They act like we are going to heaven - pre-arrival information experiences, information crafting and settlement of immigrants in Canada (2023)

Drawn from a larger study on the information behavior of immigrants, this paper mainly reports the semi-structured interview findings on the pre-arrival information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants who used formal information sources with discussion on how that affected their post-arrival settlement into Canada.

Although there is a growing body of work on immigrants’ information behavior, little is known about the pre-arrival information experiences of immigrants who consult formal information sources such as immigration agents.

This study provides insights into the pre-arrival information experiences of Bangladeshi immigrants consulting formal information sources such as immigration firms, individual immigration consultants and more formal government agencies.

The author introduces a new concept of “information crafting” by exploring the negative consequences of selective information sharing by immigration consultants/agents in newcomers’ settlements in Canada, primarily positive information about life in Canada, sometimes with exaggeration and falsification.

The interview participants shared story after the story of the settlement challenges they faced after arriving in Canada and how the expectations they built through the information received from immigration consultants and government agencies did not match after arrival. This study emphasizes the importance of providing comprehensive information about life in Canada to potential newcomers so that they can make informed decisions even before they apply.