Vancouver offers one of the most developed settlement and employment networks in Canada for refugee workers. The city anchors a regional labour market that stretches from Burnaby and Richmond to Surrey and Delta, covering industries that hire consistently and at scale. The challenge, especially for newly arrived families, is understanding which services to use, which sectors are realistically accessible, and what the cost of living actually means for weekly take-home pay.
Quick takeaways
- Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) is the main settlement body for refugees arriving in Metro Vancouver and runs employment readiness programs across the region.
- The Welcome Centre at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) provides the first on-arrival support for government-assisted refugees, including housing coordination and introductions to next steps.
- Port-related logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing jobs in Burnaby and Richmond are among the steadiest sources of entry-level and skilled roles in Greater Vancouver.
- Vancouver's cost of living is among the highest in Canada; many newcomers settle in Burnaby, Surrey, or Richmond where rent is somewhat more manageable while remaining on the SkyTrain network.
- RefugeeEmployment.ca connects refugee job seekers and Canadian employers on one platform -- job seekers can browse current openings and create a profile at RefugeeEmployment.ca for job seekers.
Vancouver as a Destination for Refugee Workers
Why Refugees Choose Vancouver
Metro Vancouver is home to one of the largest and most diverse immigrant communities in Canada. That diversity translates directly into practical advantages for newly arrived refugees: community associations, cultural organizations, and settlement agencies operate in dozens of languages, reducing the isolation that can make the early months of job searching so difficult.
The regional economy is broad. Beyond the downtown core, the municipalities of Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Delta, and Coquitlam each have established industrial and commercial zones. A refugee who arrives with warehouse experience, trades credentials, food-service skills, or a healthcare background has multiple geographic options within the same transit network.
Understanding the Cost of Living in Vancouver
Vancouver consistently ranks as one of the most expensive cities in Canada. Housing is the largest pressure point. Many refugee families settle in Surrey or Burnaby, where average rents for a one-bedroom unit are lower than in Vancouver proper, while still remaining connected to the main job market by SkyTrain.
Transit costs, childcare, and groceries add up quickly. Settlement workers and employment counsellors at agencies like ISSofBC routinely flag cost of living as a major planning factor during intake. Refugees who receive resettlement assistance should clarify the duration of that support and prioritize employment within the first weeks of arrival to avoid a funding gap.
Wages in logistics, warehousing, and manufacturing in the Greater Vancouver area have risen in recent years, and many entry-level roles in those sectors offer full-time hours with benefits after a probationary period. Understanding the gap between what a role pays and what local costs require is essential before accepting any offer.
Settlement Support: Who Helps Refugee Workers Get Started
Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC)
ISSofBC is the largest refugee settlement service provider in British Columbia. It delivers language assessment and instruction (including Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, or LINC), employment preparation programs, settlement counselling, and bridging programs for internationally trained professionals.
Their employment programs cover resume writing, job search strategies, interview coaching, and credential recognition guidance. Many employers in the region have existing relationships with ISSofBC and actively accept referrals through its employment team. If you are a refugee who has recently arrived in Vancouver, registering with ISSofBC early is one of the most practical first steps you can take.
The Welcome Centre at YVR
Government-assisted refugees (GARs) arriving through Vancouver International Airport are met by settlement workers at the Welcome Centre, which is operated by ISSofBC. Staff provide immediate orientation: SIN applications, health card registration, temporary housing coordination, and an introduction to next steps. The centre is not a job placement office, but staff can connect new arrivals with the employment programs that follow during the first weeks of resettlement.
Privately sponsored refugees and those arriving via other routes may not access the YVR Welcome Centre directly but should contact ISSofBC or another local settlement agency such as SUCCESS or MOSAIC within their first days in the city.
Other Settlement Resources in Greater Vancouver
Several other organizations operate employment and settlement programs across the Lower Mainland:
- SUCCESS serves the Chinese-Canadian community and newcomers across Metro Vancouver, with employment programs in Burnaby and Richmond.
