Newcomer Checklist

The money steps most newcomers take in their first 90 days, in a sensible order. Your progress is saved on this device when your browser allows it.

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Before and when you arrive

Keep your immigration documents together

What to carry: Keep your physical passport, COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence), work/study permit approval letters, and port-of-entry (POE) introduction letters in your carry-on luggage.
Why it matters: You must present original physical documents to the border officer upon landing to get your official status paper issued. Digital copies or packed luggage copies will not be accepted.
Pro-tip: Bring physical copies of your marriage certificate and your children’s vaccination and school records, as these are required later for school registration and family benefits.

Apply for your Social Insurance Number (SIN)

How to apply: If you land at a major international airport (like Toronto Pearson or Vancouver International) during business hours, look for the Service Canada desk inside the customs area to get your SIN before leaving the airport. Otherwise, visit a Service Canada office in person on your first weekday.
SIN@Landing counters are in the arrivals area at six international airports.
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
- Terminal 1: Located directly inside the Arrivals baggage claim hall, near baggage carousel 7.
- Terminal 3: Located inside the Arrivals baggage claim hall, near the designated domestic/international exit gate area.
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
- Located on Level 3 (International Arrivals area), near the main immigration exit gates before you pass into the public welcome terminal space.
Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
- Located inside the customs and immigration secondary processing section, next to the main desks where work and study permits are printed.
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
- Located inside the International Arrivals baggage hall, near the exits leading from the CBSA customs clearance floor.
Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
- Located immediately past the secure border clearance area, inside the baggage claim zone before the public greeting doors.
Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
- Located inside the primary international arrivals clearance and immigration intake pavilion.
If you miss the counter or find it closed, use the Service Canada Finder to find a walk-in office near where you will live.
Counter positions and opening hours can change. Follow the airport signs and check the hours before you land.
Why it matters: Your SIN is a 9-digit number required to legally work, get paid, and open bank accounts. You cannot be added to a Canadian employer's payroll system without it.
Security note: Treat your SIN like cash. Never text it, email it, or carry the physical document in your wallet once issued; write it down somewhere secure.

Get your provincial health coverage

How to register: Research your specific destination province's healthcare plan before boarding (e.g., OHIP in Ontario, MSP in BC, AHCIP in Alberta). Prepare the exact proof of residency documents they require.
Why it matters: Waiting periods differ by province. Some provinces cover you from your first day, while others make you wait up to about three months before public coverage starts.
Action item: If your province has a waiting period, private health insurance can cover you until public coverage starts. Without it, you pay the full cost of any doctor visit or hospital care yourself, and a single hospital stay can cost thousands of dollars. Plans can be bought before you fly.

Secure initial funds and currency conversion

How to prepare: Set up a multi-currency digital wallet (like Wise) or open a Canadian bank account from abroad (many major Canadian banks allow you to apply online up to 30 days before arrival).
Why it matters: Converting large cash amounts at airport kiosks offers the worst possible exchange rates. Having digital access to Canadian Dollars (CAD) on day one ensures you can pay for airport transit, food, and emergency accommodation without paying massive foreign transaction fees on your home-country bank cards.
Declaration rule: If you are carrying physical cash, traveler's cheques, or bank drafts worth $10,000 CAD or more (or equivalent in foreign currency) across the border, you must legally declare it to border services on your arrival form to avoid severe fines and seizure.

First two weeks

Open a chequing account

Shop around for “Newcomer Packages”: Major banks (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO and CIBC) compete for your business by offering 12 to 24 months of zero monthly fees, free international money transfers, and cash sign-up bonuses.
Get a bundled credit card: Look for packages that approve you for your first credit card without requiring a Canadian credit history.
After the free period: The free period ends automatically, and the regular monthly fee starts without you signing up for anything. At the big banks that is about $13 to $18 a month, unless you keep a minimum daily balance, usually $4,000. Ask what your account will cost and how that balance is counted before you open it.
Read: what banks charge after the free period

Set up a phone plan and a mailing address

Establish an address: Use a lease, a temporary rental or a friend's or family member's address you can rely on. Banks and other services often ask for a document showing your name and address, such as a lease or a utility bill.
Bring your own phone (BYOD): Bring an unlocked phone from home and sign up for a monthly plan without a new phone (often called SIM-only). That way you avoid paying off an expensive phone over two years. Check that your phone works on Canadian networks before you sign.
Why it matters: You'll need a Canadian phone number (+1) and a mailing address to verify online banking, set up utilities and apply for jobs.

Set up online and mobile banking

How to set up: Download your bank’s official app from the App Store or Google Play, then register for online banking, usually with your debit card number. Turn on two-step verification right away, using your Canadian phone number.
Why it matters: Checking your account often is the easiest way to spot unexpected fees, mistakes and payments you didn’t make. You can also move money between savings and chequing in seconds, so you don’t overdraw your account by accident.
Action item: In the app’s settings, turn on push or text alerts for low balances, large withdrawals and every credit card purchase.

