Settling in: a newcomer checklist

Settling in Canada is mostly a sequence problem. Almost everything you need — a bank account, a lease, a job, a phone contract — eventually asks for either a Social Insurance Number, a health card or proof of address, and the order you obtain them in determines how long the whole process takes. This is that order.

In the first two weeks

1. Get a Social Insurance Number. You cannot be paid legally without one. It is free, issued by Service Canada, and can be applied for at a Service Canada Centre or online. Never pay a third party for this, and never share the number except with an employer or a bank.
2. Open a bank account. A chequing account at a Canadian bank is what establishes the proof of address that landlords and utilities ask for. Newcomer packages with no monthly fee for the first year are common.
3. Apply for the BC Services Card. Coverage in British Columbia is issued by Medical Services Plan (MSP). Confirm the current waiting period on the plan page, and arrange temporary medical insurance to cover it.
4. Get a phone number. A Canadian mobile number is what two-factor authentication, banking and most government portals expect.

In the first three months

A place to live

Residential tenancy in British Columbia is governed by provincial law and disputes go to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB), not the city. Never send a deposit before you have seen the unit or a signed lease; rental fraud aimed at newcomers is common, particularly from overseas. A landlord may ask for a credit check and references, and may ask for first and last month’s rent — anything beyond that is worth checking against the provincial rules before you pay it.

Getting a driving licence

Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) handles driver licensing in British Columbia. The learner's permit is available from age 16. Licences from some countries can be exchanged directly; others require testing. Check before you assume yours transfers, and note that an international driving permit is valid only alongside a valid home licence and only for a limited period.

Registering children for school

Schooling is free through the public system for the children of residents, and registration is handled by the local school board rather than the city. You will generally need proof of address, the child’s immigration document, and immunisation records. French-language schooling has a constitutional right of access in much of Canada, and requirements differ by province.

Taxes and money

British Columbia residents file a single return with the Canada Revenue Agency covering both federal and provincial tax.

Provincial tax policy sits with the Ministry of Finance; the Canada Revenue Agency administers personal income tax. Even with little or no income, filing a return is how you receive the federal GST/HST credit and provincial benefits, so it is worth filing from your first year. Sales tax rates differ by province and are added at the till; the price on the shelf is not what you pay.

What varies by city rather than province

Utilities, waste collection, transit and property tax all come from the municipality, so they change the moment you cross a boundary. In Vancouver specifically, transit is run by TransLink, and municipal services are reached through the city’s own service line.

• Vancouver city services and 311
• Vancouver transit
• Health care in British Columbia