- MOSAIC runs multilingual settlement and employment services and is one of the most accessible organizations for refugees who speak languages other than English or French.
- DIVERSEcity focuses on Surrey and Langley, covering a significant portion of the refugee population settling south of the Fraser River.
- Options Community Services provides employment and social services in Surrey and White Rock.
Each of these agencies has employment counsellors who can assist with labour market information specific to the municipality where you are living.
Industries Hiring in Vancouver and Surrounding Areas
Port Operations and Logistics in Burnaby and Richmond
The Port of Vancouver is the busiest port in Canada. Supporting it is a large ecosystem of warehousing, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, trucking, and cold-chain logistics businesses concentrated in Burnaby, Richmond, Delta, and Surrey. Entry-level roles in these businesses including forklift operator, warehouse associate, shipping and receiving clerk, and order picker are frequently available, often with day and evening shifts to suit workers balancing other responsibilities.
Employers in this corridor report persistent staffing challenges, particularly for roles that require physical stamina and reliability but not Canadian-specific credentials. For refugees who arrive with relevant experience or who complete a forklift certification or WHMIS training, this sector can provide a pathway to stable full-time employment relatively quickly.
Healthcare and Social Services
Metro Vancouver's healthcare system employs a large number of workers in non-clinical roles: dietary aides, housekeeping staff, administrative assistants, sterile processing technicians, and care aides. Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health are the two regional health authorities covering most of Greater Vancouver. Both have active recruitment and have participated in programs supporting internationally educated healthcare workers.
Refugees with healthcare credentials from other countries can access credential assessment through bodies like the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) for nurses or the Medical Council of Canada for physicians. The process takes time, and many internationally trained health professionals work in non-regulated support roles while completing equivalency requirements.
Social services organizations, including many of the settlement agencies mentioned above, also hire former refugees and newcomers as cultural interpreters, settlement workers, and community support staff. These roles draw directly on lived experience and language skills.
Hospitality, Food Service, and Retail
Restaurants, hotels, and retail businesses across Vancouver and surrounding municipalities hire continuously. These roles typically do not require Canadian work experience or credential recognition and often provide evening or weekend hours that allow workers to attend language classes or other programs during the day. Wages in hospitality have improved in recent years, and some larger hotel operators offer structured paths into supervisory roles for consistent performers.
What Employers in Vancouver Need to Know About Hiring Refugees
Compliance and Work Authorization
Most refugees in Canada hold open work permits, meaning they can work for any employer in any occupation without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). Government-assisted refugees and convention refugees who have received a positive refugee determination hold this status by default. Employers should verify work authorization at the time of hire as they would for any employee, but should not assume that a refugee worker requires employer-specific sponsorship -- in most cases, they do not.
Hiring Programs and Subsidies
Federal and provincial programs provide wage subsidies to employers who hire refugees and other vulnerable newcomers. The Canada-British Columbia Job Grant and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) programs offer training subsidies. Some settlement agencies can also connect employers with funded internship or work placement agreements. Accessing these programs requires modest administrative effort but can meaningfully offset the early-period training costs of bringing on new employees.
Employers who partner with ISSofBC, DIVERSEcity, or similar agencies gain access to pre-screened candidates who have completed employment readiness programs and are prepared to enter the workforce promptly.
Finding Candidates Through RefugeeEmployment.ca
RefugeeEmployment.ca for employers is the most direct way to reach motivated refugee job seekers across Canada, including a growing pool of candidates in the Greater Vancouver area. The platform allows employers to post roles, describe their workplace culture, and connect with candidates who have already self-identified as ready to work. Employers looking for logistics, trades, healthcare support, or services workers in Burnaby, Richmond, or Surrey will find relevant profiles on the platform.
How RefugeeEmployment.ca Serves Both Sides of the Market
RefugeeEmployment.ca was built to close the information gap between employers who want to hire and refugees who are ready to work. Most job boards in Canada are not designed with the specific needs of newcomers in mind. They assume prior Canadian work experience, a conventional resume history, and familiarity with how Canadian hiring works. RefugeeEmployment.ca addresses those gaps directly.
