# Get Settled

> A free, sponsorship-funded directory of bank accounts, credit cards, phone plans, settlement programs, and first-month paperwork for newcomers to Canada.

Canonical site: https://www.getsettled.ca
Plain summary: https://www.getsettled.ca/summary
Contact: hello@getsettled.ca
Sponsors: sponsors@getsettled.ca
Affiliate disclosure: https://www.getsettled.ca/affiliate-disclosure
Privacy: https://www.getsettled.ca/privacy

Get Settled is an independent directory. It is not a bank, lender, insurer, telecom, settlement agency, or government office, and nothing here is financial, tax, immigration, or legal advice. Fees, rates, bonuses, and eligibility change. Confirm every figure with the provider or the official page before you apply, sign, or spend money. When an affiliate link is set on a listing, it is marked and may earn us a commission. Sponsored placements are labelled.

Get Settled may earn a commission or referral fee from some links and from labelled sponsored placements, at no extra cost to the reader. A commission does not change which listings appear or how they are described. Government and non-profit listings are never paid. Affiliate networks that may be used after a publisher is approved: Impact, Fintel Connect, Rakuten Advertising, and FlexOffers. No affiliate URL is filled in until that approval exists.
Privacy: the newsletter form does not store email addresses yet. When delivery is connected, addresses go to Resend. The site is hosted on Vercel and does not run a separate analytics product. A marked affiliate or sponsor link may let that partner set its own cookie. Access and deletion requests: hello@getsettled.ca.

## Scam watch

Newcomers are targeted by immigration, job, and tax scams. No one can guarantee a visa, a job, or permanent residence. IRCC says it will never threaten deportation over an unpaid fee, and it will never ask for payment by gift card, prepaid card, Western Union, MoneyGram, or a deposit into a personal account. The CRA says it will not demand payment by e-transfer, cryptocurrency, prepaid card, or gift card, and that benefit and credit payments cannot be claimed for time before you arrived in Canada. Full examples and phone numbers: https://www.getsettled.ca/scams
Get Settled does not charge to read a listing and will not ask for a SIN, a UCI, a bank password, or a payment by email or text.

Offers, prices, interest rates, and bonuses below are only included when they appeared on the source page on the last-checked date. If a figure is missing, it was not verified.

## Categories

## Bank accounts

Newcomer chequing packages from Canadian banks, plus the federal rule on your right to open an account. Monthly-fee waivers are real and time-limited. Bonuses usually need direct deposit or a set number of transactions.
Directory: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts

### BMO NewStart
BMO NewStart is the bank's program for permanent residents and foreign workers in their first five years. The chequing offer is two years without the Performance Plan monthly fee.
Provider: BMO
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/bmo-newstart
Source: BMO, NewStart newcomer bank account offer — https://www.bmo.com/en-ca/main/personal/newcomers-to-canada/newcomer-bank-account-offers/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### CIBC Smart Account for Newcomers
CIBC's newcomer chequing account has no monthly fee for two years if you are 25 or older. A $500 cash reward and a Costco membership are extra offers with conditions and an end date you should read on the page.
Provider: CIBC
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/cibc-smart-account-newcomers
Source: CIBC, Welcome to Canada banking package — https://www.cibc.com/en/special-offers/newcomers.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Desjardins newcomer welcome offer
Desjardins offers eligible newcomers an everyday account on the Unlimited plan with no monthly plan fee, plus two years of legal phone assistance. The banking offer is built around caisses, which are concentrated in Quebec.
Provider: Desjardins
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/desjardins-newcomer-offer
Source: Desjardins, offers for newcomers to Canada — https://www.desjardins.com/en/offers/newcomers-canada.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Your right to open a bank account
Federal rules say a bank must let you open a personal deposit account even if you do not have a job, do not have money to deposit today, or have been bankrupt. You still have to prove who you are.
Provider: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/fcac-right-to-open-account
Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, opening a bank account — https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/banking/opening-bank-account.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### National Bank newcomer account
National Bank's newcomer account has no fixed monthly fee in year one, a smaller fee in years two and three if you meet the conditions, and a cash-back promotion that the bank says runs until November 3, 2026.
Provider: National Bank of Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/national-bank-newcomers
Source: National Bank, bank account for newcomers — https://www.nbc.ca/personal/accounts/newcomers.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### RBC Newcomer Advantage
RBC waives the monthly fee on an Advantage Banking account for one year for newcomers who arrived in the last five years, and pairs it with a credit-card offer that does not require Canadian credit history.
Provider: RBC Royal Bank
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/rbc-newcomer-advantage
Source: RBC Royal Bank, banking offers for newcomers — https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/new-to-canada/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Scotiabank StartRight
StartRight is Scotiabank's program for permanent residents in their first five years, foreign workers, and international students. The core banking perk is a one-year waiver of the Preferred Package monthly fee.
Provider: Scotiabank
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/scotiabank-startright
Source: Scotiabank StartRight newcomer offer — https://startright.scotiabank.com/ca/en/newcomers-to-canada-offer.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### TD New to Canada Banking Package
TD's newcomer package waives the monthly fee on the Unlimited Chequing Account for one year. Cash bonuses and a savings-rate offer on the same page end on dates TD publishes.
Provider: TD Canada Trust
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/bank-accounts/td-new-to-canada-package
Source: TD Canada Trust, New to Canada Banking Package — https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banking/products/banking-offers-for-newcomers
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

