Immigrant Settlement Services

Education, Employment, Family / Parenting, Financial, Immigrant and Refugee Services, Legal, Multicultural Services, and Youth Services

Provided by Archway Community Services

Provides settlement services to new immigrants, refugees, refugee claimants, and permanent residents
Abbotsford Community Services offers the following programs to allow newcomers to Canada a successful transition:

Access2English: Provides free support for adult learners through volunteer tutors and formal classes taught by professional instructors. Students can receive assistance with learning English, including reading, writing and speaking. Instruction is available from beginner to advanced levels. Instruction is also available in computer, math, and literacy skills.
Community Connections: Offers several components to support newcomers to Canada as they progress along their settlement processes within their new community. We offer educational classes, relationship building, social activities, and community events to help newcomers build connections in their community.
Career Paths For Skilled Immigrants: This program assists immigrants gain experience, find employment, or improve employment within their field, with an individual approach that is tailored to meet individual needs. Who is Eligible:
  • Permanent Resident within the last 10 years
  • Intermediate English proficiency
  • Have 1 year of skilled work experience prior to coming to Canada for Stream 1 and 2 occupations or 2 years of skilled work experience for Stream 3 occupations.
  • OR 1 year of pre-arrival work experience for Stream 3 occupations if you are 30 years old or younger.
  • Unemployed OR underemployed in a job that does not use the training or experience you obtained prior to coming to Canada

Diversity Education & Resource Services (DEARS): Provides workshops and training, through an extensive resource lending library, providing assistance and consulting in policy development & organizational change.
Ongoing workshops are facilitated for businesses community organizations, school classes, youth & adult programs. Topics include these and more:
  • Racism
  • Anti-racism response training
  • Stereotypes & biases
  • Diversity awareness
  • Anti-homophobia & challenging heterosexism
  • Responding to discrimination
  • Diversity in media, marketing, and communication
  • Hiring for diversity
Employment Mentors: Offers one-on-one employment coaching, training for job seekers, and professional mentorship, to explore opportunities for accessing the Canadian labour market. From providing employment readiness sessions, networking events and topical workshops the Employment Mentors program assists immigrants in gaining valuable knowledge and an understanding of Canadian workplace culture and employment pathways in Canada.

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC): Students in the LINC program will improve their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills in English. They will learn about Canada, becoming a citizen, politics, history, and geography. Students learn about working and living in Canada, rights and freedoms, housing, employment, and education. Classes run year-round with continuous intake. Part-time morning and evening classes are available.

Qualifications: Must be 17 years old or older and have Permanent Resident status in Canada.

Immigrant Settlement: Provides settlement and adaptation process for immigrants and refugees by providing: information, orientation, assessment, supported referrals, education workshops, and short-term adaptation counseling.

Immigrant Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS): Provides coaching, case management, and group workshops for youth, aged 15-30 who are new to Canada, as they explore their employment and education options. Youth get support from employment specialists with finding their first job in Canada, resume writing, job search help, interview preparation, building experience, upgrading skills, and deciding on and applying to career education programs.

Legal Advocacy for Agricultural Workers: Provides assistance to farm workers in Punjabi, Spanish, English, Hindi, Mandarin, and Vietnamese. We provide full representation on a variety of issues including employment standards/unpaid wages, residential Tenancy, employment Insurance, regular and sickness benefits, Canada Pension Plan Disability, Work Safe BC, social assistance, Canada Pension Plan, old age security pension, and human rights.

Moving Ahead Program(MAP) Provides one-to-one support for immigrants or refugees who are facing multiple barriers to successful settlement into Canada.

Parenting Life Skills for Immigrants: The life skills and education courses aim to enable clients to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of adaption and integration. The purpose is to provide clients with knowledge and skills necessary for successful living in a new environment.

Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS): Provides settlement support to newcomer families and their children as they adjust to their new surroundings, including the local school system. Staff inform students and their families about schooling and community services in Abbotsford and British Columbia, and provide referrals to services and resources, while supporting families in the integration process.

Immigrant Youth Services (SWIS): Offers a variety of programs to help newcomer youth integrate into life in Canada.
  • Culture Club runs weekly in seven middle and high schools during lunch hour, giving youth an opportunity to engage in some intercultural activities and connect with their classmates. Homework help may also be available at this time.
  • After-school programs run Monday – Thursday, offering homework support, life skills lessons, leadership training, and recreation opportunities. Spaces are limited to encourage social distancing and registration is required. Please contact us if you would like to attend.
  • One-to-One Support from a youth worker is available for vulnerable youth to help them get their schooling back on track, find employment, housing, medical care, mental health supports, or whatever else they need to achieve their goals. Transportation may be available for Permanent Residents if needed.

604-859-7681(Abbotsford Community Services)

Public email: Hello@Archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/programs/#newcomers

2420 Montrose Avenue, Abbotsford, British Columbia, V2S 3S9

604-768-6277 (Access2English)

Public email: A2E@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program...

778-345-6415 (Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants)

Public email: CareerPaths@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/career...

604-217-2299 (Community Connections)

Public email: connections@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/community...

604-859-7681 (Diversity Education) ext. 270

Public email: Diversity@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/diversity...

604-557-8132 (Employment Mentors)

Public email: EmploymentMentors@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/employment...

604-859-7681 (English Classes) ext. 216

Public email: LINC@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/language...

604-859-7681 (Immigrant Settlement)

Public email: Settlement@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/immigrant...

604-859-7544 (Immigrant Youth & Young Adults)

Public email: immigrantyouth@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/immigrant...

604-743-0401 or 236-380-0937 (Legal Advocacy for Agricultural Workers)

Public email: LegalAdvocacy@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/community...

604-308-1857 (Moving Ahead Program (MAP)

Public email: MAP@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/moving-ahead

604-866-5233 (Parenting Life Skills for Immigrants)

Public email: Rupinder.Padam@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/parenting...

604-859-7681(Settlement Workers in Schools (SWIS))

Public email: Settlement@archway.ca

Website: https://archway.ca/program/settlement...

Service is available in Albanian, American Sign Language, Arabic, Bosnian, Cantonese, Croatian, English, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Pashto, Punjabi, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Swahili, Taiwanese, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

Cost: Fees may apply

Referral options:

  • Self-referral
Associated Programs/Services

Also offered by Archway Community Services:

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Availability

Service area: Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, Mission + show cities

Service area cities: Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Hope, and Mission

Service Types Provided
Education
Employment
Family / Parenting
Financial
Immigrant and Refugee Services
Legal
Multicultural Services
Youth Services
Ways to Access
  • Provided 1:1 in-person
  • Provided at home
  • Provided at multiple locations
  • Provided in a group in-person

The listing of this service in Pathways is not a recommendation or endorsement by Pathways.

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