COSTI Immigrant Services
COSTI Settlement Services
COSTI's settlement services in Ontario are free. They cover orientation, forms, interpretation, referrals, and employment guidance, including credential recognition.
Last checked October 19, 2026
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
IRCC pre-arrival services
If your permanent residence is approved and you are still outside Canada, you can register for free online settlement services before you fly. Temporary residents are not eligible.
- Last checked
- October 19, 2026
- Source
- IRCC, pre-arrival services eligibility
- Audience
- Permanent residents
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What we could verify
- Free online services if IRCC has approved your permanent residence and you are outside Canada.
- Proof can be an eligibility letter, a confirmation of permanent residence, a passport request that says a PR visa was issued, a medical-exam information sheet, a single-entry PR visa, or a letter inviting you to pick up the visa.
- Programs listed for daily life include Active Engagement and Integration Project, Planning for Canada, Next Stop Canada, and Settlement Online Pre-Arrival. Several offer needs assessments and referrals, including language training.
- French-speaking newcomers settling outside Quebec can register with Connexions Francophones.
- Visitors, international students, and temporary workers are not eligible for pre-arrival services.
The useful habit is to register as soon as the approval letter arrives, not the week you fly. The portal asks you to upload proof and then a program contacts you. If you would rather pick a program yourself, IRCC lists them on the 'prepare to live in Canada' page, with the languages each one works in. AEIP, for example, lists English, French, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hindi, Punjabi, Tagalog, Korean, Arabic, Farsi, and Vietnamese.
These services do not replace a provincial health plan or a bank account. They are orientation, referrals, and in some cases a mentor. Refugees selected for resettlement are pointed to Canadian Orientation Abroad, delivered by the International Organization for Migration.
Who it is for
Approved permanent residents who are still outside Canada and can show one of the documents IRCC lists. Not for temporary stays.
How to act on it
Register in the Pre-arrival Client Registration and Referral Portal from the IRCC page, or contact a listed program directly.
Also in settlement services
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
IRCC settlement service finder
The federal government funds free settlement help outside Quebec: job search, language classes, help getting licensed, and someone to build a settlement plan with you. A postal-code search finds the agency.
Last checked October 19, 2026
Immigrant Services Society of BC
ISSofBC
ISSofBC is a large B.C. settlement agency. It says its settlement, employment, and language services for newcomers in the province are free.
Last checked October 19, 2026