Pre-arrival Services for Filipinos in Alberta: Bridging Gaps in Immigrant Services – Pathways to Prosperity: Canada
Abstract
Pre-arrival services are considered important in the settlement and integration of immigrants and newcomers in Canada. Filipinos comprise one of the largest groups of non-white immigrants and newcomers in Canada since the 1980s. Of all immigrant groups from non-western countries Filipinos are visibly marked as the “other” yet are considered “ideal’ workers in certain occupational categories like health and service industries where they are most concentrated. Filipinos in Alberta invariably accessed pre-arrival services before arriving in Canada (provided either by the Canadian or Philippine governments; provided by church groups, placement or recruitment agencies, immigration lawyers, and family or other social networks). Those Filipinos without any formal support prior to their arrival in Alberta have made use of varied strategies to find information to assist them in their settlement in the province. In general, pre-arrival services defined early success in the settlement and integration of Filipinos in Alberta. These services eventually shaped the choices and decisions they made upon arrival, and were viewed positively, albeit lacking in many ways. All Filipinos in the study are convinced that gender-neutral pre-arrival services provide a better integrative approach for inclusion in Canada, where both males and females are given the same quality of service and information.
Notes
Community organizations
Philippine Overseas and Employment Administration (POEA)
Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO)
Gaps identified
NA
Key recommendations
Developing more gender-neutral pre-arrival services to provide a better integrative approach for inclusion in Canada, where both males and females are given the same quality of service and information
Key findings
Filipinos in Alberta invariably accessed pre-arrival services before arriving in Canada (provided either by the Canadian or Philippine governments; provided by church groups, placement or recruitment agencies, immigration lawyers, and family or other social networks)
Those Filipinos without any formal support prior to their arrival in Alberta have made use of varied strategies to find information to assist them in their settlement in the province.
Services that Filipinos accessed upon arrival were evaluated positively albeit lacking in some ways.
Key populations
Filipino immigrants
Location
Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge, Alberta
Integration timeline
At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?
Resided in Alberta for at least 3 years
Open-access – Yes
http://p2pcanada.ca/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/08/Pre-arrival-Services-for-Filipinos-in-Alberta-Bridging-Gaps-in-Immigrant-Services.pdf