The paperwork week
Get the three government identifiers before anything else. Without them, no bank, no credit, no rent lease, no tax refund. Do these in order.
Apply for your SIN
Free, walk-in at any Service Canada office. Bring your passport and PR confirmation. You leave with the number the same day. The SIN guide.
Open a bank account
The big banks offer 6-month fee waivers for newcomers. But KOHO gives cashback from day one and does not require Canadian credit history. KOHO for newcomers.
Apply for a health card
Provincial. Ontario is OHIP, BC is MSP. Free but the wait period varies. If you have a wait, get travel insurance for the gap. Health coverage guide.
File form RC151 for GST/HST credit
Money the government owes you the moment you arrive. Most newcomers miss it. Newcomer benefits.
The credit runway
Canadian credit is its own game. You do not import a score from anywhere else, you build a new one from zero. Two moves make the first six months painless.
Get a no-history credit card
KOHO Credit builds your file with your own money. Newcomer cards from RBC and Scotia work too, with your first year fees waived. Newcomer credit cards.
Set up two auto-pays
One utility, one phone. Both from your new account. Full balance, on time. Credit history is 80% payment history and 20% length. Start the clock now.
Bonuses worth stacking in this window
- KOHO gives $100 after your first funded purchase. Takes 5 minutes.
- Neo stacks another $50. Different provider, so it is not double dipping.
- EQ Bank pays a leading HISA rate. Move your savings the day it lands. EQ for newcomers.
The rent and taxes month
Rent is where most newcomers overpay. Taxes are where most newcomers underclaim. Fix both this month.
Know your rights
Landlords cannot demand more than first-and-last. Rent control caps yearly increases in most provinces. Rental rights by province.
File your first return
Even if you earned nothing yet. Filing unlocks GST credit, CCB, provincial credits, and RRSP room. Newcomer tax guide.
The compounding month
You have income, a bank, credit, and taxes filed. Now stack the accounts that make money quietly.
Open one, even at $10
Tax-free growth for life. Contribution room accrues from the year you became a resident. TFSA for newcomers.
Wait one year, then use it
Contribution room is 18% of last year's income. Start after you have filed a first Canadian return. RRSP for newcomers.
Your 90-day checklist
Screenshot this. Tick as you go. Everything below matters.
- SIN card in handService Canada, walk-in, same day.
- Bank account openedKOHO for cashback and no minimums, or a big-bank newcomer package.
- Health card appliedProvincial site. Travel insurance for any wait period.
- RC151 filed for GST/HST creditFree money the government owes you.
- No-history credit card activeKOHO Credit, or newcomer cards from RBC or Scotia.
- Two auto-pays set upUtility and phone. Full balance, on time.
- First Canadian tax return filedEven if you earned nothing. Unlocks credits and RRSP room.
- TFSA openedAny amount. The account matters more than the balance.
- HISA moved to EQ BankOr any account paying above 3%.
Get the 90-day checklist as a PDF
We email you a printable version, plus the two updates most newcomers wish they had known in month one. No spam.