## Credit cards

Cards banks market to newcomers without a Canadian credit history, and two secured cards that use a deposit. Approval is never guaranteed on an unsecured card. Interest applies if you carry a balance.
Directory: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards

### BMO credit card for newcomers
BMO says a newcomer can apply for an unsecured card up to $5,000 with no Canadian credit history, and for a secured card if that application is declined.
Provider: BMO
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/bmo-newcomer-credit-card
Source: BMO, credit cards for newcomers — https://www.bmo.com/en-ca/main/personal/credit-cards/newcomers-to-canada/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Capital One Secured Mastercard
A secured Mastercard for building or repairing credit in Canada. You put up security funds. Capital One says approval is guaranteed if you meet four published conditions.
Provider: Capital One Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/capital-one-secured-mastercard
Source: Capital One Canada, Secured Mastercard — https://www.capitalone.ca/credit-cards/guaranteed-secured-mastercard2
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### CIBC card bundled with the newcomer account
CIBC's newcomer page points you at a Dividend Platinum Visa and a bundle bonus on top of the Smart Account. We are not stating an interest rate because that page does not print one.
Provider: CIBC
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/cibc-newcomer-credit-card
Source: CIBC, newcomer banking package — https://www.cibc.com/en/special-offers/newcomers.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Home Trust Secured Visa
A secured Visa that Home Trust explicitly offers to newcomers, students, and others without a conventional Canadian credit file. Your deposit sets the limit. The card is not sold in Quebec.
Provider: Home Trust
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/home-trust-secured-visa
Source: Home Trust, Secured Visa — https://www.hometrust.ca/credit-cards/secured-visa-card/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### RBC credit card for newcomers
RBC will consider a credit card for newcomers who do not have Canadian credit history, once an eligible bank account is open. The window is shorter than the five-year banking offer.
Provider: RBC Royal Bank
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/rbc-newcomer-credit-card
Source: RBC, credit cards for newcomers — https://www.rbcroyalbank.com/new-to-canada/credit-cards/index.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Rogers Red Mastercard
Rogers describes the Red Mastercard on its newcomer page as a no-annual-fee card that earns cash back, and says you start it in a Rogers store.
Provider: Rogers
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/rogers-red-mastercard
Source: Rogers, mobile and internet for newcomers — https://www.rogers.com/newcomers
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Scotiabank StartRight credit card
StartRight participants can apply for an unsecured card without Canadian credit history. Scotiabank's published ceiling is $15,000, and it can change.
Provider: Scotiabank
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/scotiabank-startright-credit-card
Source: Scotiabank StartRight, credit cards for newcomers — https://startright.scotiabank.com/ca/en/credit-cards.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### TD Cash Back Visa for newcomers
TD points permanent residents and other newcomers to the no-annual-fee Cash Back Visa, and says a permanent resident may be approved for up to $15,000 without a Canadian credit file.
Provider: TD Canada Trust
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/credit-cards/td-cash-back-visa-newcomers
Source: TD, New to Canada Banking Package (Cash Back Visa section) — https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banking/products/banking-offers-for-newcomers
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

