First Steps When You Arrive in Canada: SIN, Bank, Phone

Man, I remember it like it was yesterday. September 3, 2024. Clara and I got off the plane in Vancouver, went through immigration, grabbed our bags, and then… we just stood there in the middle of the airport looking at each other like “okay, now what?”. The list of things to sort out felt endless, we had no idea where to start, and nobody hands you an instruction manual.

Relax. I went through this and I’ll tell you exactly what to do, in the right order, so your first days are organized and panic-free. This guide is what I wish someone had handed me when I arrived. All practical, straight to the point, with real names, websites and timelines.

Let’s go.

How do you organize your first week in Canada?

In the first days, the focus is on three things that unlock everything else: your social ID number, your bank account, and your phone. Without these three, you’re stuck on every next step.

SIN (Social Insurance Number)

The SIN is the Canadian equivalent of Brazil’s CPF (the national taxpayer ID). You’ll need it for absolutely everything: to work legally, to open a bank account, to file your income tax, to receive government benefits. Without a SIN, you don’t exist in the system.

I even made a video about this: “Descubra o segredo para tirar seu SIN NUMBER rápido no Canadá!” Check out our YouTube channel (@morar-fora) if you want to see the step by step.

How to get it:

1. Go to any Service Canada office (find the nearest one at canada.ca/service-canada)
2. Bring your passport and your immigration document (COPR, Confirmation of Permanent Residence, or your work/study permit)
3. The process takes about 15 minutes, and you walk out with the number on the spot
4. No appointment needed. It’s first come first served. Tip: go early, before 9 a.m., to avoid the line

My experience at Service Canada: Man, I went in the first few days. I got there early, the line was short, and the agent was super friendly. The process itself is fast: you hand over your documents, they check them, and they give you the number right away. It really did take about 15 minutes. The hardest part was finding the right office and getting there by bus without knowing the city yet. Google Maps was my best friend that day.

Important: Keep your SIN somewhere safe. Don’t carry the paper in your wallet. If someone gets hold of your SIN, it can cause serious fraud problems.

Bank account

With your SIN in hand, the next step is to open your bank account. You need a safe place to receive money, pay bills, and above all start building your credit history, which here in Canada is basically your financial reputation.

Best banks for newcomers:

The big Canadian banks (the so-called Big Five) have special programs for newcomers with excellent terms:

• TD Canada Trust, New to Canada program, up to 1 year with no fees
• RBC (Royal Bank), newcomer package with a credit card and no required history
• BMO (Bank of Montreal), newcomer account with 1 year of perks
• Scotiabank, StartRight Program, popular among Brazilians

Documents you’ll need:

• Valid passport
• SIN (or at least the receipt if you don’t have the number yet)
• Proof of address (can be temporary, even an Airbnb address works in many cases)
• Immigration document (COPR, work permit, study permit)

Golden tip: Ask for a credit card along with the account. Many banks offer a low-limit card (CAD 500 to 1,000) to newcomers, even with no Canadian credit history. Use that card every month and pay the full balance before the due date. That’s the foundation for building your credit score. Without a credit score, renting an apartment and financing anything gets much harder.

Phone

Having a Canadian number is essential, to take calls from employers and banks, and for two-factor authentication on basically every online service.

Big carriers (more coverage, more expensive):

• Bell, best overall coverage
• Rogers, strong in urban areas
• Telus, good coverage in western Canada

Budget carriers (great value):

• Fido (a Rogers sub-brand), plans starting around CAD 50/month
• Koodo (a Telus sub-brand), popular among immigrants
• Freedom Mobile, cheaper plans, but limited coverage outside big cities
• Public Mobile, very affordable prepaid plans, everything managed by app

Typical prices: Expect to pay between CAD 50 and 85/month for plans with 20 to 50 GB of data.

What I did: I brought my unlocked phone from Brazil and bought just the SIM here. I easily saved CAD 1,000+ that I’d have spent on a new device. If you have an unlocked phone in good shape, do the same. Most recent Brazilian phones work perfectly on Canadian networks. Sound good?

How do you set up your life in the first 14 days?

With SIN, bank and phone sorted, now it’s time to build your base in Canada. Housing, health and transit are the priorities in this phase.

Housing

Finding a place to live is probably the most stressful part of arriving in Canada. The market is competitive, especially in Toronto and Vancouver.

My story: Clara and I got really lucky here, and I need to be transparent about it. We found our apartment, a one-bedroom with a balcony in south Vancouver, near Richmond, for CAD 1,500/month, through a friend from church who was moving out. He referred us straight to the landlord. The market price for that kind of apartment is CAD 2,300 to 2,500.

