First week in Canada checklist 2026: SIN, banking, health card

Landing in Canada as a permanent resident, work permit holder, or study permit holder triggers a short list of administrative tasks that need to happen fast. Some of them unlock others — you can't get paid without a Social Insurance Number, you can't rent an apartment easily without a bank account, and you'll want provincial health coverage registered even if it doesn't activate for three months.

This guide walks through the four core tasks most newcomers need to complete in their first week, the order that makes sense, and the traps that slow people down.

What you need to do in your first week

Four items: apply for a Social Insurance Number, register for your provincial health card, open a bank account, and get a driver's licence or provincial photo ID. If you're arriving through Express Entry, a Provincial Nominee Program, or family sponsorship, you'll handle all four. Work and study permit holders follow the same steps but may have different health-card eligibility depending on the province and permit length.

The order matters because some tasks depend on others. You need your SIN before your employer can process payroll. Most banks will open an account with just your passport and a temporary address, but a few want to see a provincial ID or lease first. Health card registration often requires proof of residency — a lease, a utility bill, or a signed letter from whoever you're staying with.

Start with the SIN. Everything else can happen in parallel once that's done.

Apply for your Social Insurance Number first

The Social Insurance Number is a nine-digit identifier that ties you into Canada's tax and employment system. Employers, banks, and government programs use it to track your earnings, contributions, and benefits. You can't legally work without one, and trying to will delay your first paycheque even if the job offer is already signed.

Most newcomers apply online through the Service Canada SIN portal. The process takes about ten minutes if you have your documents ready. You'll need your passport, your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) if you're a PR, or your work or study permit if you're on temporary status. The system generates your SIN immediately and emails it to you. No paper card, no waiting for mail.

If you can't apply online — the portal rejects some older permit formats or you're missing a document scan — visit a Service Canada office in person. Bring original documents. The officer will process your application on the spot and hand you a printed confirmation with your SIN. Urban offices get busy mid-morning; aim for opening time or late afternoon.

A common mistake: assuming the SIN comes automatically when you land. It doesn't. Permanent residents who entered through Express Entry or a provincial nominee stream still need to apply. The COPR document you signed at the airport is proof of status, not a SIN.

If you lose your SIN or forget it, you can retrieve it by calling Service Canada or logging into your My Service Canada Account (MSCA) if you set one up. Don't apply for a new one. You only get one SIN per person, and requesting a duplicate when you already have one creates a processing tangle.

Register for provincial health coverage and understand the waiting period

Canada's public healthcare is provincially run, and each province sets its own rules for newcomer eligibility and waiting periods. Most provinces impose a three-month wait before coverage starts. If you land in Ontario on March 1, your OHIP card activates June 1. British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec follow similar timelines. New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland have no wait — coverage starts the day you arrive and register.

You still need to register during your first week even if coverage doesn't start immediately. The clock only begins once your application is submitted. Delaying registration by a month pushes your coverage start date out by a month.

What you'll need: proof of immigration status (COPR, work permit, or study permit), proof of residency in the province (lease, utility bill, or a signed letter from your host if you're staying with family or friends temporarily), and a passport-style photo in some provinces. Ontario's online OHIP application accepts scanned documents; Quebec's RAMQ process requires an in-person visit to a service counter with originals.

The three-month gap is a real problem. A broken arm, a prescription, or an emergency-room visit during the wait can cost thousands of dollars out of pocket. Most newcomers buy private travel or visitor health insurance to cover the gap. Policies run CAD $50–$150 per month depending on age and coverage limits. Some employers offer interim health benefits for new hires; ask before you buy a private plan.

Work permit holders on permits shorter than 12 months may not qualify for provincial health coverage at all in some provinces. Check the specific rules for your province. British Columbia and Ontario cover most work permit holders, but Alberta and Quebec have stricter duration requirements. If you're not eligible, private insurance is your only option.

Official provincial health card rules are detailed at canada.ca/health-care-card.

Open a bank account without a permanent address

Canadian banks will open accounts for newcomers who don't yet have a lease or a utility bill in their name, but the process varies by institution. The big five banks (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC) all have newcomer programs that accept a temporary address — a hotel, an Airbnb, a friend's place — as long as you can provide a phone number and an email.