First 90 days

Get your first credit card

How to choose: Start with a newcomer card, a secured card (you give the bank a cash deposit, which usually becomes your credit limit) or a student card with no minimum income. Skip premium cards for now: Visa Infinite cards, for example, ask for $60,000 in personal income or $100,000 in household income (checked November 10, 2026).
Apply carefully: Each application usually adds a hard inquiry to your credit file, and several in a short time can lower your score. Apply only for cards you are likely to get, one at a time.
Why it matters: Landlords, phone companies, car lenders and some utilities may check your credit before they approve you or decide whether to ask for a deposit. The sooner you get a card and use it well, the sooner your credit history starts to grow.
Action item: Before you apply, check the card’s income requirement and annual fee on the bank’s own website.
Read: how to get your first credit card

Set up automatic payments

How to set up: In your banking app, set up an automatic monthly payment to your credit card. Choose the full statement balance if you can; the minimum payment is a safety net, not the goal. If your card is with a different bank, schedule the payment a few business days before the due date, because payments between banks can take time to arrive.
Why it matters: When you pay the full statement balance by the due date, you pay no interest on purchases. A late payment can bring a fee and interest right away. Once a payment is about 30 days late, it is usually reported to the credit bureaus, and it can stay on your credit report for up to six years.
Pro-tip: Keep enough money in your chequing account to cover the payment. If an automatic payment bounces, your bank can charge a fee and your card payment still counts as missed. The low-balance alert you turned on earlier helps here.

Learn what your bank charges

Where to look: Your bank has to tell you its fees. Find the list on its website, often called “service fees” or “account fees”, or ask at a branch. Look at the fees for sending money abroad, wire transfers, extra transactions, paper statements and spending in a foreign currency.
Why it matters: Small fees add up. Many credit cards charge about 2.5% on purchases in another currency, so $1,000 of shopping from abroad costs about $25 extra. Wire transfers can carry fees at both the sending and the receiving bank.
Good to know: Since March 12, 2026, a bank can charge no more than $10 when a payment bounces because there isn’t enough money in your account (an NSF fee). If fees add up for the way you bank, ask about a low-cost account, which costs no more than $4 a month at the big banks.

Compare ways to send money abroad

How to compare: Look at the amount the other person will actually receive, not just the transfer fee. A provider with a low or $0 fee can make up for it with a weaker exchange rate. Compare banks, credit unions and money transfer companies for the same amount on the same day.
Why it matters: The exchange rate markup can cost more than the fee itself. The person receiving the money may also pay a fee or tax to collect it, and faster delivery usually costs more.
Watch out: If you pay for a transfer with a credit card, it may count as a cash advance, with interest starting right away at a higher rate. Keep your receipt and transaction number until the money arrives.

Request your free credit report

How to get it: Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada each let you see your credit report online for free, updated monthly. You can also request it by mail or by phone. Checking your own report or score never lowers it.
Why it matters: Each bureau keeps its own file, and the two can differ. A mistake, such as an account that isn’t yours or a late payment you didn’t make, can lead to a rejected application. An account you didn’t open can also be the first sign of identity theft.
Action item: Check both reports once you’ve had a credit card for a few months, then about once a year. If something is wrong, contact that bureau to have it corrected.

Open a TFSA or RRSP when you are ready

TFSA: Money that grows in a Tax-Free Savings Account isn’t taxed, even when you take it out. Your contribution room starts in the year you become a resident, if you’re 18 or older and have a SIN. The limit for 2026 is $7,000.
RRSP: Money you put in a Registered Retirement Savings Plan can lower your income tax now, and it’s taxed when you take it out. Your room is based on the earned income on your previous Canadian tax return, so most newcomers have little or no room until they’ve filed their first return.
Before you contribute: Check your exact room in your CRA account. If you put more into a TFSA than your room allows, the extra is taxed at 1% a month until you take it out.
Read on CRA: TFSA contributions

File your income tax return

When to file: Your first return covers the year you became a resident and is due April 30 of the next year. If you arrived in 2026, that means April 30, 2027. If you or your partner are self-employed, the deadline is June 15, but any tax you owe is still due April 30.
Why it matters: The CRA uses your return to work out benefits such as the GST/HST credit (now called the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit) and the Canada child benefit. To keep receiving them, you need to file every year, even with little or no income.
Good to know: Income you earned abroad before becoming a resident isn’t taxed in Canada, but the CRA asks about it to work out your benefits. You can apply for some benefits as soon as you arrive, without waiting for your first return.
Action item: Keep your tax slips, such as T4s from work and T2202 tuition forms, in one place. If your income is modest and your taxes are simple, a free volunteer tax clinic may be able to file your return for you.
Read on CRA: taxes for newcomers

General information, not personal advice. Requirements differ by province and by situation, so check with the organizations involved.