Citizenship & Newcomers

Settlement Services from CBAL (Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy) – Goal is to help newcomers to Canada settle successfully. Find out about ESL and literacy services, programs and resources available for newcomers. Free programs for families, children, youth, adults and seniors. Nelson Contact : Melissa Woodward (nelsonsettlement@cbal.org / 250-505-6047).

Immigrant Services Society of BC – provides free immigrant services including settlement support, employment programs, English classes, and more.
NewToBC – Find out services, programs and resources available to newcomers at www.newtobc.ca, a website offered by BC Libraries to help you succeed in your new community.
Skilled Immigrant InfoCentre – a virtual resource centre that connects skilled immigrants, community service providers and BC public libraries. Assistance is provided to skilled immigrants who qualified in a trade or profession in their home country and would like to find the same type of work in BC.
WelcomeBC will help you find a career path in the province, and learn the steps you can take to find a job that matches your skills, training and experience.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada – Government of Canada site which explains the requirements for becoming a Canadian citizen and how to apply. Also provides information on the status of individual applications, and how long the process may take.
Discover Canada – This is a web version of the study booklet for Canadian citizenship. The booklet can also be downloaded in pdf form.
Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) – Immigrants wanting to settle and stay in rural and northern communities. Castlegar and Trail are being considered for this pilot starting in mid-2021.