The arrivals process and your first steps in Canada

The arrivals process at the airport

What to expect after getting off the plane

Non-Canadian passport holders will first be directed to a kiosk or egate upon landing. You can complete your Advance Declaration up to 72 hours in advance online using ArriveCan and print your responses off at the kiosk. Alternatively, you can answer the declaration questions at the kiosk. If the airport you are flying into does not have kiosks available, a declaration card will be handed out by flight attendants during your flight.

Once you have your printed declaration, you will be directed to your first Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) checkpoint—expect a queue. Have your passport, Port of Entry (POE) Letter of Introduction and declaration ready.

During your “primary inspection”, the border services officer will examine your declaration and passport. You will need to tell the officer you are here to activate your IEC permit.

The officer will then send you to another area of CBSA booths (often called “Immigration” or an immigration room or hall) to have your IEC permit activated. Do not skip this step and head straight to the baggage hall or your work permit won’t be activated!

Immigration

You may need to join another queue in the immigration hall before you can be seen by a second officer. This CBSA officer will review all your documents carefully and ask you a few questions about your plans. Answer truthfully and politely—now is not the time to make jokes.

As well as your POE letter, you will be asked to show:

• Proof of funds issued no more than one week before you depart for Canada. It must clearly show that you have enough money to support yourself while you get set up in Canada—the equivalent of CA$2,500.
• Proof of health insurance covering medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation. Your insurance policy must be valid for the entire duration of your stay in Canada. If your insurance policy is valid for less time than your expected stay in Canada, you will be issued a work permit that expires at the same time as your insurance (Source).

If you don’t have these documents to hand, the border services officer will refuse to issue your work permit.

You also need to have original copies of the documents you provided in your work permit application, as you may be asked to show them.

At the end of the process, the officer will provide you with your printed work permit.

Issuance of your work permit

Check your work permit carefully right away. Make sure all the details are correct: the spelling of your name, your passport number, the work permit expiry date, etc.

Check the specific conditions regarding the type of work you can do or where you can work written on your work permit. For example, if you have completed a medical exam, you should have the condition “Not authorised to work in 1) child care 2) primary or secondary school teaching 3) health services field occupations” removed from your work permit.

If you think there’s a mistake on your work permit, tell the border services officer—at this stage, it can be corrected easily and quickly.

Tips

• It’s perfectly fine to arrive in Quebec with a POE letter written in English or to anywhere else in Canada with a POE letter written in French—the two official languages in Canada are English and French.
• You will see the following condition listed on your permit: “Unless authorised, prohibited from attending any educational institution and taking any academic, professional or vocational training course.” Don’t worry, you can still take a course while on a Working Holiday permit, as long as it doesn’t last longer than six months.
• Your permit will say “This does not authorise re-entry”/“Ceci n’autorise pas la rentrée.” Don’t worry, you can still leave Canada and return as many times as you want while your IEC permit is still valid! This statement simply means that you can’t expect re-entry with just the paper permit—you also need your passport.
• If you are on a Working Holiday, you should see: “Occupation: open” written on your permit to indicate that your work permit is an open work permit, i.e. you aren’t tied to a specific employer.

Next steps after your permit has been issued

In the airport

Once your work permit has been issued, you can go and pick up your checked luggage in the baggage claim area.

There will be a final CBSA checkpoint, where you will hand the officer your printed declaration (and your receipt if you paid duty and taxes). Most of the time, you’ll be waved through, but you could be directed to a further inspection area where you’ll be asked to present your luggage and goods for examination.

This is the last step before the arrivals hall. You made it, welcome to Canada! Your adventure starts now.

In your first few days in Canada

1. Apply for your Social Insurance Number

A Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a unique nine-digit number that you will need if you plan to work during your Canadian working holiday. Employers are required to request your SIN and record the number within three days of your start date, as it’s used for income tax reporting purposes.

For more information, read Getting your Canadian Social Insurance Number.

Note that there’s a Service Canada booth at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) where you can apply for your SIN during regular business hours.

2. Open a bank account

Opening a bank account in Canada is a relatively straightforward process. Whether you plan to work or travel, it’s handy to have a local bank account for everyday expenses. Read Opening a bank account in Canada for more details.


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3. Spend your first Canadian dollars wisely

The government of Canada requires all International Experience Canada participants to show proof of funds to cover initial expenses. So, what are those CA$2,500 supposed to cover?

Transportation
You will have to take a taxi, train or bus from the airport to the place where you’ll be staying for your first night(s) in Canada. Airports are usually located outside the city centre and taxis aren’t cheap.

If you plan to rely on public transportation during your stay, you’ll want to check if a weekly or monthly pass is better value than paying per ride.

Accommodation
Unless you arranged a lease before coming to Canada (not recommended!), it’s likely that you’ll spend your first few nights in a hostel, hotel or Airbnb.

Once you find a more permanent accommodation solution, such as an apartment or a room to rent, you’ll most likely have to pay first and last month’s rent. Rent prices vary dramatically from city to city. For more information, read Finding accommodation in Canada.

Finally, if you’re renting an unfurnished room or apartment, you’ll have to buy basic furniture and other household essentials.

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Other basic expenses
The cost of living varies across Canada and the amount you spend on groceries, clothing, entertainment, etc. depends on your lifestyle. Take a look at Budgeting for a working holiday for more help.

4. Find a long-term accommodation solution

Kijiji and Craigslist are the two biggest free online classified services. Even if it’s tempting to start looking for a place before you come to Canada, it’s best to wait and visit in person to avoid scams and bad surprises.

For more information, read Finding accommodation in Canada.

5. Start the job hunt

Your will need to review your CV and turn it into a Canadian-style resume. Then, you can start applying for jobs in your field or for temporary/seasonal work. To gain your important first work experience in Canada, consider volunteering.

For a complete overview of the job searching process, read Finding a job and working in Canada.

6. Get a Canadian SIM card

Generally speaking, mobile phone plans are much more expensive in Canada than in Europe and Asia, so be prepared! You will need a Canadian phone number for your job search.

For full details, read How to choose a phone plan in Canada.

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7. Register with the embassy or consulate of your country

This is not a mandatory step, but we still recommend it. Many countries encourage their citizens to register with the appropriate embassy or consulate in Canada. This is a free service, which allows your government to notify you in case of an emergency abroad (e.g. during a natural disaster) or a personal emergency at home.

Being registered also makes it easier to seek consular assistance in case of trouble (lost passport, etc.)—but it won’t help much in case of arrest or legal troubles!

Read Departure preparation for your working holiday (the full guide) for more tips.