Today, Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino, on behalf of Citizenship, Refugees and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, announced an investment of over $2 million in JVS Toronto to help deliver important pre-arrival services to new immigrants. This is part of overall settlement funding extensions that were previously announced.
Minister Mendicino visited JVS Toronto, one of 15 service providers offering information, orientation and referrals to newcomers. JVS Toronto offers online services to newcomers before they arrive in Canada, including information about the Canadian workplace, soft skills development and employment counselling, as well as services tailored to refugees that help them prepare for jobs in Canada.
“Pre-arrival services provide permanent residents with the resources to make informed decisions about their new life in Canada,” Mendicino said in a statement. “With our investment, this organization can continue supporting the needs of newcomers by offering helpful online and in-person services.”
As announced on May 11, Minister Fraser approved a two-year extension of pre‑arrival contribution agreements from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025. Through these agreements, funding for 15 service provider organizations totals over $60 million up to 2025. The funding announced today is part of the pre-arrival settlement funding invested across Canada.
The 15 service provider organizations that received funding serve clients in the country of origin and are based in British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario and abroad.
Canada has funded pre-arrival services since 1998. While initially only provided to refugees, services were expanded to include other categories of immigrants in 2001.
