Searching for Refugees

Programs and Services

• Information and referral for housing, employment, government services and legal/human rights
• assistance filling out government forms
• supportive counseling, problem solving
• settlement and orientation for immigrants and refugees
• translation and interpretation
• employment Including: supported job search, job matching and placement, job retention services
• business development advisory
• language and skills development
• youth programs
• free childcare services for clients while in class or receiving services

Access to:

• Resource area
• tools and information
• Job searching
• Resume/Cover letter assistance
• Computer access, newspaper, phone/fax and job postings
• Placements, supports and incentives Second Career and Apprenticeship application & registration and Interview preparation, mentoring and coaching.
• Self-service information and resources

Employers:

• can receive assistance with identifying their human resource skill requirements;
• matching of position/workplace needs to participants' skills, capabilities, interests and experience
• support for developing on-the-job training plans and monitoring of placements to support success and retention.

Supportive Settlement Information and Referrals Services:

• help newcomer families, children and youth access school and community programs
• assist with language and cultural interpretation as required
• provide child care services at no cost for families accessing SWIS services
• culturally appropriate program services delivered to individuals and groups
• WIN program (Welcome Information for Newcomers) orientation to newcomer parents and their children entering elementary schools
• NOW program (Newcomer Orientation Week) newcomer youth receive peer leader training for welcoming newer students in secondary schools

SWIS is a partnership of NCCE Inc., Greater Essex County District School Board, Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Weekly programs promote empowerment, skill-development, and confidence in areas such as leadership, education, music and art, employment, and sports.

The Settlement Services program works with newcomers and immigrants to help individuals with their settlement needs, learn about the programs and services in Windsor-Essex and meet new people.
Service include:

• one-on-one information and support counselling
• initial needs assessment
• referrals to community services
• employment support
• workshops
• interpretation

Services and supports focusing on assisting refugee claimants in partnerships with, and by making referrals to, the Diocese of London's Windsor Refugee Office. Information sessions and referrals provided assist clients with:

• preparing for Immigration and Refugee Board hearings
• understanding options in case of negative IRB decision
• connections to community organizations and resources
• work permits
• Ontario Works
• general settlement information

Services and supports focus on assisting refugee claimants in partnership with, and by making referrals to, the Diocese of London's Windsor Refugee Office. Information sessions and referrals provided assist clients with:

• preparing for Immigration and Refugee Board hearings
• understanding options in case of a negative IRB decision
• connections to community organizations and resources
• work permits
• Ontario Works
• general settlement information

Newcomer Services including:

• settlement programs
• language skills training
• programs to assist newcomers
• may provide needs and eligibility assessments
• pre- and post-arrival information and referral
• assistance to establish networks to promote community engagement
• assistance to access a range of settlement services
• information and referral services
• newcomer youth programming
• interpretation and translation
• community orientation
• 1-on-1 and group-oriented services
• care for newcomer children

Francophone Community Centre - CCFWEK

Provide newcomers to Canada with support to improve their opportunities to become independent by enabling access to school and community information, services and resources.

Services:

• Provide services in a supportive and culturally-sensitive and linguistically-appropriate manner.
• Participate in the school reception and orientation process for newcomer students and their families.
• Provide orientation sessions on programs and services available in the school and community.
• Inform and orient families and students about settlement related issues.
• Provide outreach services to new families.
• Facilitate access to school activities.
• Facilitate referrals and access to available resources in the community.
• Enable families to advocate on their own behalf, including for the educational needs of their children.
• Advocate on client's behalf when appropriate.
• Facilitate constructive and culturally-sensitive communication between the school staff and the newcomer students and their families.
• Inform and orient staff about settlement-related issues.
• Assist the school with initiating contact with all newcomer families.
• Provide cultural background information to the school staff as needed.

Programs include:

• Duty club: child can redo what they learn in class with a tutor
• For the young: information and training workshops to promote the talents of young people in all areas
• Stand up Grandma: provides opportunities for interaction, support and networking between seniors
• Justice for All: legal information, referral and support program for clients
• The Vegetable Garden of Sharing
• The Sharing Paillote

To help newcomers settle, adjust and contribute to life in Windsor as soon as possible. A Newcomer Settlement Orientation Specialist provides services including:

• One-on-one settlement and orientation assistance.
• Information about community and government services.
• Referrals to services such as healthcare, housing, legal, education, employment and language and skills training programs and services.
• Workshops, information sessions and group activities to provide settlement and orientation information.
• Help filling out forms and applications

The priority is to provide settlement services to newcomers who have become Canadian citizens, refugee claimants, permanent residents, international students, temporary foreign workers or persons who have received special permission to remain in Canada for the purpose of becoming a permanent resident.

Provides immediate and essential services to Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) destined for Windsor, during their first 4 - 6 weeks in Canada including:

• airport reception
• temporary accommodation
• orientating clients to life in the community
• income support orientations
• introducing them to their rights and responsibilities under the Resettlement Assistance Program
• opening bank account
• helping them secure permanent accommodation
• applying for utilities
• linking to federal and provincial programs (i.e. SIN, OHIP, Canada Child Benefit, GST/HST etc.)

WRAP Life Skills is a component of the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) designed to supplement the services provided to GARs (Government Assisted Refugees) upon their arrival to Canada. Intensive one on one orientation is delivered to clients in their own native languages upon moving to their permanent accommodations
Life Skills are delivered in the following areas:

• Personal health and safety
• Safety at home
• Banking and budgeting
• Transportation
• Shopping
• Making and keeping appointments
• Information about community

Client Support Services (CSS)

• Ontario wide initiative that follows delivery of WRAP for up to 12 months.
• It includes case management services, capacity building, and a coordinated approach to assist with clients settlement and better understanding of Canadian society.

