CLIP Survey of Newcomers: Fall 2017 – Summary Report
Abstract
Notes
Location
Calgary, Alberta
Key recommendations
- Better advertising of existing programs and services is essential.
- Different kinds of services and supports are needed for professional and non-skilled migrants.
Key findings
Calgarians who are born outside Canada sometimes do not access migration services during their immigration process.
- Many people advocated for more relevant, accurate information to be provided pre-arrival. They really wanted to know more about living in Canada and the realities of daily life in Calgary. This related to different social and economic systems in Canada—banking, housing, childcare, children’s education, health care, transit, and how to dress for Calgary’s weather—as well as social norms about environmental protection and recycling.
- Respondents lamented that they arrived with hope and optimism, only to find they had little chance of working in their chosen field upon arrival. Moreover, they found few if any appropriate supports to help them transition quickly or easily into the work they were trained to do.
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
Most respondents (54.9%) are recent immigrants who have lived in Canada less than five years. Among them, the greatest share of newcomers have been in Canada less than two years (14.8%), followed closely by those who have been in Canada less than three years (14.4%) or less than one year (13.8%). A total of 45.1% of respondents have lived in Canada five years or longer.
Key populations
Immigrants in Calgary
Gaps identified
Better process for foreign credential recognition; better communication of available settlement programs to newcomers; more accurate information pre-arrival
Community organizations
CLIP