Congratulations!! Welcome to your new life in Canada!!

Well, you are most probably reading this before you come, so all the best in your new life.

So what do you do after you arrive in Canada? When I came to Canada, I was exhausted. I had been working almost 24×7 for the last couple of weeks before arriving. To move your entire life from one country to another is no easy task. And the long plane trip to Canada was also not restful. So my recommendation is take it easy. All the list of things that you need to get done will happen. Don’t worry, you have a lifetime to finish your jobs.

You need to rest and acclimatize for the first couple of days. Enjoy yourself and have fun. If you are staying with someone, ask them to show you around town. You will remember the first few days in Canada for the rest of your life, so make sure they are happy memories. I say this from hindsight, because when I first arrived I was stressed the whole time and did not take time to enjoy and reward myself for all the hard work I had put into moving to Canada.

I will even recommend taking a break for a week to 10 days. Do all the things that tourist do – visit the sights around town!

Get your SOCIAL INSURANCE number (SIN CARD)

One thing that you should do within the first week of arriving in Canada is to get your SIN Card. You will need the SIN Card to work in Canada, open your bank account, file your taxes, and receive benefits / allowances from the government. This number is very important and is closely tied to your income reporting. Do go through this fact sheet for more information on your SIN Card.

You need to go to a Service Canada office nearest to you, to get your SIN Card. You will get your SIN Card number immediately – the Service Caanda office will give you a paper that mentions your SIN Card number. You can then use this paper for all your needs till you get your actual card arrvies in 10-15 days. You don’t even need a permanent address to get your SIN Card. You can give the address of a friend or family and Service Canada uses this address just to to send you the card.