Which services and non-cash supports are included for government-assisted refugees in Canada?
Executive summary
Government‑assisted refugees (GARs) in Canada receive immediate resettlement supports through the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP): a one‑time “start‑up” payment plus monthly income support typically for up to one year, and help with temporary accommodation and finding permanent housing [1] [2]. Federal programs also arrange essential services on arrival — including health coverage under the Interim Federal Health Program and federally funded temporary accommodation while provinces deliver social assistance, education and legal aid for claimants — though responsibility is shared across federal and provincial actors [3] [4] [5].
1. What the government explicitly provides on arrival: core cash and near‑cash supports
The Government of Canada’s Resettlement Assistance Program provides GARs with a one‑time start‑up payment to help set up a home plus monthly income support “typically for up to one year, or until clients can support themselves” with amounts aligned to provincial social assistance rates [1]. IRCC also funds temporary accommodation and assistance to find permanent housing and other essential needs when refugees arrive [3] [1].
2. Health and immediate services: federal coverage for essential care
Newly resettled refugees and certain asylum claimants receive coverage through the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP), which is managed federally to ensure urgent and essential medical needs are met during early settlement [3] [4]. Provinces and territories continue to be key partners in delivering routine health and social services after arrival [4].
3. Housing supports: a layered federal‑provincial response
IRCC directly funds temporary accommodations (including hotel placements in emergency situations) and reimburses or provides upfront funding to provinces and municipalities through the Interim Housing Assistance Program (IHAP) to address interim housing needs for asylum claimants and resettled refugees [5]. The 2024 federal budget added $1.1 billion to IHAP over three years to support more sustainable housing solutions [3] [5].
4. Settlement services beyond cash: practical integration help
RAP and IRCC‑funded service provider organizations deliver settlement services such as orientation, help finding housing, and supports to access employment and other community programs — framed as “essential needs” to ensure GARs can begin integrating [1] [2]. The government also invests in resettlement services to help newly resettled GARs with temporary accommodation and to locate permanent housing [3].
5. Employment pathways and targeted pilots
Separate federal pilots and programs aim to help skilled refugees transition into labour markets — for example, the Employer‑Driven Mobile Pilots (EMPP) federal stream has been extended through December 31, 2025, giving skilled refugees avenues to permanent residence and offering EMPP‑specific settlement assistance, travel cost help and fee coverage [6] [7]. These measures supplement, but do not replace, the baseline RAP income supports [6] [7].
6. Where responsibility shifts to provinces and what that means
While the federal government funds initial income support and some temporary accommodation for GARs, provinces and territories provide ongoing social assistance, education, emergency housing in some cases, and legal aid for claimants — meaning actual service levels can vary by jurisdiction [4] [5]. IRCC’s programs are designed to coordinate with provincial systems, but provincial capacity and policies affect refugees’ lived experience [4] [5].
7. Limits, timelines and common expectations
The federal RAP income supports are described as “typically for up to one year, or until clients can support themselves,” indicating a time‑limited safety net rather than indefinite income replacement (p1_s9; [9] not found in current reporting). Start‑up and monthly payments are calibrated to prevailing provincial social assistance levels, not a separate federal living‑income standard [1].
8. Competing perspectives and political context
Advocacy groups argue Canada should resettle more GARs and increase supports: the Canadian Council for Refugees called for higher GAR targets and criticized reductions in planned resettlement levels, framing current levels as insufficient to meet global displacement needs [8]. The government frames recent funding boosts (e.g., IHAP $1.1B) and program extensions (EMPP) as steps to manage arrivals, ensure health coverage and improve housing responses [3] [6] [5].
9. What available sources do not mention or leave unclear
Available sources do not mention precise monthly dollar amounts of RAP payments by province, detailed eligibility cutoffs for each non‑cash support, or the full list of community‑level settlement services provided by every RAP service provider [1] [2]. They also do not provide a comprehensive catalogue of non‑cash in‑kind supports (e.g., childcare, language training) tied specifically to GARs beyond general settlement assistance descriptions [1].
Bottom line: Canada’s GAR stream combines a federally funded, time‑limited income safety net (start‑up + monthly support), federally arranged initial housing and health coverage, and settlement services delivered by IRCC‑funded organizations — while provinces supply many ongoing social services, producing variation in how supports are experienced on the ground [1] [3] [4] [5].