledge gains, suggesting that IRCC-funded settlement services helped them improve their knowledge of life in Canada.

The lollipop chart shows the percentage of clients and non-clients who reported improvements in their knowledge of life in Canada related to several topics.

• 60% of clients reported an improvement in their overall level of knowledge of life in Canada, compared to 51% of non-clients.
• 63% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of housing, compared to 54% of non-clients.
• 60% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of healthcare, compared to 54% of non-clients.
• 58% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of education, compared to 46% of non-clients.
• 61% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of money, compared to 51% of non-clients.
• 59% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of law and justice, compared to 50% of non-clients.

Clients and non-clients are making informed decisions about life in Canada.

The lollipop chart shows the percentage of respondents who agreed that they had enough information to make decisions about life in Canada.

• 94% agreed that they had enough information to find necessary items and supplies.
• 92% agreed that they had enough information to get around their city or town.
• 92% agreed that they had enough information to do their banking.
• 90% agreed that they had enough information to get help in case of emergency.
• 89% agreed that they had enough information to buy or rent a place to live.

Overall, respondents from all racial groups agreed that they had the information they needed to make decisions about life in Canada.

SPOs helped provide newcomers with information about COVID and vaccines, and helped combat misinformation.

Both clients (91%) and non-clients (92%) reported having sufficient information to get help in case of emergency, buy or rent a place to live, get around the city, find things they need like groceries or clothing, and do their banking.

There were no major differences by gender or age; however, only 83% of GARs reported having sufficient information.

French-speaking non-clients reported being able to make decisions about life in Canada at a slightly lower rate than their non-French-speaking counterparts.

Data Source: Newcomer Outcomes Survey (2020 and 2021)

Newcomers improve official language skills and use them in Canadian society

Knowing an official language enhances newcomers’ capacity to obtain information about daily life in Canada, and also increases their chances of obtaining employment. Basic proficiency in English or French is also one of the requirements to obtain Canadian Citizenship.

IRCC services help clients increase their knowledge of life in Canada by:

• Reading
• Writing
• Speaking
• Listening

A higher proportion of clients reported improving their official language skills in English.

A higher proportion of non-clients reported improving their official language skills in French.

The lollipop chart shows the percentage of clients and non-clients who reported improvement in their official language skills.

• For English language skills, 39% reported an improvement overall, compared to 23% of non-clients. 36% of clients reported an improvement in their reading skills, compared to 20% of non-clients. 37% of non-clients reported an improvement in their writing skills, compared to 22% of non-clients. 42% of clients reported an improvement in their speaking skills, compared to 25% of non-clients. 41% of clients reported an improvement in their listening skills, compared to 24% of non-clients.
• For French language skills, 22% reported an improvement overall, compared to 27% of non-clients. 23% of clients reported an improvement in their reading skills, compared to 26% of non-clients. 22% of non-clients reported an improvement in their writing skills, compared to 26% of non-clients. 22% of clients reported an improvement in their speaking skills, compared to 28% of non-clients. 23% of clients reported an improvement in their listening skills, compared to 28% of non-clients.

Newcomers are using their language skills in the real world.^{Endnote 1}

This lollipop chart shows the percentage of clients and non-clients who agreed that they could communicate without help in an official language in various situations.

For English language skills, 93% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help when at the doctor, compared to 93% of non-clients. 94% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help in social situations, compared to 95% of non-clients. 96% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help when shopping, compared to 97% of non-clients. 92% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help when working, compared to 93% of non-clients.

For French language skills, 68% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help when at the doctor, compared to 79% of non-clients. 74% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help in social situations, compared to 85% of non-clients. 76% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help when shopping, compared to 87% of non-clients. 70% of clients agreed that they could communicate without help when working, compared to 81% of non-clients.

Newcomers acquire knowledge, skills, and connections to prepare for and participate in the Canadian labour market

Newcomers can contribute to the Canadian economy in many ways - through employment, volunteering, or providing unpaid work like housework or caregiving that enables another person to have paid employment. Newcomers looking to directly participate in the Canadian labour market need to know how to present their existing skills in a way that will resonate with Canadian employers and need to understand what new skills will be advantageous in the Canadian labour market.

IRCC provides Employment related services to help clients directly increase their knowledge of employment in Canada.

• obtain work experience
• connect with employers and professionals
• receive employment counselling and coaching
• adapt existing skills to a Canadian context

Other settlement services, like Language Training or Community Connections, can also help newcomers prepare for the Canadian labour market.

The majority of newcomers directly participate in the Canadian labour market.^{Endnote 1}

The graphic shows the percentage of clients and non-clients who reported working in Canada.

Among clients, 75% reported working; of these, 79% were working full-time. 69% of female clients reported working, compared to 82% of male clients. By immigration category, 87% of EC PAs were working, compared to 75% of EC SDs, 72% of PPs, 70% of BSRs & PSRs, 64% of FC, and 56% of GARs.

Among non-clients, 78% reported working; of these, 87% were working full-time. 71% of female non-clients reported working, compared to 84% of male non-clients. By immigration category, 89% of EC PAs were working, compared to 77% of EC SDs, 73% of PPs, 64% of BSRs & PSRs, 64% of FC, and 60% of GARs.

Respondents from all racial/ethnic groups reported employment rates within 5% of the overall average. Southeast Asians reported the highest employment rate (77%).

Clients improved their knowledge of employment topics more than non-clients.

This lollipop chart shows the percentage of clients and non-clients who reported improvement in their knowledge of employment-related skills.

• Overall, 54% of clients reported an improvement in their overall knowledge of employment in Canada, compared to 45% of non-clients.
• 57% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of job searching, compared to 47% of non-clients.
• 58% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of networking, compared to 50% of non-clients.
• 52% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of qualification assessment, compared to 42% of non-clients.
• 52% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of starting a business, compared to 45% of non-clients.
• 51% of clients reported an improvement in their knowledge of using soft skills, compared to 40% of non-clients.

This suggests that settlement services helped clients improve their knowledge related to employment in Canada.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a greater impact on the economic outcomes of newcomers, which are discussed in more detail in the report.

Among those not working, 46% of clients and 41% of non-clients said they are looking for work or starting work soon.

The graphic presents reasons reported by clients and non-clients for not working.

• Among clients, 5% reported not looking for work. Of these, 63% were female, and 68% were admitted through the Family Class. In terms of reasons for not working, 28% said this was because they were caring for a child, 26% because they were students, 20% because they were homemakers, and 15% because they were retired.
• Among clients, 7% reported not looking for work. Of these, 63% were female, and 84% were admitted through the Family Class. In terms of reasons for not working, 11% said this was because they were caring for a child, 11% because they were students, 10% because they were homemakers, and 19% because they were retired.

Newcomers participate in and are connected to communities

Newcomer connection and participation in communities signals that they are moving forward on the path to integration and that their new communities are creating space for these contributions.

To measure civic outcomes for newcomers, IRCC uses questions designed and tested by Statistics Canada as proxy measurements, such as confidence in public institutions and sense of belonging

IRCC services bring together newcomers and long-time Canadians, Indigenous peoples, and settled immigrants with the aim of creating welcoming communities that

• Nurture clients’ senses of belonging
• Promote social cohesion and community engagement
• Provide opportunities for informal language training

Many newcomers engage in community activities.

The graphic shows that 24% of clients reported volunteering in the 12 months prior to being surveyed, compared to 21% of non-clients.

The lollipop chart shows the percentage of respondents who reported having engaged in groups, organizations, or associations in the 12 months prior to the survey. 35% of respondents had participated in professional organizations, 35% in religious organizations, 26% in school or civic organizations, 24% in cultural organizations, and 21% in sports or recreational organizations.

The bar chart shows the percentage of respondents who reported having various numbers of close friends in the same community.

• 46% said that they had 5 or more close friends. 24% said that they had 3 or 4 close friends. 23% said that they had 1 or 2 close friends. 7% said that they had no close friends in the same community.

A survey by Statistics Canada showed increased levels of discrimination during the pandemic, particularly among gender-diverse, Chinese, Korean, Southeast Asian and Black participants. Participants who reported that they had experienced discrimination during the pandemic had lower levels of trust in institutions.^{Endnote 3}

Most newcomers (both clients and non-clients) feel that they belong and are welcomed in Canada.

Welcoming communities and sense of belonging

• 92% of newcomers agreed their community was welcoming to newcomers.^{Endnote 1}
• 90% of newcomers had a strong sense of belonging to Canada, 82% their province, and 80% to their community.^{Endnote 1}
• The sense of belonging to Canada was high amongst all racial/ethnic groups.
• The sense of belonging to the community was slightly lower among French-speaking respondents.

Forming social connections

• 70% of newcomers said they had 3 or more close friends in the same community; only 7% reported not having any friends in the community.^{Endnote 1}

The bar chart shows the percentage of respondents who reported having various numbers of close friends in the same community.

• 46% said that they had 5 or more close friends. 24% said that they had 3 or 4 close friends. 23% said that they had 1 or 2 close friends. 7% said that they had no close friends in the same community.

Confidence in institutions

• 93% of newcomers indicated that they had confidence in Canadian institutions such as the courts, healthcare, social security, the police and the Government of Canada.^{Endnote 1}