Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - April 2009 - Index

Your OHIP Health Card covers...
Examination and treatment by family
physician. Many, but not all types of, surgery.
Referrals to, and most treatments
by, specialists. X-Rays, many laboratory
tests and vaccinations, hospital care.
Not covered by your
OHIP Health Card
Prescription drugs, dental care,
glasses and contact lenses.
Getting your driver’s licence
You can use a foreign driver’s licence
for 60 days after you arrive in Canada.
After that, you will need to take a driving
test and get an Ontario driver’s licence.
Contact the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation at 1-800-387-3445
1-800-387-3445.
1-800-387-3445
NARI MAVALWALLA/DESI NEWS
“The Government of Canada
understands that adapting to a
new country is challenging. This
is why we fund various service
providers in communities across
the country to deliver programs
and services for newcomers.”
JASON KENNEY
Lawyer Referral Service (LRS)
The Lawyer Referral Service (LRS)
can give you the phone number of a
lawyer in your area who practises the type
of law related to your situation. You can
also ask the LRS to ensure that the lawyer
they suggest speaks your first language.
Calling 1-900-565-4577 1-900-565-4577has
a service
charge of $6 per referral. This fee is added
to your phone bill.
You can call the LRS lawyer for a free
consultation of 30 minutes maximum. You
can decide not to hire this person as your
lawyer, but you cannot ask the LRS for
another referral for the same legal problem.
Learning English or French
Many newcomers, like you, want to
learn or improve their English or French
to help them in the workplace and in the
community.
A variety of adult language training
programs are available so you can gain
the language skills you need to work and
live in Ontario.
You can learn or improve your English
or French in Adult Non-Credit ESL/FSL
classes.
Classes from beginner to advanced
levels are at offered at over 400 locations
during the day, at night, and on weekends
to fit your schedule.
If you are an internationally-trained individual,
you may be interested in language
training that applies specifically to your
profession.
Some school boards also offer
occupation-specific language training
courses. This training is focused on a wide
range of occupational sectors.
Working in your chosen field
The Ontario government funds many
bridge training programs to help internationally
trained individuals work or get
licensed in their fields quickly.
The programs help newcomers bridge
their international credentials and
experience into Ontario requirements.
Each bridging program is different but
can include an assessment of education
and skills, clinical or workplace experience,
skills or academic training programs,
preparation for a license or certification
examination and occupationspecific
language training. There are
bridge programs offered in more than 100
trades and professions including account-
Welcome to
Ontario!
extend warm greetings to Desi News
and its readers – newcomers and
IDesi
visitors alike to Canada and Ontario.
News provides an important
voice for the South Asian community
in our province, helping people feel
close to their roots and their culture.
Your publication helps newcomers
and visitors stay connected to
families overseas and encourages
them to bond with the culture of their
new homeland.
We are so fortunate here in Ontario.
Diversity is one of our greatest assets.
People of different backgrounds,
customs and languages enrich our
province on many different levels.
Congratulations to Desi News, and
best wishes for continued success.
Michael Michael Chan
Chan
Ontario Minister of Citizenship
and Immigration
ing, engineering, midwifery and teaching.To
find out more about what services
are available to newcomers, please go
to www www. www . ontario.ca/immigration.
ontario.ca/immigration.
Getting recognition for
education outside Canada
To get recognition for academic
credentials gained outside Canada,
please visit www www.wes.org.
www .wes.org. You’ll
all the necessary information
about the procedures
involved to get
started!
iMIGRATE