Your Pathway to a New Beginning
Settlement and Integration
Our agency provides information and practical assistance to help newly arrived immigrants settle quickly in Ottawa.
Taxes & Commissioner Services
Community
Programs
Settlement
Services
How OCCSC's Settlement and Integration Services Can Help You
finding a place to live
registering your child for school
getting government health insurance
looking for a place to learn English
getting your driver’s license
finding a job
interpretation and translation
family counselling
legal information
You can drop in our main office at 400 Cooper St., Suite 2000, Ottawa. You will be seen by one of our settlement workers who will do an assessment of your needs and then help you meet those needs. Alternatively, you can also call 613-235-4875 to make an appointment before you come.
Who is Eligible for OCCSC's Settlement Services?
Anyone who has been accepted by Canada as a sponsored family member, a skilled worker, an investor or as a caregiver, is eligible for our settlement service free of charge. If you have been recognized by Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board as a Convention Refugee you are also eligible for our service free of charge.
What Do I Bring With Me To My First Visit?
In your first visit to our agency, it is important for you to bring your permanent resident card and those of your family members with you so that we can verify if you are eligible for our services.
How Else Can OCCSC Help?
In addition to one-on-one service, we also provide information sessions on important settlement issues throughout the year at different locations in the City. Our workers also run special group activities including parenting groups, youth groups and seniors for newcomers also at different locations in the City. From time to time, our workers would organize community tours or field trips to help newcomers get to know the local community resources.
OCCSC Community Programs
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Taxes & Commissioner Services
Get assistance with taxes and commissioner services for affidavits, oaths, and statutory declarations.
Tax Services
Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre has provided year-round tax preparation services for more than 20 years in the community for low to moderate income families with nominal fees.
Our team will assess an individual’s current situation and file all required returns. We strive to minimize tax burden while remaining compliant with the CRA, ensure you receive all the credits and deductions you are entitled to and provide follow-up on pre-assessment reviews and tax adjustment.
At OCCSC, we take the stress out of tax season. For a brief consultation to understand your filing requirements, feel free to book an appointment with our staff.
Community Volunteer Clinics
If you meet certain income criteria, please consider using CRA’s Community Volunteer Income Tax Program, low-income with simple tax scenarios and have their returns prepared by trained community volunteers.
To be eligible, a single person’s income must not exceed $35,000; a couple’s family income must not be more than $45,000; and total interest income must not exceed $1,000.
But beware, community tax clinics don’t provide follow-up services.
Commissioner for Taking Affidavits
In Ontario, commissioners help protect people from fraud by helping to verify the integrity of documents used in commercial and legal transactions.
A commissioner for taking affidavits can take affidavits and administer oaths, affirmations or declarations.
We help authenticate or notarize the following types of documents:
- Affidavits
- Statements of Declaration
- Power of Attorney
- Name Change
- Consent documents related to travel with a child
- Certified verification of documents
- Affidavit of documents
- Canadian government requested documents to be signed by a commissioner
