ISSofBC Career Services

What ISSofBC Career Services does

ISSofBC (Immigrant Services Society of BC) is a British Columbia-based non-profit charitable organization founded in 1968 that delivers integrated settlement, language instruction, and employment-bridging services to newcomers to Canada. It operates from eight physical locations across BC (Vancouver headquarters, Surrey, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, and Prince George) supplemented by online delivery through Microsoft Teams, a Moodle-based self-paced learning platform, and a proprietary ESL content site (Janis's ESL Website). The organization serves an annual client base of 24,397 unique individuals across more than 25 programs organized into three pillars: Get Settled (BC NSP, BC SAFE HAVEN, refugee claimant support), Learn English (free LINC classes at CLB 1-4 and fee-based Language & Career College / LCC at higher levels), and Find Work (Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants, Global Talent Loans, B-Hired, Solid Start 360, employer partnerships).

The business model is primarily government-funded rather than commercial. IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) is the principal funder of LINC and settlement programming, with the Government of British Columbia, City of Vancouver, and City of Burnaby providing supplementary municipal and provincial support. Secondary revenue streams include tuition from the wholly-owned Language & Career College (LCC) subsidiary (~$2,000 enrollees per year, 99% graduate recommendation rate, 90% word-of-mouth acquisition), individual donations via CanadaHelps, and the Global Talent Loans program ($1,000-$30,000 at Prime + 0%) operated under the national Foreign Credential Recognition Project. Content differentiation is supported by a Digital Skills Curriculum co-developed with UBC Learning Exchange and CLB-aligned assessment partnerships with three BC language assessment centers.

Name

ISSofBC Career Services

Legal name

Immigrant Services Society of BC

Website

https://issbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ISSofBC is a British Columbia non-profit founded in 1968 that delivers settlement, English language instruction, and employment-bridging services to newcomers across eight BC locations and online, serving 24,000+ clients annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigrant Settlement Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Translation and Interpretation Services (54193)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Newcomer & Refugee Student Support Programs (EDAJAGAH), Conditional Offer / Package Programs (Language + Pathway + Progression) (EDAIAJAJ), Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

Keywords

• Newcomer settlement services
• English language training
• Immigrant employment services
• Settlement support programs
• Credential recognition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver, British Columbia

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary revenue stream from government funders including IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), Government of British Columbia, and municipal governments (City of Vancouver, City of Burnaby). Funds settlement, language instruction, and employment programs for eligible newcomers.
2. Fee-for-Service Programs (LCC): Language and Career College (LCC) offers affordable English classes and professional diploma programs open to all immigration statuses. Revenue generated from student tuition fees for non-LINC programs.
3. Donations: Charitable donations accepted through CanadaHelps platform to support programs including Learning in Action and English Conversation Circles.
4. Global Talent Loans: Government-funded low-interest loan program (Prime + 0%) for career retraining, ranging from $1,000 to $30,000. Part of Foreign Credential Recognition Project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ISSofBC is a non-profit settlement organization that delivers integrated newcomer services across three pillars: Settlement (cultural orientation, first-language support, housing guidance, refugee claimant support via BC SAFE HAVEN, senior newcomer programs), Language (free LINC English classes at CLB 1-4 and fee-for-service classes via Language and Career College), and Employment (Career Paths for Skilled Immigrants, Global Talent Loans, B-Hired, Solid Start 360, and employer connections). Services are free for eligible newcomers (permanent residents, refugees, protected persons) and fee-based for non-eligible students through LCC.

