Master prompt
First-week settlement checklist (Canada)
Day-by-day post-arrival checklist: SIN, bank account, IRCC address update under IRPA s.27, SIM, temporary-to-permanent accommodation. Tuned for Indian newcomers landing in Brampton / Surrey / Calgary / Mississauga.
CanadaSettlementPost-arrivalSINPR landingNewcomer bankingIRPA s.27
You are a senior settlement advisor for an Indian newcomer family arriving in Canada. Build a sequenced first-week-to-first-month checklist for [CLIENT_NAME] that any RCIC can hand to a client without re-formatting.
CLIENT SNAPSHOT
- Family: [FAMILY_COMPOSITION]
- Landing date: [LANDING_DATE]
- Settling in: [LANDING_CITY]
- Initial address: [TEMPORARY_ADDRESS]
- Settlement funds: CAD [INITIAL_BUDGET_CAD]
- Employment: No — job-searching
GROUND RULES
- Anchor the timeline to the LANDING_DATE. Use "Day 1", "Day 2-3", "Week 1", "Week 2-3", "Month 1".
- Cite the legal / IRCC source for every required action (IRPA s.27, IRPR R55, etc.).
- For each task, list: WHO does it, WHERE, WHAT TO BRING, ESTIMATED COST, EXPECTED TURNAROUND.
- Indian-newcomer specifics: bring the right docs out of India (PCC, NOC from prior employer, attested degree certificates) — flag any that should have been done before departure.
SECTION 1 - DAY 1 (landing day)
(a) Confirm COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence) stamped at the port of entry. Verify:
- All family members appear on the COPR with correct spelling
- "Permanent Resident" stamped in each passport
- Officer wrote the PR card mailing address on the back of the COPR (this is the address PR cards will be mailed to within 6-8 weeks)
(b) If the temporary address [TEMPORARY_ADDRESS] is different from the address given at the airport: note that the PR card will go to the airport-declared address. Plan a forwarding strategy or update IRCC within 180 days (see Day 2-3).
(c) Power-down expectations: jet lag, no phone, no transit card. Do NOT plan any government office visits on Day 1.
SECTION 2 - DAY 2-3 (first 48 hours of administrative wakefulness)
(a) SIN application at Service Canada (Social Insurance Number, governed by Department of Employment and Social Development Act):
- WHERE: nearest Service Canada Centre in [LANDING_CITY]. Walk-in or book online at canada.ca/sin. Walk-in usually faster in suburban offices than downtown.
- WHAT TO BRING: COPR + passport + secondary ID. For minors: birth certificate + COPR.
- COST: free.
- TURNAROUND: SIN issued at counter, same day, on a paper SIN Confirmation Letter (no physical card since 2014). Photograph the letter immediately - it is irreplaceable for 2-3 weeks if lost.
- SIN starting with "9" = temporary resident; SIN with any other digit = PR/citizen. Verify [CLIENT_NAME]'s SIN does NOT start with "9" — if it does, employer payroll will run on temp-resident rules.
(b) IRCC address update (IRPA s.27 + IRPR R55):
- WHERE: online at ircc.canada.ca/english/information/change-address.asp
- WHEN: within 180 days of the address change, but recommended within 30 days for PR card delivery
- LINK to do for: every family member (each has their own UCI/Client ID; one parent cannot update the spouse's record on behalf)
(c) Activate a Canadian phone line — needed for almost every subsequent step:
- Tier-1 carriers: Rogers / Bell / Telus (~$50-70/mo for a basic plan)
- Newcomer-friendly MVNOs: Public Mobile / Lucky Mobile / Freedom Mobile / Fido (~$25-40/mo, no credit check at sign-up)
- WHAT TO BRING: passport + COPR. Some carriers ask for a Canadian address (use [TEMPORARY_ADDRESS]).
- Lock in eSIM/portability so the same number survives carrier hopping later.
SECTION 3 - WEEK 1 (Days 4-7)
(a) Open a Canadian chequing account at a Big-Six newcomer program:
- RBC Newcomer Advantage — no monthly fee for 12 months on a Day-to-Day Banking account, plus a no-credit-history Mastercard offer (limit $500-$2,000 secured / $1,500+ unsecured for select profiles)
- BMO NewStart Program — no fee for 12 months on a Performance Plan account, plus a no-history Mastercard
- TD New to Canada — no fee for 12 months on Unlimited Chequing, plus a TD Cash Back Visa with no credit history required
- Scotia StartRight — no fee for 12 months on Preferred Package, plus a Scotia Momentum No-Fee Visa with no credit history required
- CIBC Welcome to Canada — no fee for 12 months on Smart Account, plus a CIBC Aventura Visa with no credit history required
- WHAT TO BRING: COPR + passport + SIN + Canadian phone number + [TEMPORARY_ADDRESS] proof (any utility bill / Airbnb confirmation / relative's signed letter)
- PRO TIP: pre-book a "newcomer specialist" appointment via the bank's newcomer landing page — walk-in branches may not have the specialist trained on newcomer offerings.
- Open BOTH a chequing AND a savings account at the same branch on the same day - splits emergency funds from operating cash.
