Moving To Canada From USA: The Essential Checklist

Moving To Canada From USA: The Essential ChecklistAfter living for 24 years in the United States, last summer we were presented with an opportunity to move to Canada. While both countries have a lot in common when it comes to language, natural beauty, landmass, outdoor activities and retail stores that make the transition easy, there are still things we wish we knew when moving to Canada from USA to avoid some of the frustrations that can crop up when moving to another country. Being equipped with up-to-date information and a moving to Canada checklist can streamline your moving plans tremendously.

This post is an effort to share a checklist that focuses on things you need to do before your move to Canada as well as the documents you will need to apply for after you enter Canada. Even though our experience is based on moving to Canada from USA, we believe our checklist will be helpful to anyone migrating to Canada from any part of the world.

Moving to Canada from USA: Things you need to do before you move

There are several things that you need to do before you move to Canada that can ensure a smoother transition and avoid unnecessary hassles. Having the following documents beforehand helped us tremendously with many of the subsequent paperwork that we needed to complete post-arrival in Canada.

1. Immigration documents and approval

Needless to say, having the proper immigration documents and approval is a must before you plan your move. This post is not a guide on how to apply for immigration to Canada and assumes that you have completed all the application requirements for your permit and/or immigration status and have the necessary approval. We do recommend that you consult the official Canadian immigration website for all the current requirements in this regard.

Driving through Banff National Park in Canada

2. Organizing your finances prior to moving to Canada from USA

Another important step to take care of before you leave your country is establishing how you will manage your finances at home and in Canada, including setting up your Canadian bank account.

i. Setting up your Canadian bank account

Establishing a Canadian bank account before you depart your country is quite beneficial. Major banking institutions in Canada offer a variety of banking services, including the ‘Newcomer to Canada’ plan. These institutions include Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), The Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), The Bank of Nova Scotia, and TD Canada Trust. They all offer a ‘Newcomers to Canada’ account which has some great perks that we found helpful.

With some of these major banks, you can start the application online to set up an account, transfer funds, and apply for the credit card to have it all ready for you before you arrive in Canada. You can also show this bank account statement as proof of funds to the immigration officer, if asked, upon arrival.

ii. Keeping a record of your stock portfolio balance summary

If you have your stock portfolio, it is advisable to keep a print out of your portfolio summary page showing the current value the day before you entered Canada. This will be helpful for filing your tax returns later on.

iii. Change of address for important correspondences

Before moving to Canada from USA, one thing people might overlook is changing your address for important mails. For a smoother transition, it is often helpful to choose the paperless billing option with email and/or setting up SMS alerts for important bills so that you can pay them promptly even after you have moved to Canada.

iv. Notifying credit card companies regarding upcoming travel

Having credit cards with no foreign transaction fee can come in handy, especially during the initial months following your move. Also, remember to notify your credit card company that you will be in Canada so that their security and fraud detection system does not decline your credit transactions in Canada.

Elizabeth Park in Vancouver Canada

3. Rental home search

If you are planning to initially rent a home in Canada before you decide to buy one, then we suggest starting your search as soon as you know your arrival date in Canada. We did not wait till we entered Canada to start looking for a rental property and interacting with the rental agency. Depending upon which city you are planning to move to, finding an affordable rental place could be challenging. Therefore, being proactive in your search could help and may provide you more options. In our experience, we found that Rentals.ca  and Kijiji.ca (Real Estate => Rental section) were a great resource to look for long or short-term home and apartment rentals. However, we found that Kijiji was more up to date on what is available and what is already rented.

Moving to Canada from USA - An evening walk through Calgaray downtown

4. Starting school admissions process before moving to Canada from USA

If you have school going kids, your immigration plan should certainly include planning the school admission process in Canada beforehand. It is important to bring with you the official transcripts from your child’s previous school for submitting to their school in Canada.

Canadian schooling system (K-12), just like the US, has public and private schools. Schools fall under a specific school district that oversees school policies, admission processes, and other administrative tasks. Your home address will determine which public school you can send your kids to. On the other hand, private schools do not have any address restrictions so you can send your children to any private school in the city that is accepting new students.

