Frequently Asked Questions

Contact JIAS to meet with a settlement worker and learn more about our programs. JIAS helps all newcomers from around the world regardless of faith or country of origin. Click here to get started.

Newcomers can apply for Canadian citizenship once they have met the eligibility criteria. JIAS settlement workers provide clients with information and assistance regarding eligibility and the application process. For more information, click here.

Through the spousal sponsorship program, Canadians can sponsor their non-Canadian spouse or common law partner. JIAS can offer information about the process and help your spouse integrate into Canadian society. For more information, click here.

JIAS helps newcomers build their professional networks in Canada. We offer workshops and provide mentorship and networking opportunities for our clients in their fields of work. To learn more about our mentorship and networking programs, click here.

Any new resident with a driver’s licence from another province or country must apply for an Ontario driver’s licence within 60 days. Click here for more details.

JIAS offers English classes to meet everyone’s individual needs: part-time, full-time, and evenings. We offer classes in CLB levels 1-4 under the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Program. Clients must go through a recognized language assessment centre and be assessed before they can register. For the Toronto Language Assessment Centre, click here. For the York Region language assessment centre, click here.

JIAS is a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the Government of Canada. Families can be sponsored by JIAS through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program. To find out more about this process, click here.

JIAS is a Sponsorship Agreement Holder with the Government of Canada. Each year, JIAS sponsors a number of families through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) Program. In order to sponsor a family, there are certain economic and settlement supports that must first be in place. If you are interested in sponsoring a refugee family through JIAS, click here.

There are several programs available for immigration to Canada. Each program has its own eligibility criteria.

If you have been accepted as an international student to a Canadian school, it is best to apply for a student visa before you travel to Canada.

Foreign national: Someone in Canada on temporary status. This can include an individual in Canada as a visitor/tourist, a work permit, or a study permit. This status is temporary and typically has a strict expiry date. The individual is expected to return to their country of origin at the end of their stay. Permanent Resident: Permanent residence is one step closer to becoming a Canadian citizen. It gives the individual the right to reside in and work in Canada permanently. There are residency obligations for permanent residents (they must be physically present in Canada for 730 days for every five years), and can lose permanent residence for not abiding by residency obligations. A person may also lose their permanent residence for other reasons, including criminality. A permanent resident is given a PR card that allows them to enter Canada, but they typically also travel with the passport of their country of origin. Canadian citizen: One can become a Canadian citizen either by virtue of their birth in Canada, being born to Canadian parents, or after having permanent residence for a requisite period of time (depending on a person’s circumstances). Becoming a Canadian citizen involves completing a citizenship exam and taking an oath to His Majesty the King. Citizens are eligible for a Canadian passport. It is incredibly difficult for one to lose Canadian citizenship.

There are several ways for refugees to enter Canada: Government sponsorship: Individuals who have received refugee status through the UNHCR may be re-settled in Canada through a government sponsorship program. Private sponsorship: Individuals or families may be privately sponsored to come to Canada by certain institutions who are IRCC approved Sponsorship Agreement Holders. JIAS is a sponsorship agreement holder. Learn more about private sponsorship with JIAS here: Refugee claim: If an individual is able to make it to the Canadian border or enter Canada, they may make a claim for asylum at the border seeking status as a refugee or protected person. They can also make the asylum claim inland once they are admitted for another temporary purpose. This refugee claim will require a hearing conducted through the Refugee Protection Division (RPD). Click here to find out more.

Canadian citizen can sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner (under certain circumstances), children (under the age of 22), parents, and grandparents from overseas. Unfortunately, people cannot sponsor siblings or other family members.

JIAS is fundraising to help newcomers to Canada succeed as they settle in the country and work towards economic inclusion and self-reliance. The services we provide include language classes, 1:1 case management, programs to give newcomers information about life in Canada, mental health and wellbeing programs, emergency supports, and more.

In addition to donating, you can choose to support JIAS by setting up your own fundraising page, volunteering with us or sharing the the campaign information with your network through email and social media. Check out our Ways to Give.

Through our online donation platform, we accept credit cards payments, PayPal and Google Pay. If you prefer making your donation via cheque or securities, please reach out to us: giving@jiastoronto.org

We acknowledge donors in our annual reports. In addition, we are in the process of launching a donor acknowledgment and recognition program. If you have a specific acknowledgment in mind, please reach out to us: giving@jiastoronto.org. A donor can also choose to remain anonymous if you prefer not to be acknowledged publicly in our annual report.

JIAS does not have storage for in-kind donations, but we work with community partners to support clients’ material needs. For furniture, we refer clients to the JRCC Furniture Depot, which provides free furniture to vulnerable populations in York Region. For other in-kind goods, JIAS settlement staff connect clients with relevant organizations and services. We primarily seek financial and volunteer support to address settlement challenges.

Newcomers are all people who are new to Canada, regardless of whether they have temporary or permanent status in the country. We often use this term because many immigrants begin their journey by coming on a work or study visa, which does not technically make them immigrants. An immigrant is a person who comes to live permanently in a country and whose legal status reflects that permanency.

Refugees are immigrants who are accepted to Canada as part of Canada’s commitment to humanitarian initiatives. They are approved to come to Canada after being assessed to ensure that they meet the criteria. Refugees are permanent residents, with all the same rights and responsibilities as economic or family sponsored immigrants.

No, JIAS was founded by the Jewish community over 100 years ago to support Jewish refugees coming to Canada, and welcoming Jewish immigrants will always remain core to the JIAS mission. At the same time, JIAS is an IRCC funded and inclusive settlement agency that serves newcomers from around the world, regardless of faith, ethnicity, country of origin, gender or sexual identity.

No, JIAS helps all immigrants to Canada including refugees. Whether a newcomer was sponsored by their spouse, came to Canada through an economic immigration stream, or is a sponsored refugee; JIAS provides fulsome services to support their settlement journey.

JIAS clients are immigrants and refugees, typically arrived with the last 5 years, and do not hold Canadian Citizenship. You don’t have to be Jewish to become a JIAS client as we support newcomers from around the world regardless of faith or country of origin. To become a JIAS client please begin by filling out our inquiry form here.

Canada’s 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan sets a target of 380,000 new permanent residents for 2026, marking a decrease from previous years. The plan prioritizes economic immigration and francophone immigration. The government has also initiated cuts to temporary programs including foreign workers and international students.

Sponsored families receive assistance with:

• Housing
• Financial support
• Healthcare access
• Language training
• Education and employment services
• Community integration

Visit these resources: our Private Sponsorship of Refugees Information page; the RSTP website to learn more about sponsorship requirements and eligibility to be a sponsor, as well as the settlement requirements as prescribed by IRCC.