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Canada · Relocation guide

Moving to Canada: immigration status and settlement steps

Canada combines federal immigration with provincial and territorial delivery of many everyday services, so plan the federal status and local administration separately.

Content updated 11 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.

Start with federal immigration status

Choose between permanent residence, a work permit, study permit, family sponsorship or another programme based on the actual purpose of the move. A permit may limit employer, occupation, study or location, while permanent residence has different rights and obligations.

Use the IRCC programme page and your approval letter to confirm who may accompany you, what documents must be carried and whether work or study is authorised. Do not infer provincial health eligibility from immigration approval alone.

Choose a province with the local system in mind

Province or territory affects health-card administration, driving, education, tenancy, employment standards and tax rates. Compare the actual job or study location, commute, language access, climate and family support instead of treating Canada as one local market.

Plan temporary accommodation and a realistic housing search. Keep funds for deposits, furniture, winter clothing where relevant, transport, phone, food, insurance and the first pay cycle.

SIN, banking and tax

A Social Insurance Number is a confidential identifier used for work and many government services. Apply through Service Canada using the immigration document accepted for your status, and protect the number from unnecessary disclosure.

Tax residence is determined separately from immigration status. The CRA says newcomers should understand filing, benefits, residential ties and foreign income. Keep arrival records, employment slips, bank records and treaty advice where relevant.

Health, children and work

Health coverage is administered by the province or territory and eligibility and waiting rules can differ. Check the local health ministry immediately after arrival and keep private or travel cover if there is a gap.

For children, arrange school or childcare using the province or territory’s rules and carry birth, custody, immunisation and immigration documents. Your federal status may authorise work, but an employer must still comply with provincial employment standards and regulated-profession rules.

Driving, pets and utilities

Driving-licence exchange is provincial or territorial. Check the relevant authority before relying on an overseas licence, especially if you will drive for work.

Pets require airline, vaccination and Canadian import planning. At home, arrange electricity, heating, internet, tenant insurance and waste services according to the municipality and lease. Keep copies of the move-in inspection and utility account numbers.

What does your approval actually give you?

An overseas work-permit approval is not the printed permit: the border officer makes the admission decision and, where satisfied, issues the permit. Carry the approval evidence and job documents; inspect the printed conditions before leaving the desk. Express Entry permanent-residence approval follows a different process, with a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and any required travel visa. Check the COPR details and expiry before booking.

Make one folder per family member. Put the document allowing travel, the document establishing status, and the evidence of authorised work or study in separate slots. This makes it easier to spot a missing dependant document before the family is at the airport.

Which job should come first?

Use this as a planning sequence, not a list of Canadian statutory deadlines. The dependencies matter more than trying to finish every task in the first week. A temporary address, for example, may be useful for arrival but not accepted for every provincial service.

Which job should come first?
TaskEvidence to prepareQuestion before committing
Longer-term homeIdentity, budget and evidence the landlord requestsWhich provincial tenancy rules apply, and what cash is needed before keys are released?
PayrollCorrect immigration document and SIN applicationDoes the actual permit allow this employer, role and location?
Health coverageStatus and residence evidence for each applicantWhat is the effective date, and what is excluded?
School or childcareChild’s documents and target addressWhich local school board or provider serves the address?
DrivingOriginal licence and experience evidenceWhich province will license you and recognise your driving history?

Choose a usable account, not just a newcomer promotion

Canadian citizenship is not a universal prerequisite for a bank account. Ask the chosen bank how it will establish your identity and whether activation requires an in-person visit. Compare the ongoing fee after any introductory period, transfer costs, cash access and how your employer will pay you.

Keep enough accessible money for the period between arrival and the first cleared pay. In your moving budget, distinguish a refundable deposit from a fee, and avoid counting funds that are still tied up in another country as immediately available Canadian spending money.

Your moving checklist

Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.

0 of 5 tasks completed

Before you move
Your first month
Later and before renewal

Sources and checks

The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.

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