The Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society is opening its doors to a previously under-served segment of the immigrant community.
At the beginning of the month, the local agency received funding to provide services to temporary foreign workers, refugee claimants and live-in caregivers.
"We were very concerned about 35 to 40 per cent of our clients who were not eligible for our services under the funding of [Citizenship and Immigration Canada]," said IMSS executive director Baljit Sethi.
The province forked over more than $130,000 to IMSS for settlement services and English language classes for those previously ineligible.
Despite not having the necessary funds to cover them, IMSS has a policy of not turning away people who come to them looking for help, Sethi said.
"That was a huge impact on our services," she said. "And if you are conscious about the people in need and you have been providing services in the community for so long you feel like you are not doing your job."
For more than a decade, Sethi said she was asking for support, especially for temporary foreign workers, but the provincial government turned them down because it was a federally funded program with strict rules.
"But we said that Alberta is providing services to temporary foreign workers," she said. "What is the difference? Why can't we do it in B.C.?"
"So now that the province has given us money so we can provide services to temporary foreign workers, refugee claimants, the caregivers and also other people who were a vulnerable population but are Canadian citizens," said Sethi. "This means that our services have increased."
The ability to offer direction to all newcomers - including temporary foreign workers - regardless of their status is important, said Sethi.
"[Newcomers] might not know the culture, right and responsibilities, legal system of Canadian society," she said, which could be harmful. "You could make mistakes and make a bad name for yourself and your country, too."
