Newcomer & Student Resources

Tips for Newcomers and Prospective Immigrants to  Canada: 

Citizenship & Immigration Canada – News
Settlement.org – Trades and Regulated Professions

• Some useful sites offering multilingual services for Immigrants to Ontario
  
• Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants
• Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials
• Jobs in Canada
• Step-by-Step Plan for Marketing YourselfSETTLEMENT.ORG – Information available for newcomers to OntarioDocument Translations in the following languages: 
  
  POLYCULTURAL IMMIGRANT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES – Programs for settlement and orientationIMPROVING YOUR LANGUAGE SKILLS – Information in 16 languagesRELOCATECANADA.COM – Extensive multicultural links

  YMCA – Employment Services Information Warehouse – Extensive list of helpful links for the Toronto region

  SOME DIRECT CONNECTIONS TO CULTURAL E X-PATRIATE SITES AND PUBLICATIONS:

  ASIAN: http://asian.ca  Chinese  – Korean  – Filipino  – Vietnamese  – Japanese

  INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: – Pakistani 

  EUROPEAN CONTINENT: – British  – French  – Ukrainian  – Russian

  MIDDLE EASTERN REGION – Arab Community Centre of Toronto  – Jewish Immigrant Aid Society

• Research jobs of interest to you, read job descriptions on job boards and consider both the technical and interpersonal skills that are deemed necessary for successful job performance. National Occupation Classification Descriptions or search: Labour Market Information
• Salary Averages for many types of positions can be found here: livingin-incanada.com
• Overseas working experience is often not considered to be equivalent to Canadian experience by hiring managers.
• Hiring managers will consider the learning curve required to absorb North American procedures, processes, business etiquette, terminology and ways of doing business.
• Recruitment firms in Canada are limited by what their clients will accept, local experience is often the hiring manager’s first choice. All recruitment firms in Canada are employer-driven which means that they are paid a fee by employers to find qualified people for open positions.
• Email and telephone exchanges are considered appropriate methods of establishing an appropriate interest level before a decision is made to invest time in a personal meeting.
• Have a long-term resident or Canadian-born person read and review your resume and cover letter so that it communicates effectively what you want to convey in North American terms.
• Remember that the interviewer is focusing on what you can do now for the company; put yourself in the interviewer’s place and think about what questions are likely to be asked of you.
• Have your English comprehension and fluency level assessed by recognized authorities and focus on the improvements required to communicate effectively in the business marketplace. Ontario Employment Standards: Ontario Ministry of Labour regulations governing Hours of Work, Vacation time/pay, Public Holidays, Minimum Wage, Overtime, Pregnancy and Parental Leave, Termination & Layoff, Severance Pay, Pay Administration, Benefits Plans, Complaints HandlingMapquest – Site for obtaining driving and distance directions in the GTA and elsewhere in Canada  SkillsforChange is a non-profit organization providing learning and training opportunities to immigrantshttp://211toronto.ca/index.jsp: An excellent site with extensive resources and links, including detailed information about Employment, Education and Training Serviceshttp://www.settlement.org : An excellent site for newcomers providing information about Employment, Social and Community programs available, including an Ontario government forms downloading service

  http://www.costi.org: Provides educational, social and employment services to help all newcomers in the greater Toronto area

  http://relocatecanada.com/mississauga/cultural.html: Cultural Associations links for newcomers from around the world – categorized by country of origin

• Relocate.ca – Online Guide for people Relocating or Moving in Canada