We started the correspondence with the school district office as soon as we had signed our home rental lease agreement. A rental agreement or any other proof of address is required to start the school admission process. Our high school-going children were required to complete an online assessment for English and Mathematics conducted by the public school district as part of the admissions process. The school district counselors were very helpful and guided us through the entire process. Following the assessment, they also conducted an online video interview with our children to discuss their results and assign courses based on our children’s aptitude and interests. The entire process took around three weeks.

View of Toronto Downtown

5. Packing your prescription medications when moving to Canada from USA

If you take any prescribed medications regularly, then ensure that your moving to Canada checklist includes bring with you at most a 90 days’ supply along with the doctor’s prescription note. It is also important to keep all medicines in the original container with the label that clearly lists the details of the medication.

6. Driving record and history

If you have driven in your country, bringing your official driving record from the automotive authority in your country should be a part of your moving to Canada checklist. The record should clearly state the number of years you have been driving for, the date your license was originally issued, and any misdemeanors like DUI or driving accidents. Canadian Ministry of Transportation may consider your past driving history in your country and issue the license class accordingly.

What we learned through our experience was that the vehicle insurance companies will query the Ministry of Transportation to obtain your driving experience in order to determine your vehicle insurance rate.

In our case, since we were moving from California, USA, we needed to fill out the INF1125 form which can be downloaded from California DMV’s website. We chose to send the form by postal mail to the DMV Sacramento office along with a cheque for the processing fee. Usually, it takes DMV anywhere from 15 to 20 business days to provide this record. Plan accordingly and give yourself enough time to get this necessary document before you leave the country.

Keep in mind that DMV offers an unofficial and printable version of your driving record on their website however, the Canadian Ministry of Transportation may not accept this unofficial driving record.

Fall season in Ontario

7. Vehicle Paperwork

While this may not apply to everyone, there are many people moving to Canada from USA who prefer to bring their vehicles with them. In our case, we chose to bring our vehicle with us during our cross-country road trip to Canada.

The process of importing your US vehicle is very convenient and does not cost much when it comes to registering it in Canada. You can get the vehicle paperwork done at the US-Canada border crossing. However please keep in mind that you should have proper documentation showing that you fully own the vehicle as the process can get complicated if it is a leased vehicle or there are still pending payments on it. Please refer to the Canadian Border Security Agency (CBSA) website for the latest requirements for bringing your vehicle over.

8. Cell phone plans

Even though cell phone plans are getting cheaper in Canada, they are still very expensive when compared to plans in the US. Our US cell phone plan included unlimited calling, text, and data to and from Canada at a cheaper rate. For this reason, we continued to use our US cell phone plan even after moving to Canada from USA. The only drawback we noticed was that there were some Canadian region-specific apps that weren’t available for download in our US-based app store. However, you can always use the website of such Canadian companies to access the available content.

If you would rather go with the Canadian phone plan, there are a variety of pre-paid and monthly post-paid plans to choose from. Cell phone service providers in Canada include Bell, Telus, Shaw, BCE as well as regional and subsidiary providers you can go with. Initially, it might be a good idea to opt for a pre-paid phone plan from the subsidiaries. Once you figure out your cell phone usage, you can always upgrade your provider and/or your plan accordingly.

Experiencing our first snowfall

9. Other important paperwork that you should include in your moving to Canada checklist

Besides your passport and your Canadian visa, in addition to the paperwork mentioned above, it is always a good idea to bring the following original documents with you when moving to Canada from USA:

– Marriage certificate

– Birth certificates of children

– Tax return statements from the previous year

– Letter of Experience from your vehicle insurance company or companies (if you have more than one in past 10 years) stating the insurance period and any insurance claims till date (including claim date, driver name, and was it at fault)

– Document proving your highest level of educational qualification

– Vaccination records for children

– Vaccination records for pet

– School transcripts and graduation certificates for your children

– Include a summary of your medical history from your medical provider as part of the documents in your moving to Canada checklist

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Land Of Travels (@thelandoftravels)

 

Moving to Canada from USA: Things you need to do after you move

Once you are in Canada, your moving to Canada checklist should include filing a series of paperwork and completing various processes so that you can start your new life in Canada on the right foot.

1. Applying for Social Insurance Number (SIN) Card

The first order of business after moving to Canada from USA is to apply for the Social Insurance Number (SIN) card. If you are wondering what the SIN card is, then think of it as something similar to the Social Security Number (SSN) in USA. The SIN card is needed to work in Canada and to receive benefits and services from the government programs. Kids above the age of 12 can apply for their SIN card as well.

