FAQs

What organizations are represented on the ISCC?
The ISCC has over 20 member organizations including agencies, funders, public bodies and ethno cultural groups. Please refer to membership list.

What is the ISCC trying to do for the immigrant sector?
Immigration is necessary for a vibrant, thriving and diverse community. We strive to be the collective voice to address the needs and concerns of immigrants settling and integrating in Calgary. Our mission is to facilitate timely and equitable integration and settlement of all immigrants in Calgary.

We support and build upon the many programs and services offered by those immigrant- serving agencies, public sector groups, government representatives, funding organizations and multicultural associations that are represented on the Council. The members of the ISCC support and welcome immigrants through a wide range of services and programs including those that address language needs/training, employment training, settlement services, housing, youth services, and justice/legal and health services.

What are the key challenges for immigrants in Calgary?
We believe that many of the challenges facing newcomers to our city are not unlike those already living in Calgary. Like many other Calgarians, immigrants need housing, good educational opportunities for their families, meaningful work in line with their backgrounds and skill sets, accessible health care and opportunities to be involved in the community and to actively participate in decisions made about issues that impact their lives.

Additionally, many immigrants face specific challenges around language needs, recognition of their foreign credentials and a lack of understanding about the Canadian health, political and justice systems. Many immigrants also face discrimination and injustices based upon their ethnic backgrounds or lack of language skills and some are struggling with poverty.

What are some misconceptions about immigrants?
Immigrants contribute to the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of Calgary. Misconceptions about immigrants do exist including perceptions that immigrants:

Don’t contribute positively to the economy and are a drain on resources
Are not as educated as Canadian-born individuals

Additionally, questions are raised about the value of diversity to a community.

The ISCC aims to address these misconceptions with facts and examples including:

Immigrants help support public services. They are net contributors to public services – paying in more than they take out – lowering the costs of maintaining these services for everyone. A shrinking tax base has implications for public funding models particularly for health care and education. On average, immigrants subsidize the consumption of public services by those born in Canada. Building the New West (2004 Canada West Foundation)
Immigration enhances business innovation. Creative and culturally diverse cities are said to be a factor in driving a vibrant economy Building the New West (2004 Canada West Foundation). There is also a positive correlation between the number of immigrants and cultural diversity.
Of the immigrants who moved to Alberta in 2004, 48 per cent held a university degree, five per cent held a trade certification and 11 per cent held a non- university diploma. AB Government’s Report (Supporting Immigrants and Immigration to Alberta).
The vast majority (87%) of the “skilled worker principal applicants” group, aged 25-44, have a university degree compared with 25 per cent of all Canadians in that age group (Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada—Progress and Challenges of New Immigrants in the Workforce – StatsCan 2003).
Immigrants create jobs. Independent-class immigrants contributed to over 200 full- and part-time jobs in Alberta in 2002. In addition, there is an economic benefit just by expanding the available market for goods and services. Immigrants expand trade markets. Their country-specific knowledge of language, home markets, and business contacts contribute to an estimated one per cent increase in exports for every 10 per cent increase in immigration. AB Government’s Report (Supporting Immigrants and Immigration to Alberta)
Independent-class immigrants who came as entrepreneurs invested over 10 million dollars in 2002 and contributed over 200 full-time and part-time jobs in Alberta. AB Government’s Report (Supporting Immigrants and Immigration to Alberta)
Immigrants provide essential linkages between provincial and international economies. Estimates show that a 10 per cent increase in immigration is correlated with a one per cent increase in exports. AB Government’s Report (Supporting Immigrants and Immigration to Alberta)

What is the ISCC’s position on foreign credentials recognition, religious freedom for immigrants, and diversity in our neigbourhoods?
The ISCC is an organization of committed individuals who represent the key areas of expertise required for helping newcomers find success in Calgary.

Part of that success is finding meaningful work that provides enough income to support families; therefore, the ISCC stands behind all government efforts to improve the recognition of foreign credentials as well as to increase the opportunities for immigrants to obtain Canadian work experience in their quest to find work that is meaningful and relevant based upon their skills, experience and professional backgrounds.

We also believe that diverse communities represent success for all, and; therefore, we support the integration and settlement of immigrants to Calgary. This integration and settlement includes our support of immigrants being able to fully participate in the community and have access to the education, health and justice systems including the freedom to practice their own religions. We believe these are freedoms of all Canadians, including those newly joining our city.

How can the ISCC help the immigrant serving sector to reduce waiting lists and ensure newcomers to our city are successful?
Resources are vital to support and to retain increasing numbers of immigrants to Calgary.

The ISCC is positioned to address these issues, but resources will be required to impact public policy and hopefully, funding for the sector. In addition, it will take time for the ISCC to make an impact in addressing these issues through an overall strategy which consists of:

Education and awareness
Government relations and the influencing of public policy
Operational and organizational changes
Long-term systemic change.

There is a recognized need to educate and create awareness about the contributions – social, economic and cultural – of immigrants and their families to the Calgary community. It is hoped that through this awareness, the image and perceptions held by the general community will become more positive or build upon the positive perceptions already in the public arena. This will pose some challenges as once there is more awareness and education, there may be more support, but there also may be more questions and public dialogue about the role of immigrants and immigration. We welcome more public dialogue and we need the resources to ensure that we can have a role in any dialogue about immigrants, immigration and the benefits/challenges of diversity.

Where is more information available?
Other organizations and links: http://www.aaisa.ca/files/other_settlement_links.html