Product overview

ISSofBC is a non-profit settlement organization offering over 25 programs and services for newcomers to British Columbia. The portfolio is organized into three main pillars: Settlement Services (cultural orientation, first-language support, community connections), Language Learning (free LINC classes for CLB 1-4 and affordable Language and Career College/LCC for higher levels), and Employment Services (Career Paths, Global Talent Loans, B-Hired, Solid Start 360). BC SAFE HAVEN provides specialized support for refugee claimants, while the Connecting Seniors Program serves older newcomers. Programs are delivered in-person at 8+ BC locations and online, with multilingual support available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LCC (Language & Career College): Language and career college offering affordable English classes and professional diploma programs through co-op streams for newcomers in British Columbia. Open to all immigration statuses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24,397 unique clients supported in 2024-2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Family Services of Greater Vancouver (FSGV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Financial Literacy Workshop Series. FSGV's Financial Empowerment Team delivers workshops on budgeting and financial management for ISSofBC clients in multiple languages.
• University of British Columbia Learning ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsultants on ISSofBC Digital Skills Curriculum development for educators. Partnership to create digital literacy training resources for newcomer clients.
• Burnaby English Language CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SDI-funded digital skills curriculum development project.
• Vancouver Community CollegesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SDI-funded digital skills curriculum development project.
• BC Refugee HubsupportingOthersPartner organization supporting refugee settlement in BC.
• Vancouver Language Assessment CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLINC Assessment and Referral Centre at #208 – 2525 Commercial Drive, Vancouver. Refers assessed clients to ISSofBC LINC classes.
• Options Language Assessment & Referral Centre (LARC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssessment center for Surrey, Delta, Langley, Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver areas. Refers assessed clients to ISSofBC.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• CultureLink (Toronto): Settlement and language services nonprofit focused on the Greater Toronto Area. Operates a similar newcomer services portfolio to ISSofBC but is geographically restricted to Ontario, serving as a regional equivalent rather than direct BC competitor.
• Calgary Immigrant Women's Association (CIWA): Calgary-based nonprofit serving newcomer and refugee women with language, settlement, and employment programs. Overlaps with ISSofBC's Multicultural Newcomer Women and Connecting Seniors segments, with comparable funder relationships (IRCC, Alberta government).

Emerging players

• NorQuest College (Edmonton): Alberta public college operating one of Canada's largest LINC programs alongside ESL and settlement-adjacent services. Comparable to ISSofBC's Language and Career College in providing fee-for-service ESL pathways to post-secondary education; offers a more formal academic credential frame.

Direct peers

• COSTI Immigrant Services: One of Canada's largest immigrant-serving nonprofits, headquartered in Toronto, delivering LINC, settlement, employment, and resettlement programs. Closest national-scale comparable to ISSofBC in mandate, funding model, and service mix, though operating primarily in Ontario.
• Achev (formerly Peel Multicultural Council): Ontario-based immigrant-serving agency offering LINC, settlement, employment, and language training across multiple locations. Comparable in service breadth and IRCC funding model to ISSofBC, with similar scale and digital learning investments.
• S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Major BC immigrant-serving agency headquartered in Vancouver delivering settlement, language training, employment, and community programs. Competes with ISSofBC for IRCC and BC government settlement contracts across Metro Vancouver.
• MOSAIC BC: Vancouver-based nonprofit providing language instruction, settlement, and employment services to newcomers and refugees. Direct BC competitor to ISSofBC, serving overlapping Metro Vancouver populations with similar IRCC-funded programs (LINC, settlement, employment bridging).
• Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS): Calgary-based nonprofit providing settlement, language training, and refugee resettlement services under IRCC contribution agreements. Directly comparable to ISSofBC in mandate, scale, and funder mix; operates in a different province.
• Catholic Cross-Cultural Services (CCS): Toronto-based nonprofit delivering settlement, language, and refugee services to newcomers. Closely comparable in operating model to ISSofBC, providing government-funded programs including LINC and resettlement support.
• YMCA Newcomer Services: Multiple YMCA branches across Canada (notably Greater Toronto and YMCA BC) deliver government-funded newcomer settlement, language, and employment services. Operates the same IRCC-funded LINC and settlement model as ISSofBC through community-based delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/issofbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/issofbcareers
• Instagraminstagram.com/issofbc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ISSofBC Career Services