(b) Transfer initial settlement funds into the new account:
- Use Wise / Remitly / Xe rather than SWIFT — SWIFT loses 2-3% in mid-market spread vs Wise's ~0.5%. For [INITIAL_BUDGET_CAD], that's an avoidable CAD 350-540 hit.
- Document the source-of-funds trail: keep the Indian bank statement showing the outward remittance + Wise/Remitly receipts. CRA may ask later in the first tax year.
(c) PRESTO / Compass / Connect transit card for [LANDING_CITY]:
- ON: PRESTO card at TTC, GO Transit kiosks, or Shoppers Drug Mart
- BC: Compass Card at SkyTrain stations, London Drugs
- AB: Connect Card / Single-ride tickets — Calgary Transit
- QC: OPUS card at metro stations
(d) Apply for provincial health card — see prompt ca-settlement-provincial-healthcare-enrollment (linked).
SECTION 4 - WEEK 2-3 (Days 8-21)
(a) Move from [TEMPORARY_ADDRESS] toward permanent rental accommodation:
- Canadian rental application demands: photo ID, SIN, employment letter OR settlement funds proof, credit check authorisation (newcomers have no Canadian credit — expect to be asked for 3-12 months rent upfront, OR a Canadian guarantor, OR a "first + last" month deposit per provincial rules)
- Provincial caps on deposits: ON allows last-month rent deposit only (no security deposit); BC allows up to 0.5 month security + 0.5 month pet deposit; AB allows up to one month security deposit
- Indian newcomer concentration zones in [LANDING_CITY] (handy as a relocating-to-community shortcut):
- Brampton (ON): Springdale, Heart Lake, Mount Pleasant
- Surrey (BC): Newton, Fleetwood, Guildford
- Calgary (AB): NE Saddle Ridge, Martindale, Castleridge
- Mississauga (ON): Malton, Streetsville, Meadowvale
(b) Children's school enrolment — see prompt ca-settlement-school-enrollment-children (linked).
(c) Driver's licence — start the exchange clock — see ca-settlement-driver-license-exchange (linked).
(d) If No — job-searching is "No — job-searching":
- Register with WorkBC / Employment Ontario / Alberta Supports — free, government-funded employment counselling
- Update LinkedIn with the Canadian phone number and a Canadian address (postal-coded)
- Have all foreign credentials evaluated — WES Canada turnaround is 7-20 business days for an ICAS-style report (some occupations require IQAS for Alberta or ICES for BC)
SECTION 5 - MONTH 1 (Days 22-30)
(a) PR card arrival: should land at the airport-declared address within 6-8 weeks. If not received by Day 60, raise an IRCC web-form enquiry (Case Status > PR Card).
(b) File the CRA Canada Child Benefit (CCB) application using form RC66 if [FAMILY_COMPOSITION] includes children. CCB is back-dated to landing date — every month delayed is a month of benefit lost.
(c) Sign up for a paid newcomer settlement program: Catholic Cross-Cultural Services, COSTI, S.U.C.C.E.S.S. (BC), Calgary Catholic Immigration Society — free, government-funded.
(d) Build a paper-trail filing system: keep COPR, SIN letter, lease, employment letter, first paystubs, and the source-of-funds remittance receipts in a single folder — Tax Year 1 and PR-renewal Year 5 both need them.
SECTION 6 - DOCUMENT INVENTORY (one-page summary the client can fold into a passport sleeve)
By end of Month 1 the client should hold:
[ ] COPR (each family member)
[ ] Passport with PR stamp (each family member)
[ ] SIN Confirmation Letter (each working-age member)
[ ] Canadian bank account number + branch transit + institution code
[ ] Canadian phone number
[ ] Provincial health card (each family member) - status: APPLIED / WAITING / RECEIVED
[ ] Photo learner's permit OR full driver's licence (drivers only)
[ ] Lease agreement or rent receipt
[ ] WES / IQAS / ICES credential report (working-age members)
[ ] CCB and GST/HST credit applications filed (if applicable)
SECTION 7 - INDIAN-NEWCOMER PITFALLS TO PRE-EMPT
(a) Carrying cash > CAD 10,000 across the border WITHOUT declaring it on the CBSA E311: confiscation risk under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. Declare in full.
(b) Sending money BACK to India in the first year while on temp accommodation: be aware of RBI LRS limits + Indian tax-residency implications for the year you ceased to be ordinarily resident in India.
(c) Using a relative's old PR card or driver's licence to "establish identity" with a bank — Canadian KYC will catch the photo mismatch. Don't.
(d) Aadhaar + PAN remain valid for Indian asset operations - keep them active.
(e) DO NOT apply for an Indian OCI before becoming a Canadian citizen - PRs hold an Indian passport already, and OCI is for ex-Indian-citizens only. This trips up clients post-naturalisation, not at landing.
End with: "DRAFT — for RCIC review. Verify against current IRCC + provincial guidance before sharing with client. Banking products, fee waivers, and provincial wait periods change frequently; confirm with the bank, Service Canada, and the provincial health authority before recommending a specific product or process."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt