Resources library

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SETTLE IN CANADA

LEARN A SKILL

FIND A JOB

GET INVOLVED

GVLIP

Settle in Canada

New to Canada

Legal Aid BC
Free for people with low income — legal information, advice and representation including immigration and domestic violence.
1-866-577-2525
https://legalaid.bc.ca

VICCIR — Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees
Mental health counselling for immigrants and refugees. Multilingual.
850 Blanshard St #100, Victoria BC V8W 2H2
778-404-1777
https://www.viccir.org/what-we-do

SNIWWOC — Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Colour
Free therapy for low-income BIPOC women; healthcare navigation. Multilingual.
250-277-2545
https://www.sniwwoc.ca/bipoc-therapists

Healthcare Resources

Health Connect Registry — family doctor waitlist
Provincial waitlist to be matched with a family doctor or nurse practitioner.

Health Connect Registry poster (PDF)

Urgent and Primary Care Centres poster (PDF)

Healthcare Navigation poster — Arabic

Healthcare Navigation poster — Persian

Healthcare Navigation poster — Spanish

Healthcare Navigation poster — Ukrainian

Provincial Language Services (PHSA) — interpreting for health care

National Newcomer Navigation Network (N4)

SNIWWOC free dental hygiene clinic

Interim Federal Health Program (for refugee claimants and providers)

Interim Federal Health Program
Health coverage for refugee claimants, resettled refugees, and other eligible groups.

Gender-based violence

Crisis and Victim Services, Vancouver Island
24-hour line. Emotional support after sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse; hospital and police accompaniment; translation. All ages, all genders. Free.
1-888-494-3888

Victoria Sexual Assault Centre — emergency support
24/7 for anyone assaulted in the last 7 days. Ages 13+, all genders.
1-888-494-3888

Victoria Sexual Assault Centre — counselling
Crisis and trauma counselling; groups for women, trans, two-spirit and gender non-conforming people.
250-385-3232

VictimLink BC
150 languages.
1-800-563-0808
VictimLinkBC@bc211.ca

Victoria Women's Transition House Society — shelter
Safe accommodation up to 30 days for women (cis and trans), non-binary and two-spirit people, with or without children. English; translation support available.
250-385-6611

Cridge Transition House for Women — emergency shelter
Emergency shelter for women and children fleeing abuse; safety planning, long-term housing, childcare. 24/7.
250-479-3963

Pacific Centre Family Services
250-478-8357

Victoria Women's Transition House — counselling
Individual and group counselling for women experiencing intimate partner violence.
250-385-6611

Victoria Women's Transition House — short-term counselling
250-592-2927

Court Support Program — Greater Victoria Police Regional Domestic Violence Unit
Court orientation, Crown Counsel accompaniment, witness prep, victim impact statements, victim safety registration. Multilingual. Business hours.
250-995-7351

IRCC — fees and permits for victims of family violence

Safe Houses, Supportive Communities (PDF, GVLIP 2023)
Research on immigrant women seeking support as survivors of domestic violence in the Capital Region.

Peace Program Toolkit: for children and youth experiencing violence (PDF, BC Society of Transition Houses)

Women and Gender Equality Canada

Food & Grocery Aid

Mustard Seed Street Church and Food Bank
625 Queens Ave, Victoria V8T 1L9
250-953-1575

Sooke Food Bank
2037 Shields Rd, Sooke V0S 1N0
250-642-7666

Goldstream Food Bank
761 Station Ave, Langford V9B 6K8
250-474-4443

Food Security Program — Oaklands Community Association

Housing

Renting It Right — free online course for renters

Ready to Rent housing webinar

Greater Victoria Housing Society

Threshold Housing Society
Youth housing

RentBC (formerly LandlordBC)

The honest truth about renting to refugees — video series
Seven host and landlord testimonies.

LGBTQIA2S+ services and resources

Marigold Counselling
Partner providing free sessions to Q+ Crew members.

2SLGBTQ+ Resource Directory 2025 (PDF)

Youth and family programs

Free annual youth bus pass — City of Victoria U-PASS

Refugees and private sponsorship — for newcomers

Private Sponsorship of Refugees FAQ sheets
Available in English, Arabic, Amharic, Somali, Dari, Tigrinya and Oromo.

The Rights of Privately Sponsored Refugees
Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP)

Refugee myths and facts
Canadian Council for Refugees

Refugee Travel Document — how to apply
Government of Canada

What kinds of fraud should newcomers watch out for?
Government of Canada

Internet safety for newcomers (WebSafe)
NorQuest College

B.C. Newcomers' Guide
WelcomeBC

Learn a skill

English classes — LINC (free, for permanent residents and refugees)

LINC introduction video

English classes — affordable, no immigration status required

English for Life in Canada
Beginner, CLB 1–3. Age 16+. Essential English for everyday situations.

2026 class schedule — detailed (PDF)

2026 class schedule — semi-detailed (PDF)

Canadian Language Benchmarks online self-assessment (free)

CLB-OSA homepage

Inventory of Alternative Language Training Resources across Vancouver Island (PDF)

Equity and anti-racism training

Equity Homework Guide 2025 (PDF)
Organizational self-assessment.

