FAQs

Pre-arrival services are a range of services offered to people:

• Who have been chosen for permanent residence in Canada
• Who have not yet immigrated to Canada

Gate West offers remote services to help future arrivals prepare for their new life in Canada.

Our services include:

• Access to information guides and videos to learn more about life in Canada
• Online orientation sessions (webinars) – available soon
• Individual consultations with a settlement officer via email, telephone or secure videoconference

You qualify for our pre-arrival services if:

• You are outside Canada
• You have been informed by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada that you have been chosen for permanent residence in Canada

You do not qualify for our pre-arrival services if:

• You are waiting to be granted permanent residency in Canada
• You have obtained an immigration status different from that of permanent resident (e.g., working visa, working holiday permit, study permit)
• You have permanent residency and are already living in Canada

Once you have received official confirmation from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, you can request access to our pre-arrival services.

If you are a permanent resident of Canada and are already living in Canada, please click on the following link to communicate with a settlement officer: http://www.vivreencb.ca/contact

If you are not sure whether you qualify for our pre-arrival services, please get in touch with us by clicking here.

Our organization can help you in many ways. We offer two types of service.

Our settlement services help orient you and guide you with all aspects of setting up in Canada, including:

• Accommodation
• Enrolling children in school
• Transportation
• Reception at the airport
• Taxes and personal finance
• Administrative procedures
• Integration within the community
• Civil life
• Laws and the justice system
• References for all appropriate resources for your needs

Our employment services are available to support you with the development and continuation of your career in Canada, including:

• Help finding employment
• Proofreading of your resumé
• Networking with employers
• Adapting to the Canadian employment market
• Recognition of your experience
• Professional reorientation

Go to our web platform to chat with, or speak via secure videoconference with, one of our settlement officers or employment specialists.

Yes. This website is a fully secured platform that meets the standards of the government of Canada regarding personal data protection. We ensure the confidentiality of the personal information that you share with us.

The Confirmation of Permanent Residence number is the code made up of 10 characters that is found on the confirmation of permanent residency that was sent to you by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to confirm your status as a permanent resident.

This code begins with the letter T and is followed by 9 numbers

Examples:

If you have questions about the pre-arrival services, or if you are uncertain as to whether you qualify for the pre-arrival services, please email us at info@vivreencb.ca.

If you experience technical difficulties, please click here.

To find out more about our organization, please click here.

Our settlement officers are competent professionals who specially trained to help future and new arrivals in setting up and establishing themselves in Canada, whether they have already immigrated to Canada or are still in their native country.

Our settlement officers help future and newly arrived native French speakers who settle in British Columbia, as well as those in other areas of Western Canada, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

Whether helping you enroll your children at school, take English classes or integrate into Canadian life, our settlement officers provide an essential resource to support you with your immigration and to help you integrate successfully into Canada.

Our settlement officers can:

• Evaluate your needs
• Advise you about all aspects of getting settled in Western Canada
• Refer you to appropriate resources as needed
• Prepare you for your trip
• Show you what you need to know and what you need to do in order to get properly settled in Canada
• Support you in your search for employment
• Put you in touch with employers looking for candidates who are French speaking or bilingual
• Match you up with members of the community
• Guide you

If you qualify for the pre-arrival services, you can communicate with our settlement officers and employment specialists by telephone, email or secure videoconference. To access these remote services, please log on to our website.

Gate West has a database of volunteers with a multitude of different interests and perspectives who are interested in being matched with a new arrival. These volunteers can be French or English, male or female, native-born Canadian citizens or long-time residents. In all cases, the volunteers are chosen with care, and our settlement officers will match you with a volunteer guide who fits with your needs and interests.

Gate West has a database of volunteers with a multitude of different interests and perspectives who are interested in being matched with a new arrival. These volunteers can be French or English, male or female, native-born Canadian citizens or long-time residents. In all cases, the volunteers are chosen with care, and our settlement officers will match you with a volunteer guide who fits with your needs and interests.

No. However, you and your guide can agree on an in-person meeting once you have arrived in Canada. Please keep in mind that your guide is not required to welcome you at the airport, to accommodate you on your arrival or to meet with you in person.