Within the pleasure of getting your Affirmation of Everlasting Residence (COPR), it’s important to think about the primary issues to do after touchdown in Canada. It’s now time for the subsequent step alongside your immigration journey. Your Canadian journey begins whenever you full all of the paperwork, pack your belongings, and say your goodbyes. The primary steps you are taking upon your arrival in Canada will set the course for a clean settlement course of. Uncover the important steps to constructing your life in Canada!
What to Count on When You Land in Canada
Understanding what to anticipate whenever you land will contribute to a clean expertise and cut back stress.
One of many first folks you’ll meet upon arrival in Canada might be a pleasant Canadian customs agent. That is when the customs agent will ask you in regards to the items you carry with you, items to comply with, and touchdown certificates, corresponding to your COPR.
You’ll additionally meet different officers from Immigration Providers. They are going to ask you to indicate your passport and visa papers. Immigration brokers offers you software varieties to use for paperwork corresponding to your:
- Everlasting Resident (PR) Card
- Social Insurance coverage Quantity (SIN) card
Making use of for these paperwork throughout the first couple of weeks after you land in Canada is essential. You will have a SIN card to work in Canada, and a well being care card to get provincial healthcare protection.
When Will I Obtain My Everlasting Resident (PR) Card?
Your PR card is proof of your Canadian everlasting resident standing. You will have this card everytime you go away Canada and wish to re-enter. The processing time on your PR software can fluctuate, and it might take as much as two months to obtain your PR card. You’ll be able to examine processing instances right here.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will mail you a wallet-sized plastic PR Card. In the event you change your mailing tackle earlier than receiving your PR Card, notify IRCC of your change of tackle. It’s also possible to examine the standing of your software.
Essential First Steps After Touchdown in Canada
When you determine to immigrate, it’s time to look forward confidently. You’ve carried out a lot to arrange for Canada, so belief your self, benefit from the journey, and take these steps whenever you land.
1. Discover Housing Lodging
It’s essential to safe short-term lodging (a keep of lower than 28 days) earlier than you arrive in Canada. Whereas residing in short-term housing, a significant first step is to seek out lodging in Canada that may fit your long-term rental wants.
Ideally, you wish to discover a place that meets your wants and is comparatively near your employer. In the event you’re transferring to a big metropolis like Toronto, take note of how dispersed it’s. Journey time throughout the Higher Toronto Space can take as much as 90 minutes by automobile or public transit. So, think about journey time when deciding the place to stay.
Leases for Newcomers is a good place to seek for the proper rental in cities throughout Canada. Whereas it’s good to analysis the housing market in Canada earlier than you arrive, one of the best time to seek for housing is after you arrive in Canada. This can assist you to go to properties, meet the owner, and keep away from rental scams.
Tip for Newcomers: Having a SIM card and a Canadian telephone quantity makes it simpler to contact landlords, schedule viewings, and reply rapidly to rental listings.
2. Apply for Your Social Insurance coverage Quantity (SIN)
Apply on your SIN throughout the first week after you arrive in Canada. With out this nine-digit quantity, you can not get a job, apply for presidency applications and advantages, or entry credit score. In actual fact, with out it, you might be nearly an individual with out an id in Canada. There is no such thing as a price to get your SIN.
Upon getting your SIN, you’ll be prepared to use for the roles you recognized throughout your pre-arrival analysis. In the event you haven’t but arrived in Canada, learn extra about the best way to seek for jobs in Canada earlier than you arrive.
3. Apply on your Healthcare Card Upon Touchdown in Canada
Throughout the first week of your arrival in Canada, apply for a healthcare card to obtain free medical protection within the province or territory the place you propose to stay. Some provinces, corresponding to British Columbia, have a three-month ready interval earlier than your healthcare protection takes impact. It’s essential to use for provincial healthcare inside your first week to reduce delays in protection.
