Upon arrival in Canada you must present your immigrant visa to a customs or immigration officer who will review and verify your visa and travel document.

You may be required to show proof of funds to ensure you have enough money to settle in Canada. Once this has been done the customs or immigrations officer will grant you admission to Canada as a permanent resident.

If you arrive as an entrepreneur immigrant, terms and conditions will be imposed. You will be given two years to meet the business requirements and report your progress.

Once you have landed you must maintain your Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) status. After landing you can leave Canada at anytime even the day of landing if you need to. Be aware there is a 183-day rule which states that you must not leave Canada for more than 183 days during a year. If there is something pressing outside of Canada which you must attend to, like the completion of your education or a contract, you may apply to waive the requirement of this half a year stay in Canada.

The settlement process can be exciting as well as frustrating but with a proper plan and lots of patience you can settle comfortably in your new surroundings. It is your responsibility to find a job prior to arrival or upon arrival in Canada. Ensure that you have sufficient funds to support yourself and your dependants until you get a job. Sometimes it can take up to year before you find a suitable job. Various kinds of settlement services are offered to immigrants by private organization like PROJAM or Canadian employment centers to bring you 'up to speed' and assist you in your job search. Volunteering your time and talent is another great way to get your 'feet wet' and understand the culture and vibrancy of the Canadian job scene. Networking, trade associations and other interest groups are also other avenues to explore.

Remember, permanent residents have the right to live, study and work indefinitely in Canada and are entitled to all social benefits accorded to Canadian citizens

Canada Child Tax Benefit
The Canada Child Tax Benefit is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under age 18.

Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB)
The UCCB is designed to help Canadian families, as they try to balance work and family life, by supporting their child care choices through direct financial support. The UCCB is for children under the age of 6 years and is paid in installments of $100 per month per child.

Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) credit
The GST/HST credit is a tax-free quarterly payment that helps individuals and families with low and modest incomes offset all or part of the GST or HST that they pay.

Application Forms

Payment Dates

Call the following numbers for more information:

• Child Tax Benefits
  1-800-387-1193
• GST Credit 1-800-959-1953
• Ontario Child Care Supplement for Working Families 1-800-263-7965

Canada has one of the finest health care systems in the world. Excellent hospitals, clinics or doctors' offices are located in most communities. Their services are usually available free of charge to all residents of Canada registered under the national health insurance program. This program is funded by governments (and paid for through taxes) and pays for most necessary medical services.

To access the health care system you need to have an official health card from the province you live. Your healthcare card will be accepted throughout Canada. However, you must register again if you move to another province. Your health card allows you to get to medical services from a licensed medical doctor (MD). The health card does not pay for prescription medicines. The coverage is a little different in each province and there may be a fee for accessing the healthcare system in some provinces.

It is recommended that as soon as you land you apply for your health card as this becomes effective three months after application. It's also recommended that during this waiting period you consider private health care coverage.

To apply for your health card (Ontario Health Insurance - OHIP):

1. Visit Ministry of Health and Long Term Care Online and View and/or& Print Registration Form
2. In person to one of their offices

Fill in the Registration for Ontario Health Coverage form and provide the following original documents:

• Immigrant Visa and Record of Landing
• Proof of where you live as follows:
  • Valid Ontario Drivers Licence or Temporary Drivers Licence
  • Ontario motor vehicle permit (plate or vehicle portions)
  • Bank account statement with your name and address
  • Utility bill with your name and address
  • Mortgage, rent or lease agreement in your name
  • Income tax assessment
  • Insurance policy (home, tenant, auto or life)
  • Employer record (pay stub or letter from employer)
  • Insurance policy (home, tenant, auto or life)
  • Employer record (pay stub or letter from employer)
  • School, college or university report card or transcript
  • Canadian or foreign passport
  • School, college or university report card or transcript
  • Canadian or foreign passport

You maybe asked for additional documents. For example, if your name has changed you may need to provide a marriage certificate or a change of name certificate.

