It’s very important to identify the best Canada province for immigration as early as possible. Unless you easily qualify for an ITA under a federal immigration program, you will have to rely on provincial nomination to make your Canada immigration dream come true.

But comparing different provinces and finding the right one for you is easier said than done. The right province for Canada immigration will have lots of jobs, easy PNP eligibility requirements, and extensive settlement support.

Whether a province has many employers and jobs for your NOC code can be found through a combination of professional immigration guidance and use of solutions like the Trend Analysis tool.

Your immigration consultant is the best person to guide you about the eligibility requirements of various provincial nomination programs and how you can qualify for the same without any difficulty.

Finding which Canada province has the best settlement support can be tougher. Whether a province is serious about settling and integrating a large number of skilled immigrants depends on the extent of settlement funding allocated by the IRCC.

Apart from absolute numbers, you also need to consider settlement funding received per immigrant settling in the province. Read ahead for an overview of how settlement funding works and how this data can help you take the right immigration decision when comparing provinces.

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Settlement Funding in Canada

Canada’s federal immigration authority, IRCC, has an annual budget of around $3.6 billion out of which close to half is spent towards immigration settlement and integration services. With Canada setting very aggressive immigration targets, the amount allocated towards settlement and integration is expected to cross $2 billion in the future.

This money is allocated to approved settlement service providers including educational institutions, private businesses, and non-profit organizations that assist new immigrants in settling in the country.

Permanent residents, protected persons i.e. refugees, and those approved for Canada PR qualify for settlement assistance.

What Does Canada Settlement and Integration Assistance Cover?

Immigration settlement services covers various aspects like employment support, English and French language training, career and personal mentorship, and other tasks and activities that will help new immigrants settle and succeed in the country.

Since IRCC allocates the settlement funds to various provinces, you need to focus on how much funds these provinces receive and how effectively the money has been spent.

For 2021-22, IRCC allocated a total of $785 million out of which more than half was allocated to Ontario. The province received $407 million followed by $124 million and $119 million to Alberta and British Columbia respectively.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan received $47 million and $41 million respectively while Nova Scotia and New Brunswick got $17 million and $15 million respectively. Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut received the balance.

How much money a province receives depends on the three-year average proportion of immigrant landings and proportion of refugee settlements in the province. Further, small provinces receive funds for capacity building to expand the scale of services.

This means an immigrant settling in Yukon or New Brunswick may receive better quality settlement assistance despite the absolute amount of settlement funding being very low in comparison to bigger provinces like Ontario, Alberta, and BC.

Further, protected persons require more settlement assistance, which means high absolute allocation does not mean it will directly help skilled immigrants. If the province accepts a large number of refugees, then the funds available for settling skilled immigrants may not be very high.

Next, low settlement funding is not a negative per se. If you have a job offer in Canada, are proficient in English and/or French, and are confident of settling in the country without formal assistance, then even a province receiving low funding can be a smart choice.

If settlement assistance is a relevant factor for you, then focus on programs that have specific requirements related to settlement help for applicants. The Atlantic program specifically requires employers to work with professional agencies to provide settlement assistance to applicants.

The extent of settlement funding received by the province becomes moot because the requirements of the program will override all other factors.

PNPs require applicants to prove intent to settle in the province, which means identifying the right province before you apply can simplify the process of settling and integrating after you move to Canada.

Knowing the extent of settlement assistance available will help you take an informed decision and avoid uncertainty or complications later when your immigration application enters the system.