In the event you land in a province with a ready interval, you possibly can purchase personal insurance coverage to cowl you and your loved ones from surprising healthcare prices. A ready interval applies for everlasting residents in British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
4. Join with Settlement Businesses Earlier than and After Touchdown in Canada
There are numerous immigrant service businesses throughout Canada. Settlement businesses present free providers that can assist you regulate to life in Canada. Some settlement businesses even supply pre-arrival providers earlier than you land in Canada. There’s a large benefit to utilizing settlement providers earlier than and after your arrival in Canada.
Study About Free Pre-Arrival Providers
In the event you’re nonetheless in your house nation, be taught extra about free pre-arrival providers:
Already in Canada? Uncover Free Submit-Arrival Providers
If in case you have already arrived in Canada, you possibly can search right here free of charge post-arrival providers.
Listed here are some providers that you would be able to make the most of:
Free Language Coaching:
Enhancing your English or French language expertise is a good concept as a result of it’s essential to newcomer success. Language coaching might give attention to fundamental English expertise solely, and is probably not sufficient that can assist you succeed within the work surroundings. Nonetheless, many schools and trade associations supply higher-level English coaching and job-specific or occupation-specific language coaching.
Host Packages:
Some organizations might supply a bunch program. This volunteer-based program matches immigrants with a bunch who can information them by their first few months in Canada. Your “host” may also help you with questions on one of the best locations to buy regionally, discover housing, or enroll your kids at school.
Settlement Counselling:
Immigrating to a brand new nation will be an emotional time. You might really feel frustration, remorse, and homesickness. Immigrant settlement businesses are there to assist you with counselling for you and your loved ones.
Job Search Providers Earlier than and After Touchdown in Canada:
Immigrant settlement businesses are additionally an amazing first step that can assist you along with your job search. For instance, they may also help you to:
- Put together for job interviews.
- Many settlement businesses supply applications to help your job search earlier than and after you land in Canada.
Mentorship Packages:
It’s also possible to ask the settlement company if they provide a mentorship program. Mentoring applications join you with somebody who works in your occupation and might present info and ideas in regards to the occupation in Canada. Mentoring will be a good way that can assist you succeed within the office.
5. Arrange a Financial institution Account
One other precedence in your first few weeks in Canada is to open a checking account close to your house. To open an account, you will want your landed immigrant papers and every other identification you need to show your home of residence. You’ll be able to even open a checking account earlier than you arrive in Canada.
Banks present several types of accounts, together with fundamental financial savings and chequing accounts. You might want a chequing account specifically as a result of most employers will make a direct deposit to your checking account to pay you.
Over time, you’ll construct a superb relationship along with your financial institution and begin constructing your credit score historical past. One solution to construct credit score is to use for a secured bank card after which a standard bank card. With a secured bank card, you present a money deposit to cowl your payments. Paying your payments and loans promptly is essential to construct a powerful Canadian credit score historical past. Your credit score historical past will allow you to whenever you wish to get a mortgage, purchase a house, make a significant buy corresponding to a automobile, or get a mortgage to start out a enterprise.
6. Enroll Your Kids in College When You Land in Canada
One motive folks immigrate to Canada is to present their kids a greater future. That begins with schooling. Canada ensures an schooling to each baby between the ages of 5 and 18. You should enroll your baby at school as quickly as attainable after you arrive in Canada.
The progressive ranges within the Canadian schooling system for kids embody:
Kindergarten: Kids enter the college system in Kindergarten at age 5.
Major or Elementary College: After they full Kindergarten, they attend main or elementary faculty for grades 1 to 7 or 8, relying on the college district.
Secondary or Excessive College: From grade 8 or 9 by to 12, kids attend secondary faculty (highschool). Some districts have a junior excessive stage between elementary and highschool.
You’ll be off to an amazing begin whenever you take these important steps upon your arrival in Canada!
WRITTEN BY
Corinna Frattini
Senior Editor and Content material Director, Put together for Canada
Corinna researches and writes content material to assist newcomers make knowledgeable choices about housing, employment, banking, and facets of settling in Canada. With a background in human sources and management improvement, her articles give attention to how newcomers can proceed their careers in Canada. Her writing combines analysis, sensible steering, and clear language to assist newcomers on their journey.
© Put together for Canada 2026
