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Start with an official directory, then verify the particular newcomer organisation, service and eligibility before attending or sharing documents. Ask about language, cost, location and privacy. A community recommendation is a useful lead, but the service itself must confirm whether it can help with your actual need and circumstances.
A directory entry does not remove eligibility checks
IRCC’s Canadian finder explains that free settlement services depend on eligibility, lists applicant categories and notes that its finder does not include Quebec providers. It links to Quebec integration support separately. This illustrates why location and program scope matter; it does not establish access to every service for every newcomer. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada: Find free newcomer services.
Make a referral card for the actual need
Use one card per service, rather than treating an organisation as providing everything. Contact it through details verified against its official site or directory entry. Ask what evidence it needs for eligibility and how it handles the information before sending sensitive records.
| Referral field | Question | Answer to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Do you provide the exact help I need? | Named program and scope |
| Eligibility | Which circumstances or documents matter? | Current criteria or intake advice |
| Access | Language, location, appointment and cost? | Practical booking details |
| Privacy | Why are records requested and how are they shared? | Accepted channel and privacy information |
A referral may need another referral
Illustrative situation: a service offers language classes but cannot provide regulated immigration advice. Keep the useful class referral, and ask the appropriate regulator or government directory how to find authorised legal help separately. Do not treat a familiar support worker as qualified for every specialist question or assume that an organisation’s funding covers every requested service.
Keep a usable short list
Retain only relevant referrals with a checked date and an owner for the next call. If a service cannot help, ask whether it can identify an appropriate official alternative. Do not label the organisation untrustworthy merely because eligibility differs from your expectation. This method organises verification and does not endorse a provider or determine admission.
Keep the next action in your moving planner. For the country-specific authority, use our destination directory.