Free Settlement Services in Canada
Canada funds free settlement services for permanent residents, protected persons and resettled refugees: language classes (LINC in English, CLIC in French), job help, community connections, translation and orientation. Citizens and most temporary residents cannot use them. Economic immigrants have up to 6 years after becoming PRs from April 1, 2026, and 5 years from April 1, 2027.
What are settlement services, and who pays for them?
Settlement services are government-funded programs delivered across Canada by not-for-profit organizations, community groups, governments and other recipients that IRCC funds. IRCC funds these programs through contribution agreements with settlement agencies. The goal is to help newcomers become economically and socially established as quickly as possible.
You do not pay to attend language classes, access employment help, or use translation services through these programs. These services are about settling and integrating. They do not include applying for you, so an application or legal question stays with you or an authorized representative.
The rule
Settlement services are free of charge to eligible newcomers.
Who is eligible for settlement services?
Eligibility for IRCC-funded settlement services is defined by immigration status.
Eligible:
- Permanent residents (all categories)
- Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) and Blended Visa Office-Referred Refugees (BVORs)
- Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs)
- Protected persons (Convention refugees and people in need of protection granted status in Canada), until they become Canadian citizens
- People IRCC has selected, inside or outside Canada, to become permanent residents (pending verifications) and has told so by letter
- Some foreign nationals in pathway programs named in IRCC's terms (for example, certain Atlantic Immigration Program components, Rural Community and Francophone Community Immigration Pilot recommendation holders, and the home child care and home support pilots). The list is narrow and IRCC sets it, so confirm your case
Not eligible (generally):
- Visitors and tourist visa holders
- International students (study permit holders), except those in the Francophone Minority Communities Student Pilot. Applying for PR is not enough on its own, because IRCC must have selected you and told you by letter
- Temporary foreign workers (work permit holders), except workers in certain pathway pilots
- Refugee claimants awaiting a decision (they are not on the Settlement Program's list of eligible persons)
- Canadian citizens (who were born in Canada or naturalized)
Under IRCC's Settlement Program terms, economic-class permanent residents (for example, Express Entry and Provincial Nominee Program immigrants) and their accompanying family members have a time-limited window to access federally funded settlement services. Per IRCC, this access is being reduced gradually: up to 6 years after becoming a permanent resident as of April 1, 2026, and up to 5 years after becoming a PR as of April 1, 2027. This applies whether you became a permanent resident before or after those dates.
What settlement services are available?
- Language Training (LINC / CLIC)
- Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) provides free English classes to permanent residents and protected persons of legal school-leaving age. In French, the equivalent is Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada (CLIC). You take a language assessment first. Classes run at basic, intermediate and advanced levels and are available full-time or part-time, in a classroom or online.
- Employment Support
- Employment bridging, employment-related mentoring and networking, employment and credential assessment counselling, and skills development and training.
- Community Connections
- Community activities, cross-cultural activities, mentoring and networking, and help connecting with public institutions and local communities.
- Translation and Interpretation
- Translation and interpretation are support services, given alongside another settlement service, as are childcare, crisis counselling, transportation assistance and provisions for disabilities.
- Needs Assessment and Referrals
- Settlement workers assess your settlement needs and assets, can build a personalized settlement plan with you, and refer you to the services that fit.
- Information and Orientation
- Port of entry services, consultations and structured orientation sessions covering Canadian systems: healthcare, banking, renting, education, rights and responsibilities, and how government services work. Free online services are also available before arrival to people whose permanent residence application IRCC approved (see the FAQ below).
How do you find free settlement services near you?
IRCC operates a "Find free newcomer services near you" tool at ircc.canada.ca/english/newcomers/services/index.asp. This tool does not list Quebec service providers, because Quebec runs its own settlement system (see the Quebec note above).
Use the IRCC service finder
Use the "Find free newcomer services near you" tool. You can filter by service type (language training, employment, etc.) and location.
Contact your local settlement agency directly
A local settlement agency can do a needs assessment and refer you to the right programs.
Ask your provincial government
Some provinces fund their own programs beyond what IRCC provides.
What does the Resettlement Assistance Program give refugees?
Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) receive more intensive support through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP), administered by IRCC and delivered through RAP service providers across Canada. RAP focuses on the first weeks and months after arrival, covering immediate needs and income support.
- Immediate needs on arrival
- Meeting you at the airport or port of entry, a temporary place to live, and basic household items.
