Settlement and Integration

The Settlement and Integration Program assists immigrants and refugees through the provision of multilingual and multicultural services in order to facilitate their successful adaptation and integration processes in Canada.

Our settlement staff works with a broad range of community service providers and partners to enhance collective community settlement and integration capacities and to sensitize the mainstream services providers to be more responsive to the needs of newcomers in Ottawa.

Our experienced staff will accompany you through your journey as a newcomer to Ottawa by:

Assessing your needs and building a settlement plan with you.
Helping you find information and orientation on education, employment, social services, financial literacy, housing, health system, legal system and more.
Referring you to available OCISO services and/or specific services in the community based on your needs.
Providing you with information and orientation on immigration, citizenship and sponsorship procedures, including Group of Five sponsorship.
Supporting you and your family in your overall well-being and advocating for your rights.
Inviting you to social opportunities as individuals, families and seniors.

Additional services offered in house by our partners:

Program for seniors, recreation, social, computer classes, English conversation (Jewish Family Services)
Assistance on Housing (Housing Help)
Employment orientation and Job Search Workshops (World Skills)
Free legal consultations on immigration, family law and other areas (Connecting Ottawa, immigration and family law lawyers)

Additional locations where settlement services are provided by appointment:

OCISO South End (LINC)
📍 1800 Bank St. 3rd Floor
🙋 [email protected] | 613-249-0376

Newcomer Information Centre (YMCA-YWCA)
📍 150 Isabella Street, Suite 201
🙋 [email protected] | 613- 725-5671, ext. 313

For more information or to book an appointment:

Lili-Anne Kondo
613 725-5671, ext. 316
[email protected]

Income Tax Clinic for newcomer families

OCISO supports low-income newcomers to understand, prepare and file their income taxes each year through our volunteer income tax program. Our volunteers are trained financial professionals with expertise in filing income tax forms. Clinics run weekly during March and April. To be eligible for this program you should be a resident of Ontario. This service is not available to small business owners and self-employed individuals.

To book an appointment, please call Lili-Anne Kondo, Settlement Counselor- Intake at 613-725-5671 ext. 316 or via email [email protected]