Settlement outcomes highlights report: Summary findings from IRCC’s first settlement outcomes report 2021

Authours:  IRCC

Location: National

Summary

The Settlement Outcomes Highlights Report is the first of its kind, providing high-level research and findings on the settlement outcomes of newcomers to Canada. The Highlights Report provides a summary, including key findings, from a larger and more detailed Settlement Outcomes Report, which will be made available at a later date. Both of these documents will serve as baseline documents on newcomer settlement outcomes against which comparisons can be made in future years. The Highlights Report is a compilation of existing data and research that provides evidence on newcomer settlement outcomes that support integration within Canada, for both clients of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s Settlement Program and non-clients.

How does this research apply to my work?

By better understanding settlement outcomes, we can review the settlement and integration programming provided by IRCC’s Settlement Program to ensure that it is as effective and efficient as possible, and that it meets the needs of newcomers and the communities in which they settle. As a country, we can also examine the systemic barriers and factors that affect newcomer outcomes, and work to address those economic and social gaps that many newcomers experience as women, as racialized people, as people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or two-spirited (LGBTQ2).

What should I take away from this research?

This article highlights key themes on settlement outcomes, including:

• The “starting line” is different for each newcomer
• Specificity in programming may improve outcomes
• The people using the services are the people who need
• The first years are crucial
• Timing is important
• Support services are central to address barriers to success
• Gender is a significant factor

What’s the next step?

The work done to produce the Settlement Outcomes Report has identified a number of gaps and barriers to newcomer outcomes that require further investigation. There is an opportunity to dive deeper into the data to answer some critical questions: How are Francophone newcomers doing in particular? Just how much do gender and race impact newcomer outcomes? What are the differences in outcomes between those who settle in cities and those who settle in smaller centres, and what makes their outcomes different? Do newcomers who transition from temporary to permanent resident status do better than other newcomers? What services do they use after they become permanent residents?

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