Newcomer’s guide to settle in Canada

Congratulations! You have just received your visa to migrate to Canada. Your long-cherished dream has come true and you are packing your bags and are ready to leave. But wait a minute are you well-prepared to settle down in the new country? Have you taken care of the housing and healthcare? Do you have enough funds? More importantly do you have a job in Canada? Answers to these crucial questions are important to your preparation for your new life in Canada. Here is our advice on these aspects which will help you settle down into your new life as quickly as possible.

Housing:

When planning living arrangements in Canada, you have two options. First, you can find a temporary place to stay, such as a hotel, hostel, friends’ house etc.  This can be your short-term housing option till you find a place of your own. If you are making a hotel or hostel reservation, book it online before you land in Canada.

The second option is, before you arrive, you can start searching for apartments and homes online. Some apartments also let you close a lease before you arrive.  There are websites where you can search for available homes on rent.

Our suggestion would be to look for a place which is close to restaurants, shopping etc. and has transportation access.

Bank account:

On arrival in Canada, you'll want to open a Canadian bank account as soon as possible. Compared to other countries the opening of a Canadian bank account is extremely simple. All you need is a valid proof of personal identification. You need not have a job, permanent address, money or credit to open a bank account.

Healthcare facilities:

Canada has a universal healthcare system which is available even for immigrants. The healthcare system is funded through taxes. Those with a health insurance card can use public healthcare services. So, the first thing you must do as soon as you land in the country is to apply for health insurance and a government health card.

You can find the required form at hospitals, doctor’s offices, immigration offices or pharmacies. Since you will have to wait for three months for public health insurance, you will have to get private insurance coverage during this period. Private health insurances often cover aspects that are not protected by public health insurance.

Every province and territory have their own health insurance plan. Apart from this, all provinces and territories provide free emergency medical services, even for those without a government health card.

Under the healthcare system of Canada, hospital stays which are medically necessary which includes treatment for an illness, surgeries, childbirth etc. are covered. Prescription drugs while in hospital are also covered.

Social Insurance Number:

You will need a social insurance number (SIN) as soon as you arrive in Canada. You and every member of your family will be given a SIN. This number is required if you want to use the various services and facilities the government offers to immigrants. The SIN is required if you want to work in Canada. You can apply for the SIN either by mail or in person at the Service Canada office. This government link has all the details of the application process.

Employment:

The point is even before you move into the county you will have to start making efforts to find a job in Canada. As a first step, you will have to assess your skills and work experience. The next step is to do a study of the Canadian job market and find out which jobs are in demand and which skillsets are required in the Canadian job market. This will help you understand the kind of job openings available to you once you land there and how soon you will be able to get one. For this, you should have a fair idea of the top jobs available in Canada.

As a first step, you will have to assess your skills and work experience. The next step is to do a study of the Canadian job market and find out which jobs are in demand and which skillsets are required in the Canadian job market. But the point is understanding the Canadian job market can be quite a challenge.

You can use the below job tools to successfully search for a job:

Name of tool	Features
National Occupation Classification (NOC)	· Database of 30,000 job titles organized into groups based on skills and levels required · Every profession has a NOC code · Helps you know the common job titles for your profession so that you can look out for them in your job search
Job Bank	· Database of jobs maintained by the Canada government · Outlook for professions for next 5-10 years · Occupations ranked on basis of star ranking system · Higher stars indicate a good outlook · Helps to filter jobs by region or province
Labor Force Survey	· Monthly report by Statistics Canada · Overview of labor market · Details of job market for different territories

These are some of the important aspect you will need to consider before you move to Canada for a new life.