Setting Yourself Up In Canada: Working Holiday Visa

Arriving in a new country can seem daunting, especially when you’re planning to stay for a couple of years and don’t have the luxury of immediately starting your travels. If you are planning on staying in Canada to work with a valid work permit and have received your Port of Entry letter and are ready to fly, the next step is to plan for your arrival.

The most important things you need to organise are a Canadian bank account to make sure you can get paid, a SIN number to make sure you get taxed correctly, and a sim card so you can be in contact with potential employers! These things all need to be done in person once you arrive (you can technically apply for a SIN online but you will need to upload a copy of your work permit, which you wont have until you pass through immigration).

Contents:

Banff Avenue, Alberta, Canada

1. Social Insurance Number (SIN)

   1. What is a SIN and why do I need one?

   2. Where do I apply for a SIN?

   3. My experience of getting a SIN.

2. Setting up a Canadian Bank Account.

   1. Cost

   2. Convenience

3. Choosing a cell phone plan

4. Applying for Canadian ID

   1. Advantages

   2. Disadvantages

5. Is there Universal Healthcare?

6. What’s next?

What is a SIN number and why do I need one?

A SIN number is your Social Insurance Number which you will need to be able to work in Canada or to access government benefits and programmes. You can obtain a SIN through Service Canada in-person or online, but online may take up to 5 business days whereas in person can be done on the day.  Technically, you cannot be employed without a SIN. Therefore, if you do start work without one, you have 3 days to apply to be in insurable employment. I would recommend sorting it on day 1 of being in Canada.

Where do I apply for a SIN?

You can apply for a SIN at any Service Canada Office, and you can use this tool to find the one that will be closest to you. Make sure you check the office you have selected offers ‘Social Insurance Number Applications’. There is no fee to apply for a SIN but you will need to make sure you bring the following documents:

·       Primary identity document: Work permit issued by IRCC or CIC.

·       Secondary document: Passport.

·       Supporting document: If the name on any document provided is different from the name on the SIN application, a legal document stating the most recent name used is required.

If you have brought everything required, you should be able to obtain your SIN during your visit.

My experience of getting a SIN.

I arrived in Vancouver, BC in November 2021 and was staying in Downtown Vancouver. I had heard from others via the IEC Working Holiday Support page on Facebook that they had been waiting up-to 4 hours for their SIN at the Service Canada offices, and at the time you could not make an appointment. It does suggest on their website now that you can complete this request form to request an appointment, but I cannot say whether that works for SIN numbers or not.

I used the Vancouver – Sinclair Centre (Downtown) Service Canada Centre and arrived as soon as it opened at 08:30am to find a huge queue already. People weren’t exaggerating on Facebook; I did wait 3.5 hours to be seen. Essentially you will wait in this queue on your feet for the whole time so bring a book (and a chair if necessary) and be prepared to wait.

The Service Centre’s in the city are probably a lot busier. When my partner arrived on his work permit, we decided to give the Service Centre in Squamish a try on our way back to Whistler. He was in and out within half an hour! So, if you have the option to travel out of the city to a different centre, I recommend this.

You will be given your SIN number on a piece of paper so make sure to keep this safe. You can then use this SIN number to create a CRA account which will be used to access government services and for your tax return when the time arrives. You will also give this to your employer when you start your new job.

Setting up a Canadian Bank Account.

Setting up a bank account in Canada is easy enough to do but may require you to book an appointment if the branch is busy. When choosing which bank account to go with, I would recommend a few things: cost and convenience.

Cost: Most Canadian bank accounts do have fees associated with them, which came as a shock to me as I hadn’t experience this in the UK or New Zealand. These fees are usually in the form of a monthly charge and differ depending on how much money you have in your bank account. Essentially, the more money you have, the less you get charged (unfair, I know!).

However, some banks usually offer newcomer deals to alleviate these charges for the first year. For example, at the time of writing this blog (May, 2024) CIBC are offering no monthly fee for up to 24 months and a $400 Costco Shop Card after you open your first CIBC Smart Account for Foreign Workers chequing account. TD Bank are also offering no monthly fees for 12 months, as well as 1% bonus interest rates and no annual fee on eligible cards.

Convenience: If, like me, your plan was to get out of the city and into a more remote area like Whistler, Banff, Revelstoke or Vancouver Island, I would recommend researching what banks are in that town. It is handy to have a physical bank branch to be able to visit with queries, rather than trying to handle everything over the phone. You also tend to get charged if you remove cash from an ATM that isn’t run by your bank, so having an ATM in the town you’re living in helps save a little bit of money.

To set up a bank account you will need your passport, a copy of your visa and sometimes proof of your entry into Canada to show that you are a ‘newcomer’ if you are planning to take advantage of some of the deals. You will also need to provide a correspondence address which can be difficult if you haven’t found accommodation yet. I gave the address of the first hostel I planned to stay at, then changed it once my accommodation was sorted. Bear in mind, your card will need to get sent to this address so make sure you can receive post there. Although you wont receive your card on the day, you will receive details of how to transfer money into your account from your overseas account. I usually do this using Wise. If you use this link you will get a fee-free transfer of up to NZ$900 (or equivalent) when you sign up.

Choosing a cell phone plan.

The first thing to do when choosing a cell phone plan, is to research which providers have the best coverage for your area. The three big companies are Telus, Bell & Rogers, which all tend to have smaller ‘child’ companies. For example, Rogers were the best coverage for the area I was heading too, but their ‘child’ company Fido, had far better deals. Therefore, I got the same coverage but for a much better price. You can also purchase Fido from Rogers stores.

When choosing your plan, you can also base this off whether you already have a phone and just need a SIM, or whether you want to sign up for a contract to enable yourself to get a new phone as well. These will usually require a minimum 2-year commitment though, so bare this in mind and base it on how long you plan to stay. I chose to go for a monthly no-fixed term contract with Fido, as I already had a phone. I didn’t need the Canadian bank account to set it up either, as you tend to just pay monthly manually. I bought the first month using my travel credit card, then made future payments using my Canadian credit card.

Applying for Canadian ID.

Applying for Canadian ID is not mandatory and has advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

·       You will not need to carry your passport for ID. Most places in Canada will not accept a UK license as proof of ID for purchasing alcohol or entering bars, so you will need to carry your passport with you. This is a risky game!

·       To legally drive in Canada, you’ll need a driver's license issued by the government of your province or territory. You can use your license from your home country if it is valid, but only for a short time. If you plan to buy a car, it is almost essential that you get a Canadian driving license.

Disadvantages:

·       You will have to surrender your old license. My UK license was taken off me, which made it difficult when returning home for trips as I had to insure myself using my Canadian license. It also means that when you return home, you will have to go through the process of applying for a new license.

·       There will be a cost involved with obtaining the new license. Also, make sure to check exactly what documents you need before heading to the local licensing office, because they’re very strict on which documents you need to bring.

Is there universal healthcare?

I can only speak for my experience living and working in British Columbia (BC), however, if you plan to live in a different province, please check out their individual healthcare offerings. With BC, you may be eligible to apply for their Medical Services Plan, or MSP, if you plan to stay for 6+ consecutive months, have a valid work permit, are employed and working a minimum of 18 hours per week. To find out more information or apply, follow this link.

What’s next?

As you can see, your first few days in Canada will be busy and will seem overwhelming. The Canadian ID can certainly wait but I would sort the SIN, bank account and cell phone plan as soon as possible, especially if you want to start working. The next challenges will be sorting accommodation and finding work if you have not done this already, make sure to subscribe below as I will publish a blog post on this shortly.