New App for B.C Immigrants

There are always challenges when moving to a country you aren’t familiar with.

A new mobile app became available on iTunes March 1st and will change how immigrants and refugees start their life in B.C.

Arrival Advisor was created by PeaceGeeks, a non-profit organization based in Vancouver. The free app provides newcomers with step-by-step instructions for everything they will need to get situated.

 It connects users with Work BC to help them with resume building and networking. It also provides information on services such as housing, education, driving, health care and banking, just to name a few.

Development Manager Patrick Estey and Communications Lead Lauren Hyde were at the IGNITE Symposium in Kelowna on Wednesday to launch the app.

“Immigrants and newcomers to Canada have been through so much sometimes on their way here so we just want to welcome them and make it easier for them,” said Estey.

PeaceGeeks won $750,000 in the 2017 Google.org Impact Challenge, along with subsidy from the government, to help create and launch the product.

Canada expects to see 1 million new immigrants by the end of 2020 and PeaceGeeks believe this app could be used by each individual.  By the end of March, it will be available in Chinese, Tagalog, English, French, Arabic, Korean and Punjabi.