PaperNorthYour First-Year Checklist
0% done — you've got this 🍁
Week 1 — the unlock keys
Get your SIN (Social Insurance Number)
Free, often same-day at a Service Canada office or online. You need it to work, bank, and get benefits. Never share it casually — employers, banks, and the CRA are the main legitimate askers.
Apply — canada.ca →⚠️ Trap: anyone phoning you and demanding your SIN "or you'll be arrested" is a scammer. Always.
Open a bank account
You can open one even before a job. All big banks have newcomer packages (often free banking for a year + a credit card without credit history). Bring your immigration documents.
Your account rights — FCAC →Get a Canadian phone number
Needed for almost every application. Prepaid works day one; compare plans before signing a contract.
⚠️ Trap: 2–3 year phone contracts are common — under the Wireless Code you can still cancel with capped fees, but prepaid first is simpler.Month 1 — health & credit
Apply for your provincial health card
In Ontario that's OHIP — apply at a ServiceOntario centre with your documents. Coverage rules vary by immigration status; some categories have waiting periods (get private insurance to bridge any gap).
Apply for OHIP →Start building credit immediately
Your home country's credit history doesn't follow you. Get a credit card (secured if needed), use it lightly, pay in full monthly. Credit history is what unlocks apartments, car loans, and mortgages later.
⚠️ Trap: paying only the "minimum payment" costs a fortune in interest. Full balance, every month.Get on a family-doctor waitlist
Waits are long — register early. In Ontario use Health Care Connect; meanwhile walk-in clinics and pharmacists (who can prescribe for many minor conditions) cover you.
Health Care Connect →Months 1–3 — housing
Rent without a credit history
Legitimate workarounds: an employment/offer letter, bank statements showing savings, a co-signer, or offering post-dated cheques. Know what landlords cannot demand.
Know your tenant rights →⚠️ Trap: never e-transfer a deposit before seeing a unit in person and meeting the landlord. Fake-listing scams target newcomers specifically. In Ontario, deposits beyond first + last month's rent (plus a refundable key deposit) are illegal.
Get tenant insurance
Usually $20–40/month, often required by leases, and covers your belongings + liability. Shop 2–3 quotes.
First tax season — the money unlock
File a tax return — even with little or no income
This is the single most missed newcomer step. Filing is how you unlock the GST/HST credit, Canada Child Benefit, and provincial credits. Free help exists at community tax clinics (CVITP).
Free tax clinics →Claim your benefits
After filing, check what you're owed — many newcomer households qualify for more than they expect.
Run the 6-question Benefits Finder →Set up CRA My Account
Your tax dashboard — see benefits, slips, and any letters the CRA sends. Also your #1 scam defence: real CRA issues always appear there.
Register →Confused by any letter Canada sends you?
Lease documents, government mail, bank letters — snap a photo and the free decoder explains it in plain language.
Decode a letter freeGeneral information for common situations, mostly Ontario-specific where programs are named — not legal or immigration advice. Rules vary by immigration status and province; confirm on the official pages linked or with a settlement agency (many offer free help in many languages).