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Canadian Newcomer Series: Guides to Immigration

Every year 750,000 people who are looking for a better life apply to immigrate to Canada. On a points-based system that awards a score according to level of education, employment experience, and language ability, 250,000 people are accepted. They pack up all of their belongings and arrive in Canada with the idea that the education and skills that got them here are the same ones that will help them secure employment, only to be frustrated by the complexity of the Canadian system.

Achieving successful settlement in Canada is not easy, as 49 percent of children in recent immigrant families are living below the poverty line. The unemployment rate for newcomers is more than double that of individuals born in Canada. In their first year in the country over 60 per cent of newcomers are forced to take “survival jobs” outside of their field in order to make ends meet. Most newcomers put their lives on hold for an average of five years or longer as they navigate various settlement challenges, from housing, to job search to cross-cultural communication.

For over 15 percent of immigrants the struggle proves too difficult and they leave Canada to return home within that first year. With a wait list of over 800,000 would-be immigrants, relevant immigration information needs to be accessible.

The Canadian Newcomer Series includes several books to help smooth the transition period for immigrants to Canada. The Canadian Newcomer Series, published by Oxford University Press in Canada includes Arrival Survival (ISBN 9780195428919)How to Find a Job in Canada (ISBN 9780195427950) and a soon-to-be-published title called You’re Hired...Now What? As so much newcomer information is regional, each of the books feature Creating Your Canadian Experience sections, which allow readers to personalize their research. Real immigrant stories are included- some form notable Canadians like the Rt.Hon. Adrienne Clarkson- Canada’s 26th Governor General. The books also have glossaries with definitions taken from the Oxford ESL dictionary.