Here’s the truth: community and networking make ALL the difference. Church groups, WhatsApp groups, friends who already live here, those are the best sources for finding housing at a fair price. The open market is brutal.

Where to look (if you don’t have contacts):

• Kijiji, the “Canadian OLX”, widely used for rentals
• Facebook Marketplace, the per-city rental groups are great
• Padmapper, interactive map of available rentals
• Realtor.ca, not just for buying, there’s plenty of rentals too
• Brazilian groups on Facebook, lots of people sublet rooms or recommend apartments

What to expect:

• A deposit of first plus last month of rent (that’s standard in Ontario; in BC it’s half a month as a deposit)
• Many landlords ask for a credit check. As a newcomer, you probably don’t have one. Offer to pay a few months in advance or present a letter from your employer
• References from previous landlords help a lot. If you don’t have any, a letter from your bank or employer can stand in

To get a sense of the numbers, check out our detailed guide on the cost of living in Toronto.

Health Card

Canada has a public health system, but it’s provincial, each province has its own:

• Ontario: OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan)
• BC: MSP (Medical Services Plan)
• Quebec: RAMQ (Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec)
• Alberta: AHCIP (Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan)

Heads up: Some provinces have a waiting period of up to 3 months before coverage starts. During that period, you have no public coverage.

What to do: Get private health insurance to cover the waiting period. Companies like Manulife, Blue Cross and Guard.me offer plans for newcomers at around CAD 100 to 150/month. Don’t risk going without coverage. An emergency room visit can cost thousands of dollars.

To understand how the health system works, read our article on Canada’s health system for immigrants.

Transit

Public transit:

Most big Canadian cities have decent public transit. In Toronto, the TTC (subway plus buses plus streetcars) costs CAD 156/month for an unlimited pass. In Vancouver, TransLink works by zones.

My experience with transit: In the first months, we depended 100% on buses and on the generosity of church friends who gave us rides. The first time we went to Costco, for example, was with a couple from church who drove us, because Costco is in a spot public transit doesn’t reach well, and we needed to buy stuff for the apartment. That kind of help makes ALL the difference at the start, man. If someone offers you a ride to Costco, take it.

Driver’s licence:

If you plan to drive, know that the process depends on the province:

• Ontario and BC accept your Brazilian licence with an International Driving Permit (IDP) in the first 60 to 90 days
• After that, you need to start the Canadian licence process (more details in the first-month section)

Tip: The Transit app shows real-time public transit schedules and is much better than Google Maps for that.

How do you build your base in the first 30 days?

With the first two weeks behind you, now it’s time to get organized for the long run. Driver’s licence, taxes and integration services are the priorities.

Canadian driver’s licence

The process varies a lot by province:

Ontario:

• Your Brazilian licence can’t be swapped directly
• You need to do the written test (G1), then the road test (G2), and finally the G (full licence)
• The G1 can be done in your first week. It’s a multiple-choice test on traffic rules. Study using the official MTO site
• With a G1, you can drive accompanied. The G2 test can be done after 8 to 12 months (shortened if you take lessons at an accredited driving school)

British Columbia (where I got mine):

• BC accepts a direct swap of your Brazilian licence if you have 2+ years of experience
• You need the IDP (International Driving Permit) and your original, valid Brazilian licence
• The process is done at ICBC (Insurance Corporation of BC)
• What I spent in total: about CAD 360, counting the knowledge test, the road test and fees. I passed both on the first try, thank God. I studied with the official ICBC app, highly recommend it.

Having the licence changed my life here, seriously. The freedom to go to the grocery store without depending on a ride, to accept jobs in farther-out neighbourhoods, to explore the city on days off… it’s worth every cent of the investment.

CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) registration

The CRA is Canada’s tax authority. Even if you arrive mid-year, you’ll need to file income tax for the period you lived here.

Why register early:

• You need CRA My Account to access benefits like the GST/HST Credit (a tax refund) and the Canada Child Benefit (if you have kids)
• You can register online at canada.ca/cra-my-account
• You’ll need your SIN and the Notice of Assessment from your first return, or you can request a security code by mail

Tip: Don’t ignore taxes! Even if you arrived late in the year and earned little, filing is essential to receive benefits and keep everything in order.

