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Getting ready for Canada
While travelling, remember that the laws of the country you are visiting, apply to you as well. Make sure you carry proper identification for yourself and any children travelling with you, regardless of their age, to assist in confirming your legal right or authorization to enter Canada upon your return.
Proper identification includes a Canadian passport, a Canadian birth certificate, a citizenship card or a Certificate of Indian Status. If you are travelling alone with minor children or if you are not the legal guardian, you should carry proper documentation such as legal separation documents and a letter of authorization to facilitate your entry back into Canada.
Getting ready before you leave for Canada
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Essential documents
When you travel to Canada, you will need to have the following documents with you:
- A Canadian immigrant visa and Confirmation of Permanent Residence for each family member travelling with you;
- A valid passport or other travel document for each family member travelling with you;
- Two copies of a detailed list of all the personal or household items you are bringing with you; and
- Two copies of a list of items that are arriving later.
Note: The lists should state how much your personal and household items are worth.
- You must also bring with you enough money to cover living expenses such as rent, food, clothing and transportation for a six-month period. You may be asked to show proof of your funds.
Do not pack your documents in a suitcase. You will need to have them available to show to immigration and customs officials.
Important documents
Depending on your personal situation, you should bring the following important documents with you to Canada:
- Birth certificates or baptismal certificates; marriage certificates
- Adoption, separation or divorce papers
- School records, diplomas or degrees for each family member travelling with you
- Trade or professional certificates and licences
- Letters of reference from former employers
- A list of your educational and professional qualifications and job experience (this is also called a résumé)
- Immunization, vaccination, dental and other health records for each family member
- Driver's licence, including an International Driver's Permit, and a reference from your insurance company
- Photocopies of all essential and important documents, in case the originals get lost (be sure to keep the photocopies in a
separate Place from the originals)
- Car registration documents (if you are importing a motor vehicle into Canada).
What you should know about health care
Canada has a public health-care system known as "medicare." It provides insurance coverage for health-care services to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents. (You will be a "permanent resident.") The federal government sets health-care standards for the whole country, but the programs are run by the provincial ministries of health.
Note: British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick have a three-month waiting period before you become eligible for medicare coverage. If you are planning to settle in any of these provinces, you should buy private health insurance coverage for the first three months. Insurance companies are listed in the Yellow Pages of all Canadian telephone books, under "Insurance."
What you can bring into Canada
There are strict laws about what you can bring into Canada.
Cars must meet Canadian safety and pollution control standards. Many cars are not allowed into the country. Contact Transport Canada for more information before you ship your car.
Transport Canada, Vehicle Importation
330 Sparks Street, Tower C
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5
Telephone: 1 (613) 998-8616
(when calling from outside Canada)
1 800 333-0371
(toll-free, from inside Canada)
Web site: www.tc.gc.ca
(follow the link to Vehicle Importation)
The following items cannot be brought into Canada:
- unauthorized firearms, explosives, fireworks and ammunition;
- narcotics, other than prescription drugs;
- meat, dairy products, fresh fruits and vegetables;
- plants, flowers and soil;
- endangered species of animals or products made from animal parts, such as the skin, feathers, fur, bones and ivory;
- cultural property, including antique and cultural objects considered to have historical significance in their country of origin
(you may, however, bring family heirlooms);
- more than 200 cigarettes (you must pay tax on the excess amount) per person over 18 years of age if you are immigrating to
Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba, or per person over 19 if you are immigrating to Ontario or any of the other provinces;
and
- more than 1.5 litres of wine or 1.14 litres of commercial alcohol (you must pay tax on the excess amount) per person over 19
years of age.
If you are not sure about an item, you can write to or telephone:
Canada Customs and Revenue Agency
Customs, Excise and Taxation
Information Services
2265 St. Laurent Boulevard
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 4K3
Telephone: 1 (506) 636-5064 or
(204) 983-3500
(when calling from outside Canada)
1 800 461-9999
(toll-free, from inside Canada)
Web site: www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca
Getting ready to look for work
If possible, have your documents translated into English or French before you leave for Canada. Essential documents for looking for work include:
- a résumé of your education, work and volunteer experience, and your skills and qualifications;
- diplomas, degrees, certificates and other qualifications;
- letters of recommendation; and
- school records or transcripts.
Research the labour market in the part of Canada where you plan to settle. The following federally funded Web sites will be helpful:
- www.workinfonet.ca: This is a national Web site for career and labour market
information. It contains job information for each province and territory. It also contains information on self-employment, education and training.
- www.workdestinations.org: This Web site contains information on various
jobs, working conditions, labour market trends, living conditions, and training and educational opportunities in different regions
of Canada. It also lists regulated jobs in Canada. You can find out whether your job is regulated and what you will need to do to
get a licence to practise.
- www.theworkplace.ca: This Web site offers links to Canadian newspapers' on-line
"Help Wanted" advertisements.
Getting ready if you are a business immigrant
If you are coming to Canada as a business immigrant, use the Internet to find out about sources of financing, business opportunities, export and investment services, self-employment assistance and information for small businesses. There are many rules for starting a business in Canada. The following Government of Canada Web sites will help you get a head start in your planning:
- www.cbsc.org: The Canada Business Service Centre's Web site is your single point
of contact for information on government services, programs and rules for business.
- www.strategis.gc.ca: This Industry Canada Web site has business information to help you find partners, do market research, find new technologies, and learn about financing opportunities and growth areas
in the Canadian economy.
- www.bdc.ca: This is the Web site of the Business Development Bank of Canada. It
provides financial and consulting services to Canadian small businesses, especially those in the technology and export sectors
of the economy. It also offers information on how to start a business and make it succeed.
- www.contractscanada.gc.ca: This Web site has information on how and
what the Government of Canada buys (both goods and services).
- www.cic.gc.ca: This is the Web site of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It
describes the Business Immigration Program. You will find many answers to your questions at this site.
Communities across Canada
Most newcomers to Canada tend to settle in the three biggest cities -- Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver. But many newcomers and many Canadians choose to live in the medium-sized cities, which they feel have as much to offer as the larger cities with a better quality of life.
Among the medium-sized cities are Halifax, Québec City, Ottawa, London, Windsor, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria
All of the medium-sized cities have diverse, multi-ethnic populations ranging in size from approximately 100,000 to one million people, and all have the variety of public and private institutions and services found in the largest cities.
Some newcomers like the idea of living in smaller cities or towns like Moncton, Fredericton, Red Deer and Kelowna, or prefer to live in a rural area. Depending on your skills or professional qualifications, some regions may have better job opportunities than others.
Each Web site has a list of government departments and agencies. In the bigger provinces, some government departments may have their own Web sites, with more detailed information. You may also find a directory of on-line services, a link to educational institutions, and a link to major cities and towns. Most of the Web sites also have a tourism section, where you can discover the special attractions of each province and territory.
The Web site www.workdestinations.org has links to information on the labour market and the housing market of communities across Canada. It also has useful tips and information about moving within Canada.
You can also visit a Web site called Canadian Government Information on the Internet at http://cgii.gc.ca/muni-e.html. It is another useful link to federal, provincial and municipal government information.
The Canadian climate: What to expect and what clothes to bring
Most of Canada has four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The temperatures and weather in each season can be different from one part of the country to another. Here is what you can expect:
Spring: Spring is a rainy season in most parts of Canada. Daytime temperatures rise steadily, but the nights remain cool. Average daytime temperatures are about 12°C in March, April and early May.
Summer: Summer officially begins on June 21, but July and August are summer for most Canadians. In summer, the weather is very warm in most parts of the country. In southern Canada, daytime temperatures are normally above 20°C and can sometimes rise above 30°C.
Autumn: The autumn season, or fall, as it's often called, begins in September. The weather cools and the leaves on many trees change colour and fall to the ground. It can also be very rainy at this time of year. In some parts of Canada, especially northern or mountain regions, snow may begin to fall by late October. Average daytime temperatures are about 10°C to 12°C in most of the country. The autumn months are September, October and November.
Winter: During the winter months (December, January and February), the temperature in most of the country usually stays below 0°C, day and night. Temperatures in some parts of the country periodically drop below -25°C, while along the West Coast, the temperature rarely drops below 0°C. In most of Canada, snow will be on the ground from mid-December to the middle of March. The higher in elevation and the farther north you go, the longer and colder winter becomes.
Schools and universities
There is no national school system in Canada. Schools and universities are run by the provinces; therefore, education varies somewhat from province to province. Most elementary and secondary schooling is public, meaning it is free and open to everyone.
Depending on the individual province, primary eduation starts at pre-kindergarten and continues to the end of grade 6 or 8. This is followed by secondary education or high school. In some provinces this may be divided into junior high (grades 7 to 9) and senior high (grades 10 to 12). Normally, students must complete the required academic courses in high school in order to be admitted to university or college.
The regular school year runs from late August or early September until mid- to late June. New students can usually be registered throughout the school year. Most schools are closed on national holidays. Also, all schools are closed between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day, and most are closed for a week in March for spring break. The longest school holiday occurs over the summer months of July and August.
Universities and community colleges hold their regular classes from late August or early September until April, although some courses are offered from January to April and a smaller number are available over the summer months. University and community college courses are not free and the costs vary among the provinces.
When you register your children at the local school or school board office, you must take with you:
- Canadian immigrant visa (Record of Landing);
- birth certificate or baptismal certificate;
- vaccination certificate;
- any previous school records.
Your children's language and mathematical skills will be assessed, if necessary, and they will be placed in the program the school thinks is best for them.
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Living & Education in Canada
