The first three months after landing are dense with practical setup. In rough order: get your Social Insurance Number, open a Canadian bank account, register for GST/HST and a Business Number if you will be self-employed, sort your workers' compensation coverage, and file your credential-recognition application so it is processing while you find your first job. Do the credential file early, because it can take weeks, and start looking for work as a labourer under a certified journeyperson while you wait.
Days 1 to 7: your Social Insurance Number
You cannot be paid for work, or run a business, without a Social Insurance Number (SIN). Apply in person at any Service Canada centre for same-day issue, or online for processing in a few business days. A permanent resident brings their PR card or Confirmation of Permanent Residence plus a passport; a work-permit holder brings the work permit, which must state that you are authorised to work. A SIN that begins with 9 is issued to temporary residents and expires with your work permit, so renew it when you renew the permit.
Week 1 to 2: open a bank account
A Canadian bank account is essential before you accept payment for any job. Bring photo ID, your SIN, proof of address and your immigration document. The major banks all run newcomer banking packages, and credit unions in smaller communities are often more flexible. If you are going to trade as a sole proprietor, ask about a combined personal and business account so your trade money stays separate from day one.
Week 2 to 4: business structure and CRA registration
Decide how you will trade before you start working:
- Sole proprietor: the simplest option. Your SIN is your tax identifier and all income is personal income, with unlimited personal liability.
- Corporation: a separate legal entity with limited liability and more administration, usually worth it only once income is well established.
Register for GST/HST once your self-employed revenue passes $30,000 over four rolling consecutive quarters, or in a single quarter. You have 29 days from crossing the threshold to register, and you must charge and remit from the moment you crossed it. Register online through the Canada Revenue Agency, which gives you a Business Number with a GST/HST account suffix. Put that number on every invoice. In Quebec you also register for QST with Revenu Quebec at the same time.
Week 2 to 6: file your credential application
Do not wait on this one. Assemble your home-country certificates, training transcripts, employer letters and certified translations, and lodge your Trade Equivalency Assessment with the provincial apprenticeship authority as soon as you can. The full process is in How Canada Recognises a Foreign Trade Qualification. In Quebec, contact the CCQ and book the mandatory ASP Construction safety course, because you cannot work on a site without it.
Week 2 to 8: workers' compensation
Workers' compensation is run by a provincial board (WSIB in Ontario, WorkSafeBC, WCB Alberta, CNESST in Quebec, and so on). Your obligation depends on your set-up. An incorporated business with employees must register and pay premiums. A sole proprietor with no employees can often get personal optional coverage rather than being required to register. Buy that optional coverage anyway: it is inexpensive, and many residential general contractors will not let you on site without proof of coverage. Online registration takes only a few minutes.
Weeks 4 to 12: finding your first job
While your certificate is pending, you can usually work as a labourer under a certified journeyperson's supervision. Be upfront with employers; most experienced Canadian trade employers have hired foreign-credentialed workers and understand the process. To find work:
- Register on Job Bank (jobbank.gc.ca), Canada's free federal job board.
- Join your trade's association or local union hall; many run newcomer resources and hiring halls.
- Ask provincial trades associations about apprenticeship matching.
In Quebec you must hold your CCQ card before presenting yourself for construction work on a regulated site.
Set money aside from your first dollar
Once you are GST/HST registered, charge and remit the tax correctly from day one. Open a separate savings account and set aside roughly a quarter to a third of your gross income for income tax and your sales-tax remittances, so the bills do not catch you out at year-end.
Common mistakes
- Leaving the credential file too late. It can take three months. Start it in your first two weeks.
- Skipping optional workers' compensation cover. It is cheap, and without it many contractors will not let you on site.
- Spending the GST/HST you collect. That money belongs to the CRA. Keep it separate.
- Working in a compulsory trade before you are certified. See Getting Licensed to Work When You Land.
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