Health Card:
In Canada, the provincial or territorial government provides insured health care services using money collected from taxes. Therefore, you do not pay for most services when you go see a doctor or visit clinic or hospital.
Application forms for provincial or territorial health card is usually available at a doctor’s office, a hospital, a pharmacy or an immigrant-serving organization. You can also get the forms online from government ministry responsible for health in your province or territory.
Alberta
British Columbia
BC Medical Service Plan
Health – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
Telephone: 1-800-663-7100 or 604-683-7151
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Care Plan
www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/mcp
Telephone: 1-866-449-4459 or 1-800-563-1557
Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories Health Care Plan
www.hss.gov.nt.ca/health/nwt-health-care-plan
Telephone: 1-800-661-0830
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
Ontario Health Insurance Plan
www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip
Telephone: 1-866-532-3161
Prince Edward Island
PEI Health Card
www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/service/healthcard
Telephone: 1-800-321-5492 or 902-838-0900
Quebec
Quebec Health Insurance Board
www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citizens
Telephone: 418-646-4636 (Québec city)
514-864-3411 (Montréal)
1-800-561-9749 (the rest of Quebec)
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Health Service Card
www.ehealthsask.ca/HealthRegistries
Telephone: 1-800-667-7766 or 306-787-3251
Yukon
Yukon Health Card
http://www.hss.gov.yk.ca/yhcip.php
Telephone: 1-800-661-0408, ext. 5209
or 867-667-5209
To apply for health insurance card, you will be asked to provide identification such as your birth certificate, passport, permanent resident card or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292).
In most provinces and territories, each family member receives his/her own card with a personal health identification number. You must carry the card with you and present it at a hospital or clinic when you or someone in your family needs health services.
We recommend you to purchase private health insurance to pay for your healthcare needs until the date you receive government health insurance. Residents in some provinces such as British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec must wait a certain period (up to three months) before becoming eligible for government health insurance. If you live in one of these provinces, we recommend getting a private insurance for this waiting period. Please look for the private insurance in Yellow Pages: http://www.yellowpages.com
Please use following information as your reference:
Provinces with Immediate Coverage
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Alberta
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New Brunswick
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Nova Scotia
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Newfoundland & Labrador
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Prince Edward Island
Provinces with Waiting Period
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Ontario
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British Columbia
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Quebec
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Saskatchewan
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Yukon
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Northwest Territories
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Nunavut
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Manitoba
Driver's License
To drive legally in Canada, you must have a driver’s licence. If you have a driver’s licence from your home country, you may be able to use this licence to drive in Canada for a short time of period (Please check with your provincial/territorial government’s driver licensing agency). To obtain your Canadian driver’s licence, you may need to pass written driving test depending on your province or territory and on your driving background. Please contact your provincial/territorial departments that issue driver’s licence for more information:
Alberta
British Columbia
Moving from Other Country
http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/moving-bc/Pages/Moving-from-another-country.aspx
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Driver’s Licences for New Residents
https://www.gnb.ca/en/topic/driving-transportation/driving-licensing/driver-licences.html
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
New Residents’ Driver Licence
http://www.ontario.ca/driving-and-roads/exchange-foreign-drivers-licence
Prince Edward Island
Out of Province Driver’s Licence
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon
Applying for documents
Permanent Resident Card (PR Card):
Your PR Card will be mailed to you in about 6 – 8 weeks when you provide your home address in Canada to a CBSA officer during the landing interview. To check current PR card processing time, please click here.
If you did not provide your address during the landing interview, or the address has changed before receiving your PR Card, you will need to inform IRCC of the correct Canadian address by completing an Address Notification Form and faxing it. You can also search for the form and complete it online at here.
Social Insurance Number (SIN):
Social Insurance Number (SIN) is a nine digit number which you should apply as soon as possible. You will need a SIN number to work in Canada, open a bank account, or to access government programs and benefits. Please take one of the below documents to the nearest Service Canada centre. If your application and documents are in order, you will get your SIN during your visit and you will not need to part with your documents.
You must present one of following documents when you apply for a SIN:
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Permanent resident card from IRCC: this is the only acceptable document if your permanent residence application was processed in Canada;
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Confirmation of Permanent Residence AND visa counterfoil affixed to your foreign passport or travel document.
For more information and office locations, visit www.servicecanada.gc.ca/tbsc-fsco/sc-hme.jsp?lang=eng or call Service Canada at 1-800-206-7218 (select option 3).
Service Canada offers SIN services at the S.U.C.C.E.S.S. booth on Level 3 of International Departures at YVR, in front of Check-in Counter 155, every Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
Protect your SIN:
Your SIN is confidential. You and Service Canada are responsible for protecting your SIN from inappropriate use, fraud and theft. Only provide your SIN when it is required. For example:
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To show to your new employer, after you have found a job;
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For income tax purposes;
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To show to financial institutions (for example, banks) where you are earning interest or income;
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To apply for the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) or other benefits (see the section on Employment and income);
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To apply for a Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) or a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP); or
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To receive a Canada Student Loan.