The Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society (currently referred to as CUIAS Immigrant Services) is a charitable community organisation founded in 1973 and incorporated in 1977. The organisation was created with a purpose of assisting immigrants with their immigration and adaptation needs in Canada.
CUIAS began by helping athletes who defected from the Soviet Union and later sponsored over 4,000 self-exiles and their families, followed by refugees from Bosnia and the former ... Read More
The Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society (currently referred to as CUIAS Immigrant Services) is a charitable community organisation founded in 1973 and incorporated in 1977. The organisation was created with a purpose of assisting immigrants with their immigration and adaptation needs in Canada.
CUIAS began by helping athletes who defected from the Soviet Union and later sponsored over 4,000 self-exiles and their families, followed by refugees from Bosnia and the former Republics of Yugoslavia, fleeing the civil war and ethnic cleansing. In addition to being financially responsible for the new arrivals, the organisation ensured their settlement needs were met beyond their first year in Canada. This responsibility made us very aware of settlement issues and keenly focused our staff on providing assistance, support, advice and information that would guide these immigrants towards successful integration. That experience and capability is still with us today.
Over the span of 42 years CUIAS has grown immensely, expanding the scope and quality of services and developing professional staff. Although originally we provided services mainly to the Eastern European newcomers, we now provide services to all immigrant groups. We have earned a good reputation in various communities for providing quality settlement assistance and regularly receive referrals from government and community partners.
Currently, the three main activities of CUIAS include providing settlement and adaptation services to immigrants, English language training and immigration information. The settlement and adaptation services include provision of information, orientation and consultations on daily living, rights and obligations and other questions of relevance to newcomers, referrals to available government and community programs/resources, assistance with various forms and applications, interpretation and translation support, employment search support as well as crisis counseling to those who experience problems adjusting to life in Canada, including victims of family, gender violence, seniors, newcomers with mental health issues. We offer free English language training under the federally funded LINC program. We have full-time, part-time and evening classes from beginner to advanced levels. We also offer specialised classes for advanced conversation, business writing and classes for seniors. We offer free child care services for students who are registered in our full-time program who have children from 2 to 5 years old. Assistance with covering the cost of transportation is provided for students who have to travel to our schools. Our immigration services include provision of free immigration information to individuals wishing to learn about available immigration programs. Providing accurate information goes a long way in preventing this vulnerable group of people from being taken advantage of by unscrupulous immigration agents.
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