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New App provides step-by-step access to information and services for immigrants and refugees in B.C.

3-19-2019

Vancouver, B.C. – (March XX, 2019) – PeaceGeeks, a Vancouver-based non-profit organization that builds digital tools to empower communities in the pursuit of peace, has developed a free mobile app to help immigrants and refugees new to British Columbia.

The new Arrival Advisor app is designed to guide immigrants and refugees to information and services customised to their needs.

By answering an optional and anonymous questionnaire about their circumstances, newcomers receive tailored recommendations and step-by-step guidance on topics such as Medical Services Plan registration, schools, employment, social insurance numbers, child tax credits, and government programs.

Users do not need to create an account or disclose any personal information to use the app. Arrival Advisor syncs to phones’ maps, allowing users to plan their journey to service agencies.

“The best thing about this is that you don’t need to go somewhere to access more information, all the information that you need is here,” says Munifa Ahmed, a recent immigrant who moved to British Columbia in February 2017, originally from Ethiopia. “It’s helpful for people who have been here for two to three months, two to three years, or even before you arrive in Canada.”

Arrival Advisor has been developed through partnership and consultation with settlement organizations across Metro Vancouver, data service provider BC211, community representatives, and an advisory group made up of immigrants and refugees to Canada.

“The sooner we can get information in people’s hands to help them navigate their new community and their new life in Canada, the more likely they are to be successful,” says Patrick MacKenzie, CEO of the Immigrant Employment Council of British Columbia and a member of Arrival Advisor’s Strategic Advisory Committee.

Information is available in English, French and Arabic, with plans to add service in Chinese Simplified and Traditional along with Korean, Punjabi and Tagalog in a few short months.

PeaceGeeks won $750,000 in the 2017 Google.org Impact Challenge Canada to build Arrival Advisor. In 2018, PeaceGeeks received further generous funding through the Province of British Columbia to launch the app.

Arrival Advisor is available for free via the Apple App and Google Play stores.

Arrival Advisor bridges existing gaps in accessibility of information for successful newcomer settlement.

A 2015 Vancouver Immigrant Survey revealed that one in three newcomers remain unaware of available, relevant services and resources, and seven Vancouver-area immigration partnerships identified access to information as a top barrier for newcomer resettlement.

For more information: 

www.arrivaladvisor.ca

Ross Sullivan

Peak Communicators Ltd

Tel: (604) 689-5559 (24hr)

Cell: (604) 802-7139 


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Article Source: ALAMEENPOST