What to do in the first days in Canada
Let's say you've received an offer to immigrate to Canada, bought plane tickets, and arrived... what's next?
There are important steps to take after arriving in Canada that will help you adapt faster and even save money. When my family and I arrived, we didn't know everything, but you have the opportunity to prepare.
By the way, you should start preparing for the move well in advance. I've already talked about what to do while you're still in your home country.
Upon arrival, you'll go through the landing process — confirming your status. Briefly, when you apply for an immigration program and are selected, you receive an immigration visa and confirmation of permanent residency. At the airport, you go through passport, customs, and immigration control. The immigration officer enters you into the database, and from that moment, you officially become a Canadian resident.
After landing, your new life in Canada is just beginning, and you still need to complete necessary paperwork. Let me share the steps we took in our first days in Canada.
Finding Housing
People usually rent temporary accommodation for a few days or weeks to decide on a city and neighborhood. You can do this on Airbnb, even before arriving in Canada. If you have friends in Canada, reach out to them.
Later, you can look for a house or apartment for long-term living. I definitely don't recommend doing this on the first day, as there are many details to consider. It might be better to interview a realtor to learn all the secrets.
In Canada, you can use a realtor's services for free as a tenant. They can also help with buying a house or apartment if you have the money. We bought a house in our first year and never regretted it.
Getting a SIN
SIN is your Social Insurance Number. In French — in Quebec, for example — it's called NAS. You need this number for employment, renting, opening credit cards, getting loans, child benefits, and health insurance. Basically, you can't do much without a SIN.
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Sometimes you can get a SIN right at the airport, but usually, it's done at a Service Canada Office. You'll need to go there with your whole family.
To apply, you need your passport and original documents confirming your residency and landing. You'll also need to provide a mailing address for your documents. If you don't have a permanent address yet, use your temporary one. We used our friends' address, if I remember correctly.
The process is free, and you'll get your SIN number the same day you apply. Don't share this number with anyone. You should only use it for government assistance, scholarships, loans, and similar purposes. Important: You must apply for a SIN within 3 days of starting work, but you can start working right after applying. You can now also access your SIN online through your My Service Canada Account.
Getting a Mobile Plan
I recommend getting a Canadian SIM card as soon as possible and downloading Google Maps so you won't get lost. Mobile service in Canada is expensive, as is internet, so be prepared.
Our family uses FIDO. You can check your data balance on their website or app. We've had no issues with service quality, and payments are automatically deducted from our credit card.
Opening a Credit Card
Having a good credit history in Canada is crucial if you plan to take out loans or a mortgage in the future. It's said that most Canadians live on credit, and smart people can even profit from this, which I'll explain another time.
Your credit history starts as soon as you open a bank account and get a credit card. It takes at least three months to build a history.
Even though you're new to Canada and nobody knows you, major banks usually trust permanent residents and approve credit cards. For example, one bank gave me a card with a $1,500 CAD limit, and the same for my wife. Later, another bank gave me a card with a $2,000 CAD limit.
I hate being in debt, but these limits came in handy a few times when buying furniture and other things. It's very important to pay off your balance on time if you use credit, or you'll not only hurt your credit score but also incur penalties.
If you're denied a regular credit card, you can open a secured credit card. This requires a security deposit, and your credit limit will be a percentage of that deposit. Later, when you've built some history, you can apply for a regular credit card.
Getting Health Insurance
Healthcare in Canada is nominally free. Nominal because you pay for it through taxes. The situation with health insurance waiting periods for new residents varies by province and has changed in some regions:
In Ontario, the waiting period for OHIP will be eliminated from 2025 — if you meet the requirements, health insurance starts immediately. This is a significant improvement for new residents in the province.
Quebec still has a three-month waiting period after applying for the Quebec Health Insurance Plan. Similar waiting periods remain in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, as well as Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
If your province has a waiting period and you get sick during this time, you'll have to pay out of pocket at foreign visitor rates, which can be very expensive.
So I recommend first finding out the conditions of public health insurance in the province where you plan to live, and if there's a waiting period, consider buying private insurance, at least for the children.
Exchanging Your Driver's License
A Canadian driver's license is a plastic card with your name, photo, address, and signature. If you have a license from your home country, you can use it for a while, usually the first two or three months, but this depends on the province. After that, you need a license issued by the government of the region where you live.
The process of getting a license varies by province. It may include a computer-based theory exam and a practical driving test. I failed the theory test on my first try.
Alex Pavlenko, founder of Immigrant.Today
