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
WelcomeBC
BC Newcomer Services Program
British Columbia funds settlement help for people the main federal program often misses: temporary workers, many international students, provincial nominees waiting on PR, and naturalized citizens.
- Last checked
- October 19, 2026
- Source
- WelcomeBC, BC Newcomer Services Program
- Audience
- Temporary workers, International students, Permanent residents
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What we could verify
- WelcomeBC's page was marked last updated August 24, 2026.
- Eligible: temporary workers with a valid work permit; international post-secondary students on a study permit if the school does not already offer the service; provincial nominees waiting on a PR decision; naturalized citizens; displaced Ukrainians with valid CUAET visas and their immediate family; refugee claimants, with more support through BC Safe Haven.
- Help includes orientation to life in B.C., English practice, connections to school and health care, job search, and emergency counselling.
- Services are in person and online, often one-to-one, in workshops, or with a mentor. Providers are listed by community, including ISSofBC, MOSAIC, and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. in Burnaby.
- The page says a provider can help you understand your rights.
If you are in British Columbia on a work or study permit, do not stop at the federal finder. This provincial program exists because those permits often fall outside IRCC settlement eligibility. The community table on the WelcomeBC page is long, from small towns to Metro Vancouver, and it names the agency and a phone number.
Students should check the campus international office first. The province says the program is for students when the institution does not offer the service. Refugee claimants should also ask about BC Safe Haven, which the page distinguishes from the general program.
Who it is for
The groups listed on the WelcomeBC page and quoted above. A valid permit or status document is part of the test. Naturalized citizens are included, which is unusual for settlement programs.
How to act on it
Find your community on the WelcomeBC provider table and call the agency. Ask for the BC Newcomer Services Program by name.
Also in settlement services
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
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