Centre for immigrant and visible minority women and their families

• offer workshops and information sessions
• culturally sensitive employment counselling by appointment
• support services and counselling
• information and referrals on social services, advocacy, community and government programs
• child care available for clients

Weekly programs promote empowerment, skill-development, and confidence in areas such as leadership, education, music and art, employment, and sports.

Jewish cultural centre offering:

• social, recreational, educational programs (click here for details)
• Newcomer program
• Jewish advocacy
• Assistance to holocaust survivors (click here for details)

Department of Citizenship and Immigration

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, facilitates the arrival of immigrants, provides protection to refugees, and offers programming to help newcomers settle in Canada. It also:

• grants citizenship,
• issues travel documents (such as passports) to Canadians
• promotes multiculturalism
• Dual Citizenship and Refugee Claims information

Canadian Citizenship Application Centre

• Federal service handling applications for the grant of Canadian citizenship
• Apply to visit, study, work or immigrate to Canada, apply for citizenship or a permanent resident card, check the status of your application or find a form.

Immigrate:

• Includes applications for federal skilled workers, family sponsorship, start-up visas, refugees, and tips on fraud and using a representative

Visit:

• Includes visitor visas and extensions for tourists, parents and grandparents and business travellers, transit visas and necessary travel identification documents

Work:

• Includes work permit applications and extensions, live-in caregiver applications, getting credentials recognized and hiring temporary foreign workers

Study:

• Includes study or student work permit applications and extensions

Citizenship:

• Includes how to apply, resume or give up Canadian citizenship, prepare for the citizenship test and get proof of citizenship

New Immigrants:

• Permanent Resident Cards, immigrant services in your area, and citizenship applications

Passports/Sponsorships: Canadians:

• Includes family sponsorship, proof of citizenship, passports, adoption, refugee sponsorship and citizenship celebrations

My Application:

• Includes application status, processing times, online applications and paper forms, fee payments, medical and police checks. Click Here for Details

Find an Office:

• Includes where to send your application, visa application centres, visa offices outside and in Canada. Click Here for Details

Court of Canadian Citizenship:

• Information and advice to the public on citizenship
• conducts hearings and court ceremonies
• application kits for acquiring or proving Canadian citizenship available on website or by telephone

Enforcement and Control:

• Investigates offences and enforces the Immigration Act and Regulations
• regulates and facilitates the entry of visitors or immigrants to Canada at port of entry
• various application kits available for mail-in service

Immigration Recruitment and Selection:

• Accepts and processes applications from groups for the sponsoring of refugees
• all other applications must be mailed to the address provided in the application kit

InMyLanguage.org Website

• InMyLanguage.org provides multilingual information for newcomers to Ontario, Canada
• All translations have been completed by certified translators
• InMyLanguage.org is managed by OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants) and funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Click Here to use Website

Orientation programs, language and skills training to help facilitate employment, and programs to welcome newcomers to the community

Orientation Services
Provides settlement assistance to New Canadians in need of housing, translation, employment, immigration services and more

• Referrals to language training, employment services and other community services
• information workshops and other topics provided regularly
• referral to job search and employment counseling
• assistance to access a range of settlement services

Welcoming Communities
Cultural competency training for employers and other interested groups, and Citizenship Training Classes.

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC)
Provides language training at no cost to eligible adult learners

• tutoring services available
• child care and transportation available if eligible
• provides language certificate to qualified individuals eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship

A mosque and community centre serving the social service needs of the Muslim community in the region.

Programs include:

• 5 daily prayers and Friday prayers
• Youth groups
• Arabic and Quran classes for children and youth
• youth tae kwon do classes
• sports program
• emergency assistance for household items
• Rental space available in full sized gym
• classroom and meeting space
• full sized cafeteria for events

Visit website for details of assistance and or donations of goods

To help newcomers settle, adjust and contribute to life in Windsor as soon as possible. A Newcomer Settlement Orientation Specialist provides services including:

• One-on-one settlement and orientation assistance.
• Information about community and government services.
• Referrals to services such as healthcare, housing, legal, education, employment and language and skills training programs and services.
• Workshops, information sessions and group activities to provide settlement and orientation information.
• Help filling out forms and applications

The priority is to provide settlement services to newcomers who have become Canadian citizens, refugee claimants, permanent residents, international students, temporary foreign workers or persons who have received special permission to remain in Canada for the purpose of becoming a permanent resident.

Provides immediate and essential services to Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) destined for Windsor, during their first 4 - 6 weeks in Canada including:

• airport reception
• temporary accommodation
• orientating clients to life in the community
• income support orientations
• introducing them to their rights and responsibilities under the Resettlement Assistance Program
• opening bank account
• helping them secure permanent accommodation
• applying for utilities
• linking to federal and provincial programs (i.e. SIN, OHIP, Canada Child Benefit, GST/HST etc.)

WRAP Life Skills is a component of the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) designed to supplement the services provided to GARs (Government Assisted Refugees) upon their arrival to Canada. Intensive one on one orientation is delivered to clients in their own native languages upon moving to their permanent accommodations
Life Skills are delivered in the following areas:

• Personal health and safety
• Safety at home
• Banking and budgeting
• Transportation
• Shopping
• Making and keeping appointments
• Information about community

Client Support Services (CSS)

• Ontario wide initiative that follows delivery of WRAP for up to 12 months.
• It includes case management services, capacity building, and a coordinated approach to assist with clients settlement and better understanding of Canadian society.