Do you plan to settle in Ontario after immigration

While you are going through Customs and Immigration, ask the Canadian Immigration officer any questions you may have about your immigration or visa status. If you wait until later, it may be harder to get the answers you need. If you are reading this guide before you arrive, read the article What documents should I bring with me when landing in Canada as a new immigrant?

If you land at Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, the Immigrant Reception and Information Services (IRIS) kiosk has a useful package of information to help you. It will tell you what you need to do first when you arrive in Ontario, and where to find agencies that help new immigrants.

Staff at the airport can tell you the best way to get to where you plan to stay. Airports often have buses, taxis and other ways of taking you to where you need to go. Some cost much more than others depending on where you’re going so check costs with the airport staff or the transportation service before choosing.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NEW CITY
You have a lot to do when you first arrive. You need to spend part of your time learning about your new city. The best way to do this is to act like a tourist! Before you arrive, get tourist information about the city where you are planning to settle. When you arrive, spend a few days looking around the city in a car or on a bus. This will help you in many ways. Exploring your new home will help you:
• see where different stores are
• find the best way to get to places
• learn what activities and places are available to you
It is a great way to relax and recover from your journey before you start all the work of settling into your new home.

FINDING HELP
There are many agencies that can help you start your life in Ontario. They are called Settlement or Immigrant Service Agencies. They help new immigrants to Ontario.

As soon as you arrive in Ontario, find the settlement agency near you. They will help you to settle into your new city. You may be staying in a hotel when you first arrive. Settlement agencies can help you find your first place to live. They can also help you learn about your new community.

You may hear people call these centers ISAP Agencies, multicultural centers, or immigrant-serving agencies. You may or may not have this type of service in the country you come from. In Canada, settlement services are free and always confidential. Here are some of the services:

• Interpretation and translation of documents
• Help with finding a place to stay, English classes, a job, training programs or places to buy food, clothes or furniture at a low cost
• Help with completing forms and paperwork
• Information about other helpful resources in the community
You can search for a settlement agency or service when you arrive in your new community or you can visit the Settlement.Org website’s Find Help Close to Home section.

Newcomer Information Centres (NIC)
If you are in Toronto or Peel Region, you can go first to a Newcomer Information Centre (NIC). NICs will refer you to the community agencies that can help you to settle in the Greater Toronto Area. Look in the phone book for the NIC closest to you.

If you are looking for information about community, social, health or government services, call your local Community Information Centre. They will be able to help you find a free service near where you live. Their service is free and confidential. You do not need to give them any personal information about yourself.