The first two days in Toronto, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For Toronto
How long you are staying
Must do
Read the work or study permit at the border counter: name, employer, conditions and expiry. Corrections are simple there and slow afterwards.
Rogers, Bell and Telus, or their cheaper brands such as Fido, Koodo, Virgin and Public Mobile, plus Freedom. Prepaid plans need only a passport.
PRESTO, a phone wallet or a contactless bank card all work. Rides are free after 47 paid trips in a calendar month on the same card, and a fare gives two hours of transfers.
Online or at a Service Canada centre with your permit or PR document. You need it before your first pay and for the bank to report interest.
The big banks waive fees for the first year and some issue a credit card without a Canadian credit history. Bring passport, permit and your address.
Each province runs its own plan and its own rules on who qualifies and when cover starts. Check yours on day one and keep private insurance until the card arrives.
There is no longer a waiting period. Bring three originals: proof of status, proof of an Ontario address and proof of identity. Work permit holders qualify once working full time for an Ontario employer for six months or more.
Should do
911 is police, fire and ambulance. 811 reaches a nurse advice line in most provinces, the sensible first call when you are unsure whether to go to hospital.
Sales tax is added at the till, and table service expects a tip of roughly 15โ20%. Card machines suggest one; you can choose a custom amount.
Ontario's free nurse advice line, by phone or online, around the clock. Use it before heading to an emergency department.
A secured or newcomer credit card, paid in full every month, starts your Equifax and TransUnion files. Landlords check them.
Once you have a health card, add yourself to Ontario's list for patients looking for a family doctor. Waits can be long, so do it early.
Open the electricity account with Toronto Hydro, or with the building's sub-meter company in many condos, and buy tenant insurance before move-in day; many leases require it.
Nice to do
Most countries run a registration or alert service for nationals abroad. Two minutes now saves a scramble later.
Free for residents with ID and an address, and it brings free museum and attraction passes, e-books and workspace in a hundred branches.
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