Friday, June 27, 2008

Just Landed I - What to do next?



First, allow me to say: WELCOME TO CANADA :).

Now after you have arrived to Canada, you need to know what to do next. in this post I will give you your Welcome to Canada Checklist, and then I will elaborate more in each one ... so I will write a separate detailed post about every action item. Here is your list:


  1. Find a place to live (Housing): I talked about this in previous post (Preparing your Landing II - Where to Stay) so I hope you have at least a temporary a place to stay by now. However, I will talk about Housing in details in later post including all the housing options (Apartment Rental, Condo rental ...etc) you have and your rights as a tenant.

  2. Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)
  3. Apply for a Health Card (OHIP)
  4. Apply for the Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) if you have kids
  5. Open a Bank Account: I recommend RBC Royal Bank as it is the biggest bank in Canada. I will elaborate more about Financial issues in later post.
  6. Apply for a Driver’s Licence
  7. Job Search: Get information about finding a job by finding an Employment Resource Centre (ERC) close to your home, where you can learn about your rights as an employee and lots of useful information about how to "job search".
  8. Find a Settlement Agency close to your home
  9. Find a Community Health Centre close to your home
  10. Find a Public Library close to your home
  11. Find out how to register your children in school
  12. Get maps of streets and bus routes
  13. Find English Classes for you and your family
  14. Find out where to shop: Food, Clothes, etc ...

You have a lot to do, be prepared ... you need to work hard :) Good luck.

11 comments:

Sammy said...

Hi Nabil,

Absolutely commendable job. I am through your almost entire blod and I must say its very informative. Just want to know you havent elaborated on applying for OHCB and CCTB

Also I could not find any post explaining about the TAX system in cadnada.

PGR Nair said...

Dear Nabil

My imponderable gratitude to you for taking your time and jotting all this down. I am planning to immigrate to Toronto this August and I am making a print out of everything you wrote....Great job dear

PGR Nair
SAFCO-SABIC, Saudi Arabia
pgr.rediffiland.com

Anonymous said...

I saw another post that recommended the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC). Actually, this is one of the banks that gouges its customers by charging them user fees for everything. All of the big commercial banks are guilty of this.

In the last few years that I was in Canada I banked with President's Choice Financial, an internet bank affiliated with Loblaws grocery stores. They were great and didn't charge fees for anything!

If you don't feel safe putting your money into a virtual bank, try a local credit union. I can't vouch for credit unions in Canada but we bank with one here in the States and are really happy with it. They don't charge fees and you can use any bank machine at the 7-11 convenience stores.

Just adding my two cents!

Aqm74 said...

Hi Nabil,
Can you please clarify how much time it takes to receive the PR Card after landing. The CIC website says 30 days, but I've heard from some people that it takes 2-4 months, even more.
CIC also states that there can be an urgent request (you have to show return air tickets for that).

Kindly share your experience.

Unknown said...

For me ... It took 2 months or less to get my PR. But yes usually it takes anywhere between 4 weeks to 9 weeks.

I don't know about the urgent issues!

Nabil

Anonymous said...

Nabil, your site is excellent.
I have an issue... I landed 4 yrs ago. I have all my documents and ready to apply for the citizenship. None the less, I can't find the 'proof of landing'... which I was told it is a must requisite for the application. How does it look like? Is this paper provided the day one lands? I can't remember anything about this paper... Do you know how can I get a copy and how long does it take?

Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I have just recd my visa and prepairing to land sometime in November.My first visit would only for a week and the problem I face is that which address to mention on the PR application.
Is there anyone who provides this service for a fee?
Sat

Unknown said...

Yes, lots of lawyers provide this service for a fee, actually all immigration lawyers do.

Anonymous said...

If you could e-mail me with a few suggestions on just how you made your blog look this excellent, I would be grateful.

febeth said...

It takes 2 months to get the PR card

Anonymous said...

very interesting, thanks

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