## Phone plans

Carrier pages aimed at newcomers, plus prepaid brands that say they skip a credit check. Plan prices move weekly. Where a dollar figure is missing, the carrier did not publish one on the page we checked.
Directory: https://www.getsettled.ca/mobile-plans

### Bell bring-your-own-phone plans
Bell's current bring-your-own-phone page lists in-market prices, including a 100 GB plan shown at $60 a month and an unlimited plan with U.S. and Mexico shown at $75. These are not labelled as newcomer discounts.
Provider: Bell
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/mobile-plans/bell-byod-plans
Source: Bell, bring-your-own-phone plans — https://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Cell_phone_plans
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### chatr prepaid
chatr is the Rogers prepaid brand. On Rogers' own newcomer page it is described as no credit check, no term contract, and no commitment, with nationwide 4G.
Provider: chatr
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/mobile-plans/chatr-prepaid
Source: Rogers newcomers page, chatr section — https://www.rogers.com/newcomers
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Koodo for newcomers
Koodo's newcomer page is the flanker brand's version of the TELUS Canoo partnership. It promises deals for newcomers and does not list a plan price on the page we checked.
Provider: Koodo
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/mobile-plans/koodo-newcomers
Source: Koodo, newcomers to Canada — https://www.koodomobile.com/en/services/newcomers-to-canada
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Lucky Mobile prepaid
Bell no longer opens new prepaid accounts. Its prepaid page sends new customers to Lucky Mobile and says those plans have no long-term commitment, no credit check, and no data overages.
Provider: Lucky Mobile
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/mobile-plans/lucky-mobile-prepaid
Source: Bell, prepaid plans (Lucky Mobile) — https://www.bell.ca/Mobility/Cell_phone_plans/Prepaid_plans
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Rogers newcomer mobile plans
Rogers has a newcomer page for mobile and home internet, including a way to reserve a number and eSIM before you land. The English page we checked describes plan features and does not print a monthly price.
Provider: Rogers
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/mobile-plans/rogers-newcomer-plans
Source: Rogers, plans for newcomers — https://www.rogers.com/newcomers
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### TELUS newcomer Welcome plans
TELUS publishes newcomer Welcome mobility plans starting at $65 a month, and says a store will accept a valid passport or proof of landed immigrant status.
Provider: TELUS
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/mobile-plans/telus-newcomer-welcome-plans
Source: TELUS, newcomers to Canada — https://www.telus.com/en/newcomers-to-canada
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

## Settlement services

Government-funded settlement programs and the organizations that deliver them. Most IRCC-funded services are free if you are eligible. Quebec runs its own integration services, and the federal finder does not list Quebec providers.
Directory: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services

### COSTI Settlement Services
COSTI's settlement services in Ontario are free. They cover orientation, forms, interpretation, referrals, and employment guidance, including credential recognition.
Provider: COSTI Immigrant Services
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/costi-settlement
Source: COSTI Settlement Services — https://costi.org/program/costi-settlement-services/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### IRCC pre-arrival services
If your permanent residence is approved and you are still outside Canada, you can register for free online settlement services before you fly. Temporary residents are not eligible.
Provider: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/ircc-pre-arrival-services
Source: IRCC, pre-arrival services eligibility — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/settle-canada/pre-arrival-services/eligibility.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### IRCC settlement service finder
The federal government funds free settlement help outside Quebec: job search, language classes, help getting licensed, and someone to build a settlement plan with you. A postal-code search finds the agency.
Provider: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/ircc-settlement-services
Source: IRCC, find free newcomer services — https://www.ircc.canada.ca/english/newcomers/services/index.asp
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### ISSofBC
ISSofBC is a large B.C. settlement agency. It says its settlement, employment, and language services for newcomers in the province are free.
Provider: Immigrant Services Society of BC
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/issbc
Source: ISSofBC — https://issbc.org/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### MOSAIC
MOSAIC is a Metro Vancouver settlement and employment agency. It describes itself as supporting immigrants and refugees to settle, find work, and build a life in Canada.
Provider: MOSAIC
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/mosaic-bc
Source: MOSAIC — https://mosaicbc.org/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Premières démarches d'installation
Quebec's free three-hour 'first steps' session, in French, covers the health-insurance card, the SIN, banking, housing, school, taxes, and jobs. The federal settlement finder does not list Quebec agencies.
Provider: Gouvernement du Québec
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/quebec-first-steps
Source: Gouvernement du Québec, first steps to settling in — https://www.quebec.ca/en/immigration/settle-and-integrate-in-quebec/first-steps-settling-in
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Settlement.Org
Settlement.Org is the plain-language information site for newcomers in Ontario: daily life, banking, housing, health, and work, plus a way to find community agencies.
Provider: Settlement.Org
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/settlement-org
Source: Settlement.Org — https://settlement.org/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### BC Newcomer Services Program
British Columbia funds settlement help for people the main federal program often misses: temporary workers, many international students, provincial nominees waiting on PR, and naturalized citizens.
Provider: WelcomeBC
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/settlement-services/welcomebc-newcomer-services
Source: WelcomeBC, BC Newcomer Services Program — https://www.welcomebc.ca/start-your-life-in-b-c/find-newcomer-services/services-for-newcomers-on-a-temporary-work-or-study-permit-and-new-citizens%C2%A0(bc-nsp)
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