You can apply for the SIN card online or go to the nearest Service Canada office location to apply for it in person. We found that it was quicker to go in-person and get the SIN number issued right away rather than apply for it online and then wait for a few weeks to receive it in the mail. The application form is straightforward and as long as you have the required original documents, the process should be quick. There is no fee to apply for the SIN card.

It is important to know that you should not share your SIN information with anyone else other than your financial institute or your prospective employer (if asked). So, keep your SIN number and card somewhere safe. Got your SIN card? Congratulations! You got your first Canadian official document, other than your visa.

Iconic Niagara Falls as seen from Canada

2. Moving to Canada checklist – applying for your provincial health card

Canada is widely regarded for its universal, publicly funded health-care system. After moving to Canada from USA, the next important thing you need to do is to apply for the Health Card issued by the province.

It is a misconception that you are automatically enrolled in the Canadian health system as soon as you arrive. Just like the Social Insurance Number (SIN) card you can apply for the province-specific Health Card at any Service Canada location or your province Service office location. It can take up to 90 days to receive the Health Card in the mail after you apply for it in-person.

During the time you are waiting for the arrival of your health card, it might be beneficial to look into buying the traveler’s health insurance as a stopgap. Keep in mind that if you choose to buy the traveler’s health insurance, you are eligible for it only if you apply within the first week of your arrival in Canada.

Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in Vancouver British Columbia

3. Finding a physician/family doctor and walk-in clinics

Finding a physician or a family doctor who is accepting new patients can be challenging. There is a list of doctors along with their brief expertise, contact numbers, and office address available via the provincial Service office website. For example, in Ontario, you can look up the list of doctors in the region here.

To find out whether the doctors listed for your region are accepting new patients or not, you will likely have to call them individually. Once you find a doctor of your choice who is accepting new patients, you will have to register with the physician’s office following which you can book an appointment.

Alternatively, you can always go to walk-in clinics in the city for any medical care needs. Some people don’t go through the hassle of looking for a family doctor or a personal physician and just use the walk-in clinics as and when they need it. Walk-in clinics are a great option even if you have signed up for a family physician as they are probably open for longer hours and available in many locations on a drop-in basis. You can even get your prescriptions filled at these walk-in clinics.

4. Establishing your Canadian Bank account – the ‘Newcomers to Canada’ plan

If you haven’t opened a Canadian bank account before moving to Canada from USA, you should consider looking into available options as soon as you arrive. All the major banks offer ‘Newcomers to Canada’ Savings and Chequing (or Checking) accounts. In our opinion, this is a great option for the start of your financial life in Canada.

Each bank offers different perks with this plan such as no monthly fees for 12 months. Yes, paying a monthly bank fee did come as a shock to us as the US banks do not charge their customers any fee for maintaining Savings and Checking accounts. Other perks may include a comparatively higher starting credit card limit, a free small locker for a year, and a limited number of no-fee monthly international money transfers. Make sure to shop around online to see which bank is offering the best deal before you sign up for the ‘Newcomers to Canada’ plan with any particular bank.

Moving to Canada from USA - Stunning Canadian landscape

5. Building your Credit Score after moving to Canada from USA

You will get your first credit card issued from the bank when you open the Savings and/or Chequing account. This will be the start of building your credit history in Canada. It is vital to build a good credit score and maintain it as it shows the creditors that you are financially responsible and are a reliable person. In short, the better the credit score, the better the interest rate offered for any loans that you take will be.

Keep in mind that your US credit history will not get transferred to Canada. To our surprise, our US credit history and scores did not get transferred over even though, here in Canada, they use the same credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian. So, everyone is in the same boat when starting their financial credit history after moving to Canada, no matter which country you are coming from.

As newcomers to Canada, the two biggest factors that we found helpful in building a good credit score were:

– Ensuring that you pay your bills on time – every time!

– Not charging more than 25% of your credit limit on your credit card

Maple Leaf - Canada

6. Obtaining your provincial Driver License

If you are planning to drive in Canada, you need to get a Canadian (provincial) driving license. With this province-issued driving license, you can drive anywhere in Canada. If you already have a valid driver’s license from your previous country of residence, note that it is only valid in Canada for a few days upon arrival and that it is required by law to get the Canadian Provincial Driving license within 90 days following your arrival.