Call the Ministry INFOline at 1-800-664-8988
(Toll-free in Ontario only)
TTY 1-800-387-5559
Hours of operation : 8:30am - 5:00pm

The Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a nine-digit number used in the administration of various Canadian government programs. You will require a SIN to work in Canada or to receive government benefits.

To apply for a Social Insurance Number, you must complete an application form.
You can obtain an application from your

• local office or
• download one.

For more information on Social Insurance Number Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)
Call toll free at 1-800-206-7218 or Visit them online

If you are a new resident of Ontario and have a valid driver's license from another province or country, you can use that license for a maximum of 60 days in Ontario. If you want to continue to drive after 60 days, you must get a driver's license.

If you are a licensed driver with 2 or more years of driving experience from the United States, you will get full Class G license privileges without taking a knowledge or road test. However, you must pass and show acceptable proof of your previous license status and driving experience.

To get an Ontario driver's license, you are required to produce 2 pieces of identification, at least one with your signature. Personal identification is also required. The following documents are acceptable as proof.

• Citizenship Card
• Passport
• Immigration Card with Photo
• Birth Certificate
• Baptismal Certificate

It is always a good idea to upgrade your job and language skills (particularly if English or French is not your first language) when you land in Canada.

There are a number of government funded or privately funded agencies who work with newcomers to help to make them job ready to meet the Canadian marketplace.

Universities and colleges are some of the places where you can improve your skills or learn new ones. An immigrant service agency or your local Human Resource Center should be able to give you a list of educational institutions in your area.

Becoming a Canadian citizen is an exciting prospect and with this opportunity brings responsibilities.

To apply for your Canadian citizenship must meet the following criteria:

• be 18 years of age or older
• be a permanent resident of Canada
• have lived in Canada for at least three of the four years before applying (1095 days)
• be able to communicate in either English or French
• know about Canada
• know about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship

For more information on obtaining your citizenship, visit Citizenship and Immigration web site at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizen/becoming-howto.html

Canada is considered to be a land of great opportunities and a high educational standard. Education can be either public or private. Public education is managed by the provincial governments and paid for by taxes, and is available to every child. Private education is managed by private companies or individuals and usually there is a fee or tuition involved. By law, children must attend school until the age of 15 or 16, depending on the province.

In Canada the school system can be broken down as follows:

1. Primary or Elementary

   Depending on the individual province, primary education starts at pre-kindergarten and continues to the end of grade 6 or 8.

2. Secondary

   Depending on the individual province, secondary education or high school may be divided into junior high (grades 7 to 9) and senior high (grades 10-12). Normally, students must complete the required academic courses in high school in order to be admitted to university and gain their high school diploma.

   Generally the language of instruction is either English or French. In Quebec, almost all newcomers attend French language schools. Sometimes an assessment is made to determine a child’s language and mathematical skills and if necessary they will be placed in the program the school thinks is best for them.

3. Tertiary

   Tertiary education begins after high school at the college or university level. Students are required to have obtained the prerequisite high school academic credits and high school diploma. You must pay fees to attend college or university. Tuition fees can start anywhere from $3,000 and up for an eight-month term, depending on the province and the program. Living expenses, books and supplies etc., are additional costs.

   Tuition fees cover about 25 per cent of the costs of higher education; the rest comes from taxes. Medicine, science and business programs generally cost more than the humanities and arts. To help with university costs, scholarships, bursaries or student loans may be available, depending on how long the student has lived in Canada. Many university students have a part-time job. Many graduate students support themselves financially through bursaries, scholarships and loans or by working as teaching assistants.

   You can continue to improve your education. Continuing education or lifetime learning is an important part of many Canadians' lives. Many people continue their education on a part-time basis at universities, colleges and through courses offered by public school boards or through their jobs.

If your native language is not English or French it might be useful to upgrade or expand your knowledge of either or both. Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) is a program paid for by the federal government which could help you/and or a member of your family improve your language skills.

To qualify for this program you must be a permanent resident or someone who has been allowed to remain in Canada waiting for permanent resident status and who has not become a Canadian citizen. An immigrant service agency or your local immigration office should be able to help you enroll in a LINC course.