## Jobs and credentials

The federal job board, the foreign credential recognition process, and why an education assessment is not the same thing as a licence to practise.
Directory: https://www.getsettled.ca/jobs-credentials

### CICIC directory of who recognizes qualifications
CICIC explains who is allowed to recognize your studies or your occupation, and points to its directory of occupational profiles by province and territory.
Provider: Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/jobs-credentials/cicic-credential-recognition
Source: CICIC, identify the organization responsible for recognition — https://www.cicic.ca/927/identify_the_organization_responsible_for_recognition.canada
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### An education assessment is not a licence
IRCC's help centre says an Educational Credential Assessment done for immigration does not license you to practise a regulated profession in Canada.
Provider: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/jobs-credentials/eca-is-not-a-licence
Source: IRCC Help Centre, ECA and licensing — https://ircc.canada.ca/English/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=683&top=29
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Foreign Credential Recognition Tool
A Job Bank search that tells you whether your occupation is regulated in a province or territory, who to contact, and what else you could do while you wait.
Provider: Job Bank
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/jobs-credentials/foreign-credential-recognition-tool
Source: Job Bank, Foreign Credential Recognition Tool — https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/widget/
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Foreign credential recognition
If your job is regulated or a compulsory trade, the province or territory decides whether your training is equivalent. Canada publishes the process, the lookup tool, and loans of up to $30,000 for the fees.
Provider: Employment and Social Development Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/jobs-credentials/foreign-credential-recognition
Source: Employment and Social Development Canada, foreign credential recognition — https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/foreign-credential-recognition.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Job Bank for newcomers
Job Bank is the federal job board, and it has a newcomer section that starts with the SIN, credential recognition, and a free account that can match you to postings.
Provider: Government of Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/jobs-credentials/job-bank-newcomers
Source: Job Bank, find a job as a newcomer — https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/findajob/newcomers
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

## Housing

How renting works in Canada, and the provincial offices that enforce tenant law. Deposits, notice periods, and rent-increase caps are provincial. Read the page for the province you will actually live in.
Directory: https://www.getsettled.ca/housing-essentials

### B.C. Residential Tenancy Branch
The Residential Tenancy Branch administers B.C. tenancy law, takes dispute-resolution applications, and has published a 2027 maximum rent increase of 2.2%.
Provider: Government of British Columbia
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/housing-essentials/bc-residential-tenancy
Source: Government of British Columbia, residential tenancies — https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### CMHC landlord and tenant responsibilities
CMHC states the basic split: landlords keep the place habitable and cannot harass you, and tenants pay rent and repair damage they cause. Eviction still has to follow the provincial process.
Provider: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/housing-essentials/cmhc-tenant-responsibilities
Source: CMHC, landlord and tenant responsibilities — https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/consumers/renting-a-home/i-am-renting/landlord-tenant-responsibilities
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Renting a home as a newcomer
IRCC's renting guide explains leases, deposits, landlord entry, and what to check before you move in. The enforceable rules still come from the province or territory.
Provider: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/housing-essentials/ircc-renting
Source: IRCC, renting a home — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/settle-canada/housing/renting.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Renting in Ontario: your rights
Ontario's rental page sets out the rent-increase guideline, the standard lease, and the rule that a landlord needs an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board before you have to move out.
Provider: Government of Ontario
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/housing-essentials/ontario-tenant-rights
Source: Ontario, renting in Ontario: your rights — https://www.ontario.ca/page/renting-ontario-your-rights
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

