Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP)

What is RAP?

The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) is funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and delivered locally by partner organizations called Service Provider Organizations (SPOs). For your first weeks and months in Canada, the SPO is your main point of contact — they pick you up at the airport, help you find housing, and link you to schools, doctors, and government services.

RAP has two main parts:

• Immediate and essential services — usually delivered in the first 4 to 6 weeks after arrival
• Income support — typically up to 12 months, or until you can support yourself (whichever comes first)

Who is eligible?

RAP is for Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) — people referred to Canada for resettlement by the UNHCR or another referral organization, and selected by IRCC. If you arrived under a different stream, your path is different:

• Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs) receive financial and settlement support from their sponsors, not RAP. RAP income support is only available as a last resort if a private sponsorship breaks down.
• Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) refugees receive cost-shared support — RAP covers part, sponsors cover the rest.
• Refugee claimants (people who claim asylum from inside Canada) are not eligible for RAP. They can apply for Ontario Works and other supports while their claim is processed.

If you're not sure which category you're in, ask your settlement worker or check your IRCC documents — your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) will indicate the program.

Note: The 2025/2026 IRCC changes that put a 6-year cap on settlement-service eligibility for economic-class permanent residents do not affect the Resettlement Assistance Program, and they do not affect refugees or protected persons accessing other settlement services. See our explainer for the full picture.

What RAP provides

1. Start-up costs (one-time)

IRCC pays your SPO directly for one-time start-up costs so you can move into your first home. These typically cover items like:

• Damage deposit and first month's rent
• Basic furniture (beds, table, chairs)
• Household goods (dishes, linens, kitchen basics)
• Winter clothing — essential for Northern Ontario
• Basic groceries to get started

Your SPO arranges most of this for you. You don't get a lump-sum cheque for start-up costs.

2. Monthly income support (up to 12 months)

While you settle in and look for work or start language classes, RAP provides monthly income support to cover rent, food, transit, and incidentals. The amount is aligned with prevailing provincial social assistance rates (in Ontario, that means Ontario Works rates) and varies based on family size and circumstances.

Because rates change, we don't list a dollar figure here. Ask your SPO for your specific monthly amount, or check the official IRCC income-support page for the current rates.

Heads up: RAP income support stops when you start earning above a certain level, when your 12 months are up, or when your settlement plan ends — whichever comes first. Tell your SPO right away when you start working so they can adjust correctly.

3. Orientation and immediate services

In your first weeks, your SPO will help with:

• Airport pickup and reception at your final destination
• Temporary lodging (often a hotel or transitional housing) and finding permanent housing
• Applying for your Social Insurance Number (SIN), provincial health card (OHIP), and Canada Child Benefit
• Registering children in school
• Connecting to a family doctor or community health centre, and accessing the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) for things OHIP doesn't cover
• Needs assessment and referrals to settlement programs, language classes, and community supports

4. Life-skills training

SPOs run information sessions covering the practical basics of life in Canada and Northern Ontario:

• Budgeting and money management
• Using public transit and getting around in winter
• How banking, debit, and credit work
• Canadian school systems and how to support your children
• Tenant rights and dealing with landlords
• Healthcare navigation, including 811 and emergency services

Healthcare while on RAP — IFHP and OHIP

From the moment you arrive, you're covered by the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP) — a federal program that pays for basic medical care, prescription drugs, vision, dental, and mental-health support until your provincial coverage is in place.

In Ontario, resettled refugees do not have a 3-month waiting period for OHIP — you can apply as soon as you arrive. Your SPO will help you book a ServiceOntario appointment. Once OHIP is active, IFHP keeps covering supplemental items (some medications, dental, vision) that OHIP doesn't pay for.

What RAP does NOT cover

• Long-term housing. RAP helps with the deposit and first month, but ongoing rent comes out of your monthly income support.
• Career-level employment. RAP is about basic settlement, not career placement. For job search, training, and credential help, you'll be referred to Employment Ontario and to settlement-agency employment teams.
• Travel costs to come to Canada. IRCC pays for your initial travel under the Immigration Loans Program — this is a loan you'll repay over several years.
• Help for refugee claimants. If you claimed asylum from inside Canada, RAP does not apply. Ontario Works and legal aid are your starting points.

RAP service providers in Northern Ontario

In Northwestern Ontario, the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association is the designated RAP Service Provider Organization. They cover port-of-entry reception, temporary accommodation, needs assessment, orientation, life-skills training, and referrals to other settlement programs.

Region	Service provider
Thunder Bay & Northwestern Ontario	Thunder Bay Multicultural Association — 17 N. Court Street, Thunder Bay ON P7A 4T4 · (807) 345-0551
Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins, North Bay	Not all Northern Ontario cities have a designated RAP SPO. Check the official IRCC list (link below) or ask your nearest settlement agency.

For the official, up-to-date list of RAP Service Provider Organizations across Canada, see canada.ca: find help to adjust as a refugee.