Racist Incident Helpline
Mon–Fri 9am–5pm PT, 240+ languages.
1-833-457-5463

Trauma-informed teaching for newcomer students

Students with Refugee Experience: A Guide for Teachers and Schools (PDF)
Province of BC

Supporting Ukrainian Newcomer Students (PDF)
Alberta Teachers' Association

Healing Families, Helping Systems: A Trauma-Informed Practice Guide (PDF)
Province of BC

Compassionate Learning Communities: Supporting Trauma-Informed Practice
myTrainingBC

Trauma-informed practice resources
Government of Alberta

Peace Program Toolkit (PDF)
BC Society of Transition Houses

Mental health and substance use

Live Another Day

Detox Local

AAPI addiction and mental health resources
Detox Local

A Guide for Addressing the Loneliness Epidemic
The Summit Wellness Group

The Summit Wellness Group

Arts programs

University of Victoria Theatre Department

Raino Dance

United Way Southern Vancouver Island

Staging Equality Project, UVic

Find a Job

Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants (CPSI)

CPSI eligibility
Permanent Resident for no more than 6 years. Stream 1 and 2: minimum 1 year pre-arrival experience. Stream 3: minimum 2 years (1 year for youth aged 19–30). Intermediate to advanced English required.

CPSI — Engineering poster (PDF)

CPSI — Information Technology poster (PDF)

CPSI — Business Administration poster (PDF)

CPSI — Stream 2, Regulated Occupations poster (PDF)

CPSI — Stream 3, Unregulated Occupations poster (PDF)

Alternative Careers
Vancouver Public Library

Mentorship

MentorConnect programme video

Immigrant Employment Council of BC

Mentor application form

Mentee application form

Migrant Workers Program

Temporary Foreign Worker rights poster — English (PDF)

Temporary Foreign Worker rights poster — Spanish (PDF)

Temporary Foreign Worker rights poster — Hindi (PDF)

Temporary Foreign Worker rights poster — Persian (PDF)

Temporary Foreign Worker rights poster — Filipino (PDF)

Resources for employers

Employer Playbook: Strategies for Immigrant Inclusion in Canadian Workplaces
World Education Services

Employment Equity Toolkit
BC Office of the Human Rights Commissioner

IEC-BC
Finding, hiring and retaining immigrant talent.

IEC-BC Employer Tools and Resources

Get in the Know

DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society

Who is Succeeding in the Canadian Labour Market?
World Education Services

Report on Resources and Opportunities for Labour Market Sectors on Vancouver Island (PDF)

Diversity Works! Immigration and Employment in the Capital Region — Summit Report (PDF)
GVLIP, 2022

Get Involved

Sponsorship training

1. Forming a Sponsorship Group

2. ICA as Sponsorship Agreement Holder and Sponsors as Constituent Group

3. Responsibilities of Constituent Groups

4. Documents and Forms

5. Waiting After Submission of Application — Keeping the Group Motivated

6. Processing at IRCC Mission Overseas

7. Visa Approval and Preparing for Arrival

8. Day of Arrival

9. First Two Weeks After Arrival

10. Ongoing Support Over the One-Year Sponsorship Period

11. Preparing for Month 13

12. The Sponsorship is Over, Now What?

Managing Expectations — A Resource Kit (PDF)
Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP)

Interview with a sponsored person

Royal Roads Moodle — sponsorship course

Dr. Tim Black — trauma and mental health module

Guide to the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program — secondary migration
IRCC

Sponsor a refugee — how to start

Private Sponsor Inquiry form

Private Sponsorship of Refugees Capacity Training presentation (PDF)

Accountability documents

Welcoming Futures: ICA's Strategic Vision (PDF, 2025)

Impact Update 2024/25 (PDF)

Impact Report 2023/24 (PDF)

Impact Report 2022/23 (PDF)

ICA Certified Bylaws (PDF)

Responding to racism and hate

Community Response Protocol Against Racism and Hate — English (PDF)

Community Response Protocol — 中文 (Chinese) (PDF)

Community Response Protocol — ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi) (PDF)

Community Response Protocol — عربي (Arabic) (PDF)

Anti-Hate Poster Translations (2022)

English
If you experience hate [PDF]
If you witness hate [PDF]
If you experience discrimination [PDF]
If you witness discrimination [PDF]

簡體中文 / Simplified Chinese
If you experience hate [PDF]
If you witness hate [PDF]
If you experience discrimination [PDF]
If you witness discrimination [PDF]

ਪੰਜਾਬੀ / Punjabi
If you experience hate [PDF]
If you witness hate [PDF]
If you experience discrimination [PDF]
If you witness discrimination [PDF]

عربي / Arabic
If you experience hate [PDF]
If you witness hate [PDF]
If you experience discrimination [PDF]
If you witness discrimination [PDF]

Indigenous history, culture and Truth and Reconciliation

First Peoples: A Guide for Newcomers (PDF)

Key Moments in Indigenous History — timeline (PDF)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action (PDF)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission Summary Report
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Indigenous Ally Toolkit (PDF)

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (PDF)

21 Things You May Not Have Known About the Indian Act
Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.

Métis
The Canadian Encyclopedia

The Road Forward
National Film Board of Canada

Indigenous Perspectives

Indigenous Perspectives Society

Seeing Through Watchers' Eyes — Between the Worlds
kQwa'st'not (Charlene George), T'Sou-ke. Interactive learning tool built around the 32-foot mural Through Watchers' Eyes.