A B.C. non-profit has created a smartphone app that connects newcomers to Canada with some of the first services they’ll need in their new home.
The app, “Arrival Advisor,” was created by the non-profit Peace Geeks, which used a similar idea to help people during the Syrian refugee crisis.
More than half of the immigrants arriving in Canada bring with them a smartphone.
Patrick Estey, a spokesperson for Peace Geeks, told CTV Vancouver that immigrants use their smartphones “as a bit of a survivor tool.”
Arrival Advisor links immigrants to banking services, explains how to get a driver’s license and helps sort out childcare enrollment. It can also help them look for a place to rent or find a job.
The app is free and runs even if the phone is not connected to WiFi. It provides services in languages including English, Arabic and French. Estey said that it will soon operate in Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Punjabi and Tagalog.
The app is now available in B.C. and could soon roll out across the rest of the country.
