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Canada · Relocation guide

Canada relocation checklist

Immigration approval is the starting point; provincial health, driving, housing, schooling and tax administration follow.

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

Prepare the document pack

Carry the passport, confirmation of permanent residence or permit, family civil records, translations and proof of funds or accommodation required by your status. Keep originals secure and copies accessible.

Check the conditions on each permit and whether a family member has separate authorisation.

First arrival tasks

Arrange a stable address, phone access and banking. Apply for a SIN through Service Canada when eligible and store it securely. Register with the provincial or territorial health authority and ask about any waiting or coverage rule.

Use federally funded newcomer services for housing, employment, language and settlement support.

First tax year and local life

Keep arrival date, income, foreign-account and family records for the CRA. School, childcare, driver licensing, tenancy and utilities are mainly local tasks, so use the province, territory or municipality where you live.

Do not treat a federal permit as a substitute for a provincial licence, professional registration or health card.

Pack for the border, your first home and your first job

Keep travel/status evidence in hand luggage, with an offline copy available if mobile data fails. A separate settlement folder can hold rental references, school and medical records, and contact details. Give highly sensitive documents only to the organisation that genuinely needs them; do not send a full immigration application to every prospective landlord.

For permanent-residence approval, check the COPR rather than assuming you can postpone arrival indefinitely. For an approved overseas work permit, use IRCC’s arrival checklist for the documents the border officer may request. Ask for corrections before non-refundable travel if names or passport details do not match.

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 14 tasks completed

Before you move
On arrival
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.

Plan your next step