For Job Seekers
Refugee workers can create a profile at RefugeeEmployment.ca for job seekers, list their skills and work history in a format that Canadian employers can quickly assess, and apply directly to roles posted by employers who have already signalled their commitment to inclusive hiring. The platform includes roles across Canada, with listings regularly updated for provinces including British Columbia.
For Employers
Employers in the Vancouver area who want to diversify their hiring and access a motivated, underutilized talent pool can post roles and review candidate profiles at https://refugeeemployment.ca/employers. The platform provides a clear path to compliance-friendly hiring, with information on work authorization standards that apply to most refugee workers in Canada.
Practical Steps for Refugee Job Seekers in Vancouver
Building a Canadian Resume
Canadian resumes typically run one to two pages, include a professional summary at the top, and list work experience in reverse chronological order with specific achievements rather than general duties. Settlement employment programs at ISSofBC, MOSAIC, and DIVERSEcity all offer resume workshops. Bring documentation of your previous work experience, certifications, and educational credentials to your first appointment.
Preparing for Interviews
Canadian interviews commonly involve behavioural questions that follow the format: describe a specific past situation, what you did, and what the outcome was. Practising these responses in advance, in English or with a bilingual employment counsellor, significantly improves performance. ISSofBC offers mock interview sessions as part of its employment readiness programming.
Networking in a New City
Many jobs in Vancouver, especially in logistics and services, are filled through referrals. Connecting with community associations, attending local job fairs, and informing your network at your settlement agency that you are actively looking all increase your chances of learning about roles before they are posted publicly. LinkedIn is actively used by logistics and services employers in Greater Vancouver; creating a profile early in your job search is worthwhile.
FAQ
What settlement organization should refugees contact first when arriving in Vancouver?
Government-assisted refugees arriving through YVR will be met by staff from the Welcome Centre operated by ISSofBC at the airport. Other refugees should contact ISSofBC, MOSAIC, or SUCCESS within their first few days in the city. Each of these organizations can connect you with employment programs, language classes, and other settlement services at no cost.
Do refugees in Canada need an employer to sponsor them to work?
In most cases, no. Government-assisted refugees and those with a positive refugee determination hold open work permits that allow them to work for any employer in Canada without a job offer or LMIA. Employers should verify work authorization documents at the time of hire as they would for any new employee, but sponsorship is not typically required.
Which industries have the most refugee jobs in Vancouver?
Port logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, food processing, healthcare support, hospitality, and food service are the most active hiring sectors for newcomers in Greater Vancouver. Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, and Delta have the highest concentration of logistics and manufacturing roles available to workers without prior Canadian experience.
Is Vancouver affordable for refugee workers?
Vancouver is one of the most expensive cities in Canada. Many refugee workers initially settle in Surrey, Burnaby, or Richmond, where rents are somewhat lower while remaining accessible by SkyTrain. Settlement workers at agencies like ISSofBC can help newcomers plan their budgets and prioritize employment early in the resettlement process to reduce financial pressure.
How can employers in Vancouver connect with refugee job seekers?
Employers can post roles and review candidate profiles directly through RefugeeEmployment.ca for employers. They can also partner with local settlement agencies like ISSofBC, MOSAIC, and DIVERSEcity, which maintain candidate pipelines and can facilitate introductions to job-ready refugees in the region.
Can internationally trained professionals find work in their field in Vancouver?
Many internationally trained professionals work in related roles while completing Canadian credential recognition processes. Healthcare workers, engineers, and accountants each have designated regulatory bodies that assess international credentials. Settlement agencies in Greater Vancouver provide bridging program information and can connect professionals with the appropriate regulatory pathways and employer contacts.
Find Refugee Jobs in Vancouver Through RefugeeEmployment.ca
Whether you are hiring or job hunting, RefugeeEmployment.ca serves both sides of the market. Employers can review pricing and post a role at https://refugeeemployment.ca/employers. Job seekers can browse openings and create a profile at https://refugeeemployment.ca/job-seekers.