Getting your bearings

 Getting your SIN, bank accounts and cards, ID, health insurance

There are 4 major things you need in a new country 

• Some kind of taxation identification number (so that you can have a bank account and earn money by working). In Canada, this is called a Social Insurance Number (SIN) - the closest equivalent would be an SSN (in the U.S) or a PAN (in India). 
• Some kind of bank account and a card to pay merchants and other people
• Some kind of ID proof - your foreign passport can be used everywhere, but it is a pain to replace if you lose it, and it will likely not fit in your wallet. In Canada, and generally across car obsessed North America, this is usually a Driver's license. In Ontario, the government in all its infinite wisdom, has finally realized not everyone can drive or wants to drive, and have another form of ID called Ontario Photo ID.
• Some kind of health insurance. In Canada, health insurance is very complicated, and I will cover it in greater depth in a later post. For now, know that all permanent residents are eligible for health care coverage for free from the province they reside in, although the province may have some other criteria or a waiting time.

Social Insurance Number

The most important of these is usual SIN (Social Insurance Number) which is required to open a bank account and to be paid wages/salary while working a job. You can apply for a SIN online following this, but it is generally recommended to apply in person. This is because you will typically have to wait a week (possibly longer!) to get your SIN if you apply online and you get it immediately if you apply in person. You will need to carry your passport and signed COPR (confirmation of permanent residence) - so you cannot apply for this until you have landed in Canada and become a permanent resident. If you are on a work or study permit, you will need that and your passport. Your SIN is a 9-digit number with the first digit indicating geography/residence in Canada - if you are interested, here is Wikipedia. 

A Service Canada is a government office which provides government services (such as SIN/ government insurance claims / passports for citizens and so on). A quick search on Google Maps will show you the Service Canada closest to you. As far as I am aware, it is possible to get an appointment only for biometrics and passport related services, so for SIN, you will have to walk in. I would suggest doing this as early as possible (which should be easy, considering your jetlag will probably have you waking up early) and going at the time when the Service Canada office opens - this will minimize your time waiting in the queue. You will be given a token after the queue and once you are called, they will verify your documents and print your SIN on a piece of A4 paper. Do carry an envelope to keep it in. Scanning this is optional since most places wouldn't really want the paper, they just want your SIN number. If you are landing between 9-5 on a weekday at Toronto Pearson (YYZ), it is highly recommended you do this at the Service Canada in the airport itself since you will end up saving a lot of time. 

Bank Account

Once you have your SIN, the next step would be to get a bank account (or two). Most banks would require you to have an appointment to open a bank account, and I would strongly recommend that (we got turned away by CIBC when we didn't have an appointment).  You can follow this link for TD or link for CIBC if you want to open an appointment with TD and CIBC, for example. I created an account with TD and CIBC and I found that TD was a much better experience. Depending on your status - PR/  student etc. you might have different offers you are eligible for from the bank. I would strongly recommend getting a chequing account, savings account (if you get a good interest rate), a debit card and credit card. You should get a debit card immediately with both these banks and you can start using it to pay online and at terminals across Canada - you can set a PIN in the bank branch itself. As for credit card, your eligibility may vary depending on whether you have a job / income / savings etc. If you are approved for one and you decide to take it, they will ship it to your address or give you an option to pick it up at the branch. Make sure you add your card to Google Wallet / Apple Wallet so that you can easily pay everywhere with your phone. Do keep in mind that tap & pay will not work for more than 250$ or so in Canada. 

Ontario Photo ID

One of the weird things about Canada is that they do not have any concept of digital ID (like, say, eAadhar or mParivahan in India). So, you will need physical ID for many things (like doing things at bank / anything 18+ / picking up things you paid for). Initially the only photo ID you will have is your Indian passport. This is a pain as you wouldn't want to carry your passport around everywhere and you probably shouldn't risk losing it or getting it damaged or wet in the rain. Canada does not have any kind of national ID, and the most commonly used photo ID is a driver's license. You of course, most likely do not have a Canadian driver's license, so you will need to get one if you do not want to carry your passport around everywhere. You will need to take a 40 question MCQ online test that probes your knowledge on road signs and rules to get this (a basic learners license). I will create a more detailed post on driver's license process in Ontario, so watch this blog! 

For now, if you have no interest in driving or getting a driver's license, you can get an Ontario Photo ID card. This is mutually exclusive with a driver's license - you can only have an Ontario photo ID if you do not have a driver's license, and you have to return your Photo ID if you get a driver's license. 
I would only recommend getting this if you are sure you have no interest in driving. If not, it would be better to get a G1 license instead. 

Ontario Health Insurance Plan

If you are a permanent resident or working in Ontario, and you are intending to reside in Ontario, you are eligible for public health insurance from Ontario, called OHIP. This gives you a OHIP number, and a OHIP card. This will allow you to access doctors and healthcare for free **. Please note that there is no waiting period in Ontario, and the residency requirements are more like a commitment to stay - Apply for OHIP and get a health card | ontario.ca. 

ServiceOntario

For both of the above (Ontario Photo ID and Ontario Health Insurance Plan) you need to go to Service Ontario. You can search on Google Maps for the closest ServiceOntario. You can create an appointment for these if you like at Book a ServiceOntario appointment | ontario.ca but you can check the reviews of the office that is closest to you and see the wait time. Most likely walking in would be faster and you would be able to get your OHIP and photo ID (if you want it) within 30-45 minutes. 

Once you are done with all this, congrats! You are almost done with all the important items in moving to Canada. This will let you order stuff online, pay for things in shops and restaurants, identify yourself to different places and businesses, let you get a job, and get paid. 

** Please see What OHIP covers | ontario.ca for what OHIP covers