Your first 90 days in Canada
Nine tasks, grouped by how soon they matter. Several depend on where you live, so choose your province. The wording, the waiting periods and the official links all change with it.
0 of 9 done
SIN, health card and bank
0 of 3 doneThe SIN and the health card unlock almost everything else, starting with pay and care.
Free, at any Service Canada office, usually the same day. You can't be paid for work without one. A bank will ask for it, though it can only insist for an account that earns interest.
OHIP, the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. There's no three-month waiting period: coverage can start from the day you apply if you qualify. Apply in person at a ServiceOntario centre with three documents.
You have the right to open an account with ID even without a job or an address. Newcomer packages usually waive fees for a year, so compare before signing.
Phone, housing and school
0 of 4 doneSettling in. For most of these, the order doesn't matter.
Prepaid plans need no credit history. Postpaid plans often ask for a credit check or a deposit in your first months.
Residential Tenancies Act rules apply. A landlord may ask for first and last month’s rent, plus a refundable key deposit, but never a damage deposit.
Register at your local school board. Ontario public school is free from Kindergarten to Grade 12.
Free, funded by IRCC: language classes, job help, form help, someone to ask. This is the single most useful thing on this list.
Licence and taxes
0 of 2 doneSlower, but they have deadlines of their own.
Ontario exchanges licences from some countries. Otherwise you begin at G1. Your foreign licence is valid for 60 days after you arrive.
Due 30 April for the previous year. File even with no income: benefits like the GST/HST credit and the Canada Child Benefit depend on it.
This list is general information for newcomers, not legal or financial advice. Waiting periods and fees change. Each item links to the government page that decides it.