Newcomer Essentials

As a newcomer in Canada, there are essentials that one needs to secure as you integrate and become part of the Canadian system.

For an international student like me, these were:

1. Study Permit issued by IRCC/CBSA at the Canadian point of entry (in my case, in Toronto) that authorizes my stay in the country until my program is done.

2. Social Insurance Number (SIN) issued by ServiceCanada, so I can accept work legally (20hrs/wk on regular school days and 40hrs/full time on breaks and holidays)

3. A personal bank account (chequing with a creditcard bundled in) for regular purchases and where payroll is deposited once I start working

4. Phone plan/line (either prepaid topped up periodically or those with monthly recurring fees) so I’m reachable by employers, the school, etc, and navigate around using Google Maps on my phone

I felt a bit of a rush (or giddiness) when I received my SIN. It is a key registry after all, whether for work, becoming a resident and later on for Canadian citizenship.

Got myself two separate bank accounts (CIBC and Scotiabank), one for dailies and the other for school and major purchases etc. It never hurts to start financial planning early on. CIBC is nearest to the school while Scotiabank has branches everywhere in the North Bay area.

It is one of the paradigm shifts for me that credit history is a big thing here and using creditcards instead of cash are highly encouraged, unlike how it is back home where cash is king.

I am used to paying for things via online channels, but I have an aversion to creditcards. Seems my spending habit will change a bit in that aspect.

You’ll have a better payment history when you pay all dues on time and use your cards as often as you can, the better your credit standing becomes. It helps later when getting a car or a home mortgage and lines of credit for major purchases.

Got Chatr for my phone line, though there were other options like Fido, Telus, Kodoo, Bell, etc which is great.

Admittedly, I didn’t waste much time comparing offers because my basic need is just standard Canada-wide texting and calling, and ample data for navigation. The cheaper, the better and not tied with a contract. Easy setup, upgrade plans or port numbers later on should I choose to switch carriers.

I managed to take care of these in the last 3-4 days. One of the advantages of a small town/city is that you get things done faster with no queues/lines, set online appointments that make it hassle-free with minimal paperwork, and get to places without the pains of traffic.

There are plenty more essentials in the checklist, but that’ll be for the next run. Rome wasn’t built in a day and so is establishing a new life in Canada.