Starting a New Life in Canada

Summary: It seems that Canada is growing in popularity particularly among those Britons and Americans seeking a new and less restricted life abroad, and the Canadian government recognises this fact and is actively promoting increased immigration.

It seems that Canada is growing in popularity particularly among those Britons and Americans seeking a new and less restricted life abroad, and the Canadian government recognises this fact and is actively promoting increased immigration.

If you’re planning on starting a new life in Canada and you’ve been through the immigration process already, this article details all the important points that you now need to consider and cover to enable you to settle into Canadian life.

Upon arrival in Canada you will likely be feeling a mixture of elation, apprehension and exhaustion!  Relocating to a brand new country is a very daunting but hugely rewarding experience and the exhaustion will soon pass leaving you with the energy needed to find temporary housing, get health insurance sorted out for the whole family, fill in all the necessary paperwork for your social insurance numbers, get utilities and services connected and basically get out on the street and find your way around your new neighbourhood.

You will find your days filled with small but essential tasks such as sorting out a bank account, transferring or exchanging money, sussing out buses and local transportation and finding the local shops.

All this work pays dividends as it is familiarity that makes somewhere feel like home.  The sooner you familiarise yourself with your immediate and wider neighbourhood the sooner you’ll make friends and settle in.

Once you’ve started your new life in Canada you’ll be on a roll.  The next batch of tasks to tick off your new life ‘to do’ list will be slightly more intense and will likely include getting your children registered and enrolled at school, getting a GP (family doctor), finding more permanent housing possibly, finding work, applying for Canada Child Tax Benefit and for GST/HST Credit - oh and making friends!

If you have children and they are enrolled in local schools this can be an excellent introduction to many like minded people.  You will mix and mingle at the school gates, at after school activities and parent’s evenings and as soon as the locals realise you’re new to the area they will likely go out of their way to make you feel at home.  Don’t be slow about coming forward!  Speak up and introduce yourself, you have to make an effort to be noticed and you’ll soon be rewarded with new friends and people you can call on, rely upon and trust. 

After familiarity, close human bonds make a place feel even more like home.  If you don’t have children or you’re finding it difficult to make friends, make an effort to find what Canadian’s call ‘an immigrant-serving organisation’ in your local area - this will be a great first step towards meeting new people and making new friends.

And finally, as time goes by and you settle into life in Canada you might begin to think about getting Canadian citizenship and making the move permanent and absolute you can apply for citizenship after you’ve been living in Canada for three years.

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