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First weeks of residence in Canada

When immigrating to Canada, you should not limit yourself to planning the move itself. Upon arrival in the country, each migrant must have a clear plan of action. After all, the issue of processing migration documents requires observing not only the sequence, but also the deadlines.

What should an immigrant do after arrival?

Getting off the plane, the first step is to deal with paper formalities and household needs. In order not to get confused, be prepared to complete the following list of important things.

Immigration and passport control

Regardless of the purpose of arrival in the country, all visitors are required to fill out a declaration with a description of things, as well as money, the value of which exceeds $ 10,000. This can be done before the plane lands.

Immediately after you go through customs, you will be directed to passport control, where, depending on the purpose of the visit, students and temporary workers can obtain their visas.

If you are applying for permanent resident status, head to the immigration office at the airport. You must provide the immigration officer with all documents, and then fill out an application form for a Permanent Resident Card. Please note, when the plastic resident card is ready, it will be sent by mail. This means that you will need to provide your temporary address. For those who have acquaintances living in Canada, this is not a problem. Everyone else should worry about renting a home in advance. In terms of time, registration of the resident status can take up to 6 weeks. At this time, temporary documents are issued to the immigrant, with which, if necessary, you can apply to social institutions.

On the government website CIC, each holder of an immigrant visa is given a personal account, where changes can be made if the address changes.

Rental of property

Finding temporary accommodation is worth it even before the trip, since there are certain rental features in Canada. A conditional permanent address will be required almost everywhere for sending documents and bank cards. Of course, up to this point, you can use a temporary alternative:

  • hostel;
  • hotel;
  • Resettlement House, where you can stay for 1 month.

If you intend to rent a house, keep in mind that in Canada, traditionally, the first day of each month is considered the day of check-in. You can select the options of interest remotely, but you can conclude an agreement with a realtor and move only at the beginning of the month.

Social insurance

In the first week of staying in Canada, you will also need to issue a social card. A SIN (Social Insurance Number card) is required for employment, social security benefits and opening a bank account. To do this, you need to apply at the nearest Service Canada Center. To obtain an insurance number, the following documents are required:

  • work / study permit;
  • documents for obtaining permanent residence status;
  • international passport.

You can find out the addresses of offices in your province and their opening hours on the official government Internet resources or in the telephone directory.

Medical insurance

All residents, students and temporary workers are eligible for free medical care in Canada (excluding dental and ophthalmic services). Immigrants can apply to a medical facility after 3 months from the date of application for a health insurance card. To obtain this ID document, contact your nearest walk-in clinic or newcomers’ office to fill out the form.

During this period, it is recommended to take out insurance in a private company, since, if necessary, any medical assistance will be very expensive.

Opening a bank account

Cashless payments are the most popular form of payment for services and goods in Canada. You can open an account with a Canadian bank even before arriving in the country. You can transfer money to it and use it as confirmation of your solvency at the border.

The choice of a bank depends on your individual preferences and convenience of location. Many of them offer loyal Newcomer terms. Don't miss the opportunity to save money. When you receive your first Canadian bank card, carefully review the terms of use. For some debit cards, the number of free transactions is limited.

Communication and the Internet

When contacting any government service, you will need to indicate a mobile number. Canadian operators provide subscribers with some of the most expensive services in the world. However, it is a necessity.

Local cellular operators offer approximately the same terms of cooperation, but the most profitable is to use combined offers (mobile + internet + home phone). Also keep in mind that a contract with a cellular company is at least one year.

What else might you need?

After receiving the main list of documents, you may need:

  • increasing the level of knowledge of the language (it is necessary to contact the LINC center);
  • registering children in kindergarten or school (contact your local department of education to register for a language test);
  • obtaining a driver's license (a very important ID document along with a passport, it is worth getting it, even if you are not going to drive a car);
  • choice of a family doctor and dentist (be guided by the reviews of friends or neighbors).

Also, don't forget to explore the culture and relax. Taking excursions and “live” communication with Canadians will help consolidate your knowledge of the language and integrate into the local environment.