Settlement services

A lot of people don’t know this, but the Canadian government funds 100% free services to help newcomers get settled. These services include:

• Job search help, resume reviews, interview prep, connections to employers
• English/French classes, the LINC (Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada) programs are free for permanent residents
• Guidance on your rights, labour laws, housing, the health system
• Professional mentoring, connections with professionals in your field

Organizations that offer these services:

• YMCA Newcomer Services, present in several cities
• COSTI Immigrant Services, focused on the Toronto area
• ACCES Employment, excellent for skilled professionals
• WoodGreen Community Services, Toronto
• ISSofBC, Immigrant Services Society of BC (Vancouver)

Find the settlement service nearest you at ircc.canada.ca. Seriously, use these services. It’s your tax money, and they exist precisely to help people in your situation.

Golden tips (from the guy who went through all of it)

After going through this whole process, here are the tips I wish someone had given me before I boarded that plane in September 2024:

• Build credit as fast as possible. Your credit score starts from zero here. Use the credit card for day-to-day purchases and always pay the full balance. If you can’t get a regular card, ask for a secured credit card (you put down an amount as collateral). In 6 months, your score already starts looking decent
• Keep all your documents organized. Make digital copies (photos on your phone plus cloud) and physical copies of everything: passport, COPR, SIN, lease, Brazilian driver’s licence. You’ll need these documents at unexpected moments. Clara and I keep everything in a Google Drive folder organized by category, it makes life so much easier
• Download these essential apps:
  • Flipp, compares grocery store deals
  • Transit, real-time public transit schedules
  • Your bank’s app, for transfers and Interac e-Transfer (Canada’s version of Pix, Brazil’s instant payment system)
  • Google Maps or Waze, navigation
  • Weather Network, detailed forecasts (you’ll check it every day, trust me)
• Join WhatsApp groups for the Brazilian community in your city. You’ll find tips on housing, jobs, Portuguese-speaking doctors and emotional support from people who understand exactly what you’re going through. For Clara and me, the church community was our safe harbour, but Brazilian WhatsApp groups help a lot too
• Prepare for the weather. Even if you arrive in summer, the Canadian winter is real. Invest in a good winter coat (Canada Goose isn’t necessary, Columbia, North Face and The Bay have great options for less). Layers are the secret: base layer, fleece and a waterproof shell. In Vancouver the winter is milder than in Toronto or Calgary, but the rain is constant, so a waterproof coat is ESSENTIAL
• Don’t underestimate culture shock. Even though Canada is a welcoming country, adapting takes time. Loneliness, homesickness, frustration with bureaucracy, all of that is normal. There were days when Clara and I would sit on the couch and just cry from missing home. It’s normal, it’s part of it, and it passes. Read our article on culture shock for Brazilians in Canada to prepare
• Connect with a community of faith (if that’s part of your life). I know this is personal, but for Clara and me, church was where we found housing, our first job, rides, friendship and emotional support. I’m not saying it has to be a church. It can be any community that takes you in. The important thing is not to stay isolated

Complete first-steps checklist

Print or save this list and check off each item as you sort it out:

Week 1

• Get your SIN at Service Canada
• Open a bank account (newcomer program)
• Request a credit card along with the account
• Buy a Canadian phone SIM
• Get private health insurance (for the waiting period)

Week 2

• Start the search for permanent housing
• Register for your province’s Health Card
• Buy a monthly public transit pass
• Get an IDP (if you brought a Brazilian licence and plan to drive)
• Take the G1 written test (Ontario) or start the swap at ICBC (BC)

First month

• Create a CRA My Account
• Look for free settlement services in your city
• Sign up for English/French classes (LINC) if needed
• Organize all your documents (originals plus digital copies)
• Research the best cities in Canada for Brazilians if you’re considering a future move

Ongoing

• Use your credit card and pay the full balance every month (build credit)
• Track your credit score through your bank’s app
• Keep the documents needed for immigration in an organized folder
• Explore the city, make friends, and enjoy this new chapter!

Conclusion

Your first days in Canada are intense, but every item you sort out is one more step toward feeling at home. Don’t try to do everything at once. Follow the order in this guide and in a month your life will already be up and running.

And remember: everyone who immigrated went through this. The insecurity is normal, the rough patches are part of it, and a few months from now you’ll look back and think “wow, I actually handled it”. Because you will. I know because I also thought I wouldn’t handle it, and look at me here.

I arrived in September 2024 knowing almost nothing. Today I have an apartment, a driver’s licence, a job in my field, and a life we’re building day by day. It’s not perfect. Money is already tight by the end of the month, every dollar is counted, and missing Brazil hits hard. But it’s real, it’s ours, and it’s worth every rough patch.

If this guide helped you, share it with that friend who’s planning the move. And if you want to follow our journey up close, follow us on YouTube (@morar-fora) and Instagram (@morarfora.ca).

I got your back.