## First 30 days

The government steps people usually cannot postpone: a social insurance number, a health card, tax residency, and a permanent resident card if you are a PR. Health coverage is provincial, so use the listing for the province you live in.
Directory: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days

### Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
If you are moving to Alberta from outside Canada, apply for AHCIP within three months of becoming a resident. Do that and coverage can start from the day you established residency.
Provider: Government of Alberta
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days/alberta-ahcip
Source: Alberta.ca, AHCIP if you move to Alberta — https://www.alberta.ca/ahcip-moving-to-alberta
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### B.C. Medical Services Plan
Eligible B.C. residents must enrol in MSP. There is no cost to apply. You need coverage in place before you rely on a doctor or a hospital.
Provider: Government of British Columbia
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days/bc-msp
Source: Government of British Columbia, MSP eligibility and enrolment — https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Taxes and benefits for newcomers
The CRA treats you as a newcomer in the first year you are a resident for income tax. For most people that starts the day you begin living in Canada. Benefits can start before your first tax return.
Provider: Canada Revenue Agency
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days/cra-newcomers
Source: Canada Revenue Agency, newcomers to Canada — https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/individuals-leaving-entering-canada-non-residents/newcomers-canada-immigrants.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### OHIP and the Ontario health card
Ontario has no waiting period for OHIP if you qualify. You apply in person at ServiceOntario. Coverage is for medically necessary doctor and hospital care, not for every prescription or dental visit.
Provider: Government of Ontario
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days/ohip
Source: Ontario, apply for OHIP and get a health card — https://www.ontario.ca/page/apply-ohip-and-get-health-card
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Permanent resident card
The PR card is the document that shows you are a permanent resident and that you need in order to fly back to Canada. The first card is free if you send your photo and address within 180 days of becoming a PR.
Provider: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days/permanent-resident-card
Source: IRCC, get a permanent resident card — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/permanent-residents/card.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Quebec health insurance registration
Permanent residents and Canadian citizens settling in Quebec can usually register for health insurance online. You must be in Quebec and have a Quebec mailing address. Students and workers follow different rules.
Provider: Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days/quebec-ramq
Source: RAMQ, newcomers register for health insurance online — https://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/newcomers-register-health-insurance-online
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

### Social Insurance Number
The SIN is the nine-digit number you need to work and to receive many benefits. Applying is free. Service Canada no longer issues a plastic card.
Provider: Service Canada
Page: https://www.getsettled.ca/first-30-days/social-insurance-number
Source: Service Canada, apply for a SIN — https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/apply.html
Last checked: 2026-10-19
Affiliate URL: none
Partner disclosure: none

## Guides

Index: https://www.getsettled.ca/guides

### Your first 30 days in Canada: a checklist
Five things to sort out in the first month: a SIN, a provincial health card, a bank account, a phone, and a place to live.
https://www.getsettled.ca/guides/first-30-days-checklist
Last reviewed: 2026-10-19

### Opening a bank account as a newcomer: a neutral comparison
Federal rules let you open a personal bank account even without a job or a deposit today, as long as you can prove who you are.
https://www.getsettled.ca/guides/opening-a-bank-account
Last reviewed: 2026-10-19

### Building credit as a newcomer
Your credit history from another country usually doesn't follow you to Canada. How reports, newcomer cards, and secured cards work.
https://www.getsettled.ca/guides/building-credit
Last reviewed: 2026-10-19

### Getting your first Canadian phone plan
Prepaid plans usually skip a credit check. Postpaid plans usually do not. What the CRTC Wireless Code requires of every mobile plan.
https://www.getsettled.ca/guides/first-phone-plan
Last reviewed: 2026-10-19

### Sending money home: Wise, Remitly and bank wires compared
A remittance is money sent to someone in another country. Compare the fee, the exchange rate, and how the money is delivered.
https://www.getsettled.ca/guides/sending-money-home
Last reviewed: 2026-10-19

## Province guides

Programmatic pages follow https://www.getsettled.ca/guides/best-{category}-for-newcomers-in-{province}, for example https://www.getsettled.ca/guides/best-bank-accounts-for-newcomers-in-ontario. A province page is omitted from the sitemap when it only repeats that category's national listings.