Migrating to a new country can, at times, be a tedious task. Oblivion to contemporary culture, new people, new cities, and fresh food can put some under depression. Moreover, it can be challenging to settle down in an entirely new place, and imagine how challenging it would be to manage our day-to-day activities. Keeping this in mind, several professional organizations have come forward to offer services and programs to the newcomers. These services will be available to the newcomers settlement services at no cost.
Moving to a new country can lead to challenges like:
- Difficulty in finding jobs
- Making new friend circle
- Registering yourself to the native classes
- Understanding the local culture and customs
- Knowing about your rights in the country, etc.
The settlement services are often offered by local people, communities, neighbors, or libraries. These services first assist you with your native language and then introduce you to the country’s new language or native language.
Several countries have laid down specific essential criteria to be met by every individual who wishes to take settlement services, whether you are a permanent resident or temporary or naturalized citizen. The criteria include:
- Temporary workers holding a valid work permit
- International post-secondary students
- Refugee claimants
- Nominees waiting for the decision on their application for permanent residence
There are a set of services that vary by organization, which mainly include:
- One-on-one sessions
- Workshops
- Support help groups
- Mentoring
- Peer support sessions
The Interim Federal Health Program provides limited and temporary health care benefits to specific groups of people. One significant advantage of this service is that it is free of cost and is kept confidential.
One important note is that these agencies have a list of eligibility criteria to be fulfilled by people availing of such services. Therefore, it is advisable to contact these groups before making any visit.
Variety of services offered:
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IMMIGRATION AND TRAVEL:
– Help in obtaining the status of your immigration
– Renewal or replacement of permanent residence card
– Sponsorship for spouse
– Application for citizenship
– Change of address
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TAX AND TAX BENEFIT:
– Providing basic and essential details regarding the tax
– Providing information about Learning Bond Grant that helps to save money for your child’s education
– Assisting in setting up payment through DD and not through cheques.
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HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES:
– Arranging appointments with physicians and dentists etc
– Referring pregnant women to a good gynecologist
– Helping clients in getting a refund on their medical bills
– Assisting newcomers in settlement services to apply for Family Health Benefit Programs