Local services across Northern Ontario

Verified entries from settlement.org and 211 Ontario directories. Beyond the designated RAP SPO, these are the main settlement organizations in each city — they often provide newcomer support, language assessment, and community connections that complement RAP. Confirm hours before visiting.

Thunder Bay (designated RAP SPO for Northwestern Ontario)

• Thunder Bay Multicultural Association (TBMA) — 17 Court Street North, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 4T4. 807-345-0551 (toll-free 1-866-831-1144). The designated RAP service provider for Northwestern Ontario; LINC, language assessment, citizenship prep, and 24/7 interpretation in 58 languages.
• DOORS to New Life Refugee Centre — 1222 Reaume Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 6T8. 807-343-9313. Walk-in service Thursdays 9 AM–2 PM; partners with TBMA on the Newcomer Settlement Program; sponsorship support; OHIP/SIN/ID help.
• Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario — Regional Multicultural Youth Centre (MANWO/RMYC) — 511 Victoria Avenue East, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 1A8. 807-622-4666 (toll-free 1-800-692-7692). Multicultural youth programming and newcomer youth support.

Greater Sudbury

• Sudbury Multicultural & Folk Arts Association (SMFAA) — Tom Davies Square, 200 Brady Street, Sudbury, ON P3A 5P3. (705) 674-4455 ext. 1242. OCASI-affiliated newcomer settlement program; cross-cultural education and multicultural youth council.
• YMCA of Northeastern Ontario — Immigrant Services — 10 Elm Street, Suite 132, Sudbury, ON P3C 5N3. (705) 674-2324. Multilingual settlement workers (English, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Punjabi, Cantonese, Bahasa Indonesia, Malay).

Sault Ste. Marie

• Sault Community Career Centre — Newcomer Services — 503 Queen St E, Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 2A2. 705-759-0909 (toll-free 1-855-759-0909). Lead settlement agency in the Sault; settlement, LINC, employment, language assessment, newcomer orientation.

North Bay

• Northeastern Ontario Multicultural Centre (NOMC) — North Bay, ON (multiple staff locations across Nipissing/Parry Sound/Temiskaming/Cochrane). 705-495-8931. Formerly NBDMC. IRCC-funded primary settlement agency: orientation, LINC, Community Connections, PR/citizenship help, document certification.
• North Bay Local Immigration Partnership (NBLIP) — 200 McIntyre Street East, North Bay, ON P1B 8V6. 1-800-465-1882. Coordinates settlement strategy across local agencies; runs the local service directory.
• YMCA of Northeastern Ontario — North Bay — 186 Chippewa Street W, North Bay, ON P1B 6G2. 705-497-9622. Immigration and employment support, community programs.

Timmins

• Northeastern Ontario Multicultural Centre (NOMC) — Timmins Office — 85 Pine Street South, Suite #105, Timmins, ON P4N 2K1. 705-221-8622 (toll-free 1-877-495-8931). Settlement services, needs assessments, language support; serves Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing, and Parry Sound districts.
• Timmins Local Immigration Partnership (TLIP) — 85 Pine Street South, Suite #105, Timmins, ON P4N 2K1. 705-221-8622. Advisory council coordinating newcomer settlement and integration services across the community.
• Timmins Economic Development Corporation — Immigration — 130 Spruce St S, Suite 1, Timmins, ON P4N 2M5. 705-360-2656 (toll-free 1-877-470-8332). RCIP/FCIP designated employer support; free in English and French.

What happens after the 12 months?

RAP income support ends after one year. Before it does, your settlement worker will help you transition to whatever comes next:

• If you're working, your wages replace RAP income support.
• If you still need income support, you can apply for Ontario Works (OW) — a provincial program with similar amounts to RAP, plus health, dental, and prescription benefits.
• You stay connected to a settlement agency for language classes, employment help, credential assessments, and community programs — these don't end at 12 months.
• OHIP coverage continues. IFHP supplemental coverage runs for one year from arrival, then ends; talk to your worker about prescription and dental options after that.

Common pitfalls

• Not telling your SPO when income changes. If you start a job, get a scholarship, or receive money from family, tell your worker right away. Overpayments have to be paid back.
• Missing appointments. Orientation sessions, document appointments, and medical visits are time-sensitive. Use a calendar from day one.
• Signing leases or contracts without help. Always have your settlement worker review a lease or major contract before signing.
• Forgetting about IFHP forms at the pharmacy. If a pharmacy or clinic doesn't recognize IFHP, ask your SPO — most providers can help connect them with the IFHP claims system.
• Waiting too long to start English/French classes. Free language classes (LINC / CLIC) are available from day one. The earlier you start, the easier the year goes.

Sources & references: Local services cross-referenced with settlement.org (OCASI's Ontario newcomer directory) and 211 Ontario. Confirm current hours and intake before visiting.

Last reviewed: April 2026. RAP rates and rules change — confirm current details on the official IRCC RAP page and the income support amounts page before relying on figures.