Settling in Canada

After arriving in Canada, you will need to do a number of things to get oriented and to begin laying the roots necessary to successfully integrate. Some of the main factors that new arrivals will need to consider include housing, employment, healthcare, education, and obtaining your social insurance number.

Accommodations

The first thing that you will need to consider after arriving in Canada is where you will stay. If you are fortunate enough to have friends or relatives in Canada who can house you and your family temporarily – great, but most people will need to consider short term housing. Canada has two main forms of short term accommodation, motels and hotels.

Motels are inexpensive rooms that are most often used by travelers driving longer distances. As such, they are most often located close to major thoroughfares such as highways. These rooms are generally going to be the most inexpensive option and would be billed by the night per stay. The average cost per night of this type of room will be CAD$55, but visitors can expect very few “frills” during their stay.

Hotels are a more expensive option, but will generally offer more services to their customers. These can range from chain hotels or inns that are also commonly located on major thoroughfares, but which are associated with a national or international company. This type of accommodation will typically be at the less expensive end of the spectrum of hotel costs and may be most suitable for a stay of several weeks while something more long term is sought.

After several weeks, you should have made arrangements for something more long-term. The best solution while you gain footing and familiarize yourself with a new country will be rental of a house or apartment. Short term rentals are available on a month to month basis, and may include fully furnished accommodations for a higher cost than those without furnishings. Rental is probably the better option until you know where your career in Canada will start, and what area in that region you prefer. Signing a lease will commit you to a location for a specific period of time, typically a year, but will generally mean lower prices than month to month rentals.

Once you are comfortable that your roots are sufficiently established, you may choose to go on to buy a home. Most people will use a real-estate agent for this process in order to find the most suitable place. For the buyer, there is generally no cost for the assistance provided by such an agent in the buying process. Some real-estate agents can also assist in locating suitable rental properties, again typically at no cost to the one renting the home.

Employment

A major consideration for most immigrating to Canada is that of their first position of employment here. Not a simple task, there is considerable preparation that is required of candidates in order to secure that first position. Things to consider include your résumé, promoting the international experience that you no doubt possess, evaluation of academic credentials, familiarization with occupational organizations, and more.

A typical approach that many candidates for employment will take advantage of is the use of online services such as the Workopolis network. These services are convenient as they allow you to examine the availability of positions throughout Canada. Of course local newspapers and national publications such as the Globe and Mail should also be referred to.

Recruiters will typically work on behalf of employment candidates for no cost, and are retained by employers to locate suitable employees. Career counselors generally work on behalf of the candidate himself but charge a fee for the service, typically equivalent to one to two month’s salary. The latter is usually reserved for management or executive level candidates.

Healthcare

As you are likely aware, all Canadians are entitled to government sponsored healthcare. Each province is responsible for providing this service to its residents, and applications must be submitted the provincial ministry responsible. Some provinces will impose a delay of up to 90 days from the time of an application for healthcare coverage until the time that you are actually covered. It is still important to apply right away after establishing residence in a given province, but if such a delay is imposed, it may be necessary to consider private health insurance for whatever duration is applicable. 

Education

Either for yourself of for your dependents, it may be necessary to familiarize yourself with Canada’s education system. Like most western countries, Canadian academics are categorized into three levels; primary or elementary school; secondary or high-school; and tertiary or university level education. Education is governed by the individual provinces, however, and not at the Federal level. Schools may be public, including denominational schools, or private. As children are required by law to attend schooling until the age of 15 or 16, all non-private schools are publicly funded - as are Quebec’s CEGEPs, a level of education unique this province which occurs between secondary and university education.

The elementary school system emphasizes basic academic abilities such as language, math, social studies, introductory arts and science. In general, high school programs consist of two streams. The first prepares students for university, the second for post-secondary education at a community college or institute of technology, or for the workplace. 200 post-secondary technical institutes and colleges exist alongside approximately 100 universities. Student fees for Canadians, owing to substantial government subsidies, account for only about 11 percent of the cost of Canadian post-secondary education. 

Social Insurance Number

A Social Insurance Number is used to register Canadian workers with the Employment Insurance Program and with the Canada Pension Plan. It is also used for tracking for purposes of taxation and is typically a mandatory requirement for employment for a Canadian entity. Upon arriving for such, applicants may apply for their Social Insurance Number in person (fastest), by mail, or by phone if residing in the province of New Brunswick.