- Income support
- GARs generally receive RAP income support, at RAP rates that are set by province, for up to one year from arrival (or until they can support themselves, whichever comes first). If you claimed refugee protection from inside Canada, you are not eligible for RAP.
- Settlement assistance
- Help finding a permanent place to live, and general help with life in Canada.
- Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs)
- Sponsored under the Private Sponsorship of Refugees program by sponsorship agreement holders (organizations), groups of five or community sponsors. Refugee sponsorship usually lasts 1 year: sponsors support the refugees financially (housing, food, clothing, furniture) and help them find work, sign up for school and get around the community.
How do settlement agencies differ from paid consultants and lawyers?
- Government-funded settlement agencies
- Not-for-profit organizations, community groups and other recipients funded by IRCC to deliver settlement programs. The Settlement Program's services are information, referrals, language training, employment and community services.
- Private immigration consultants (RCICs) and lawyers
- Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCICs) and immigration lawyers charge fees to assist with immigration applications. Consultants must be members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). Lawyers and notaries must be members of a Canadian provincial or territorial law society or the Chambre des notaires du Québec. In Ontario, paralegals who are members of the Law Society of Ontario are also authorized. You can apply yourself, and IRCC says that if you choose a paid representative who is not authorized, it may return or refuse your application.
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Document ChecklistTypical documents by application type
- Funds CalculatorProof of funds, super visa and sponsorship income
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
What do free settlement services in Canada include?
They include free language classes (LINC in English, CLIC in French), employment support, community connections, translation and interpretation alongside those services, needs assessments with referrals, and orientation to Canadian systems. IRCC funds not-for-profit organizations, community groups, governments and other recipients to deliver them. Government-assisted refugees also get the Resettlement Assistance Program. IRCC's “Find free newcomer services near you” tool lists the programs in your area.
Who is eligible for free settlement services in Canada?
Permanent residents, protected persons, resettled refugees and people IRCC has selected for permanent residence and told so by letter can generally use IRCC-funded settlement services. Canadian citizens cannot, and most temporary residents, such as visitors, most international students and most work permit holders, cannot either, apart from people in certain pathway programs that IRCC's terms name. The eligibility section above lists each group.
Are free settlement services available for life?
Not for everyone. Refugees, protected persons and most non-economic permanent residents keep access until they become citizens: the terms set no time limit for them, and citizens are not eligible. Economic-class permanent residents, such as Express Entry and PNP immigrants, and their accompanying family now have a time limit, whether they became PRs before or after the change: up to 6 years after becoming a PR as of April 1, 2026, and up to 5 years as of April 1, 2027. Your local settlement agency can confirm your window.
How do I find free settlement services near me?
Use IRCC's “Find free newcomer services near you” tool: enter your city or postal code and filter by service type, such as language training or employment. You can also contact a local settlement agency or your provincial government. The tool leaves out Quebec providers, because Quebec runs its own services through the Ministère de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration (MII). The section on finding services above walks through each step.
How much settlement funds are required for Canada?
Settlement funds are a separate thing: the proof of funds that Express Entry candidates must show. For one person, IRCC's table effective July 7, 2025 sets $15,263. Candidates invited under the Canadian Experience Class, and candidates with a valid job offer and authorization to work in Canada, do not need to show funds: they upload a letter explaining which applies. IRCC updates the table. Our Proof of Funds for Express Entry guide has the full table by family size.
Are settlement services available before I arrive in Canada?
Yes, online. IRCC says you can get free online services if it approved your permanent residence application, you are currently outside Canada, and you have one of the documents it lists. Pre-arrival services are not available to people coming to Canada temporarily, including visitors, international students and temporary workers. Check the IRCC website for the providers funded now. Our Settling in Canada: First 30 Days guide covers what to do once you land.
Are LINC language classes free?
Yes. LINC classes in English and CLIC classes in French are free for eligible permanent residents and protected persons outside Quebec, which provides its own linguistic integration services under the Canada-Quebec Accord (through the Ministère de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration, MII). In some places, classes also offer childcare and transportation to and from class. Levels run from basic to advanced, full-time or part-time, in person or online. The services section above describes each program.
Can refugee claimants use settlement services?
Not IRCC-funded settlement services. Refugee claimants, who have filed a claim but have no decision yet, are not on the Settlement Program's list of eligible persons; ask a local agency what other help is available. Once a claimant becomes a protected person, they are eligible. Our guide on claiming refugee status in Canada explains the claim process itself.
Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.