Now if you had been driving in another country before you arrived in Canada, bringing your official driver’s record with you, as mentioned earlier in this post, can be beneficial. The Canadian Ministry of Transportation may consider your driving experience and issue you an experienced class driving license without the written or behind the wheels driving test if you have the complete, official driving record.

Types of Driving licenses in Canada

Here in Ontario province where we currently reside, for any work pertaining to driving (other than vehicle insurance) you would need to go to the Driving Centre location. To avoid long lines, it is better to be there at least 20 minutes before they open. Some locations do open on Saturdays and it is best to call them and check the office hours in advance. To learn more about how to obtain a driver’s license in Ontario, click here.

The License classes vary from province to province. For example, in Ontario, we have a class ‘G’ license type to drive any car, van, or small trucks. Class ‘G’ contains ‘G1’ (level 1 graduating license), the next higher experience level being ‘G2’ and then after few years of driving experience, you will get your full class ‘G’ license. In our case, once we showed our official California driving record history, we were issued the full class ‘G’ license in exchange for our California driving license without any written or driving test.

Moving to Canada from USA - Road trip from British Columbia to Ontario

7. Vehicle insurance Plans

Once you have your Canadian provincial driving license, your next step would likely be purchasing or leasing a vehicle before you shop around for insurance options. Since we brought our car with us when we were moving to Canada from USA, we were able to immediately start looking for the best vehicle insurance options available to us.

If you have your full class license issued in your province based on your prior driving experience in another country and you have your letter of experience from your previous vehicle insurance companies, you might end up getting offered a much better insurance rate. The vehicle insurance companies will consider your driving history and how clean it has been in the past into the quote. We were able to bring down our rates by 50% from what we were quoted online by ensuring that we had all the necessary documentation with us when shopping around for insurance plans.

Even though several of the major vehicle insurance companies offer an online quote wizard, in our experience it was much more beneficial to talk to the agent over the phone and get the quote directly from them and have any questions answered before making a final decision.

8. Registering your vehicle after moving to Canada from USA

You can conveniently register your vehicle at any of the Service Canada locations near you. Service centers tend to get crowded very quickly. It is better to be there at least 20 minutes before they open so you can be among the first ones to be served.

The car registration form process is straight forward and short. Along with the registration form, you are required to show a Canadian issued picture ID or your passport, vehicle’s paperwork stating that you are the owner of the vehicle, proof of address, and proof of vehicle insurance. In our case since we were importing our car from the US, we also needed to submit additional customs and duty clearance forms that typically get issued at the border crossing or at a CBSA office at the airport.

Once all the paperwork is complete, you will be issued the provincial vehicle license plates and the registration card to keep in your vehicle as proof of registration.

9. First-year filing of tax returns

Depending on which month you arrived in Canada, you may have an interesting first-year tax filing experience. Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) will look at the tax terms between both countries to determine your tax obligations and whether Canada has a tax treaty with the country you moved from to avoid double taxation. We highly recommend considering having your first-year taxes done by the professional tax services CPA who understands the tax filing system in both countries as part of your moving to Canada checklist so that it is done right.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Land Of Travels (@thelandoftravels)

We sincerely hope that our checklist for moving to Canada from USA helps you prepare and start your life in Canada on the right note. The 10 provinces and 3 territories of Canada that span from Pacific to Atlantic and northwards to the Arctic Ocean welcome people from all over the world with open arms. Peace-loving Canada has a rich history, friendly people, eclectic mix of cuisines and cultures and it is truly a 21st-century melting pot. It is our duty as immigrants to melt into Canada’s culture and contribute to building a better future for the generations ahead. We are sure that you will cherish every moment along this journey and become a part of everything Canada has to offer.

Disclaimer: It’s a pleasure for us to share our travel experiences and this moving to Canada checklist with all our readers and we sincerely hope to inspire your future travels. In order to help us maintain this blog and offset the costs of running landoftravels.com, we have sprinkled affiliate links throughout the site. If you choose to make a purchase via any of these affiliate links, we’ll earn a tiny commission at no additional cost to you.

If you enjoyed reading this post, don’t forget to share!

Moving to Canada from USA -The Essential Checklist

 

Related Posts

Copyright - Content protection is turned on of this page

Don't miss a beat!

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates.

You have Successfully Subscribed!