March 19, 2024, 10 a.m.
Moving To Canada 2024 Checklist for Arrivals from LatAm
Many Flags Newsletter
Moving To Canada 2024 Checklist
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𝕋his guide is primarily for the Spanish-speaking world, particularly people coming from Mexico to work. My first-hand experience is in Ontario, but many of these points apply to all Canadian provinces.
In this report:
Arriving in Canada by plane 🛬🇨🇦 1
Get Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) 3
Get a local SIM card or prepaid plan📱 4
Get a Canadian Driver’s Licence 🚘🇨🇦 5
Meet people from your home country. 7
Bringing your family to Canada👨👩👧👦 8
Arriving in Canada by plane 🛬🇨🇦
I can tell you about Toronto (YYZ) and a tiny bit about Vancouver (YVR).
Be sure to establish WhatsApp communication with your employer/sponsor/the person who is going to pick you up at the airport.
Make sure you keep your phone charged while you’re on the flight. If your phone dies while you’re waiting in line at Immigration, you won’t be able to WhatsApp your peeps who are waiting to greet you at the other side of baggage claim.
Be prepared to lose cellular service when you land up here. Depending on your Mexican cell plan, you may have difficulty WhatsApping the people who are waiting to pick you up. Fortunately the last two or three times I’ve gone to pick up our newcomers, we’ve been able to communicate with each other just fine.
Message your people every half hour or so, just to let them know how the line is moving.
Be prepared to be bumped to the back of the line. Don’t make a fuss; just roll with it. Unofficially, they prioritize refugees and students over workers. Usually when I go to pick up a newcomer, my wait is only about two hours or less. The big exception was in July of 2023, when I waited for over seven hours! It turns out that a plane full of refugees from Ukraine, a plane full of students from India, and a plane full of students from Jamaica all landed at the same time as our newcomer’s flight from Mexico. Our newcomer recounted that they kicked all the work permit invitees to the back of the line and processed all the refugees and students first.
Be prepared to answer some basic questions in English. For any folks who have experience at the US border this may be a bit of a surprise. Since the United States does not have any official languages, the border agents don’t really care if you speak English. And from my experience the US has tons of bilingual border agents. The opposite is true of Canada’s border agents. They actually care whether you speak at least some English. Don’t stress about it too much. We’ve brought some guys in from Mexico whose English was pretty poor, and they still got their work permits.
One of our employees who arrived in the early afternoon on a weekday reports that a Spanish translator was on hand, but that happened only one time, so I wouldn’t count on that.
Be prepared to pay the biometrics fee. Be careful: the government website states that it’s CA$85 for an individual, but what they charged us the last 5 times was CA$250.
Are the people picking you up going to pay the biometrics fee for you? If so, they need to go to the Canada Border Services Agency’s back door. At Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), it’s on the ground floor of International Arrivals. First find the fancy waiting area, then go really far down the hallway in the opposite direction, past all the exits for ground transportation/limos/taxis. You have to ring the buzzer and explain you’re there to pay the biometrics fee for a new arrival who is currently standing in line. One time I had to ring the buzzer three times before anyone answered. But eventually they will buzz you in. If you can’t find it you can ask at the information desk, and I’ve found that there are nearly always border agents patrolling the hall in pairs; you can ask them.
Are you flying into Vancouver? If you are flying into Vancouver (YVR), the people picking you up will also have to go to the CBSA if they want to pay the biometric fee for you. But it’s a lot easier, according to my colleague in British Columbia. He could actually watch through the window as his newcomer made her way through the line. They were WhatsApping back and forth and had waved at each other. So when she reached the CBSA agent, she just pointed and said “See that guy over there? He’s here to pay my biometric fee”. It’s definitely not that easy in Toronto. I had to entrust my credit card to the agent who took it and disappeared behind a door for a really long time.
This report does NOT contain a checklist of everything you will need to present to the CBSA when you arrive, but common sense would dictate that you will have to present your passport, your invitation letter, your LMIA and, especially for Mexicans, your eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). You should also have any certifications demonstrating you’ve been through the training required for the job described on your offer letter.
Pro Tip: You can get up-to-date customs wait times here.
You can also get status updates on all flights bound for Toronto here.
You can get status updates on flights bound for Vancouver here.
Your people who are picking you up should arrive 1-3 hours after your scheduled landing. I’ve picked up international passengers all hours–busy times, slow times, daytime, nighttime–and there really is no point in getting to the airport sooner than 1 hour after the scheduled landing.
WhatsApp your peeps as soon as you get to baggage claim. By the time you get your bag(s) they should be waiting for you on the other side of the door.
If you are arriving by land, I’m not sure how much this report will help you. That’s how I arrived in Canada, in May 2021, so let me know and I’ll write a guide for that, too. The best way to reach me is to subscribe to the Many Flags Newsletter and reply to the first issue once it hits your inbox.
Get Your Social Insurance Number (SIN)
I strongly recommend that you take care of this on the morning after you arrive. You need it to start getting paid. When I first arrived in Canada I had to quarantine for two weeks, after which getting the SIN number was quite an ordeal. So when I bring new recruits into the country, I take them myself. The place you have to go is a government office called Service Canada. You just type that into Google maps. If you’re in the GTA, I’ve found the best place to go is the location at 4900 Yonge Street. It’s about a block north of Sheppard. It’s on the ground floor. I don’t care what the Internet says, it’s not on the 2nd floor. Here’s where you go in:
Simply tell the first person you see that you’re here for a SIN number; they’re generally pretty friendly and helpful. The last time I was there was in the fall of 2023, and they assigned us to an agent whose Spanish was pretty good. I believe all the paperwork they required was the newcomer’s passport and work permit, and they asked for a lot of details like mother’s maiden name. We put down my office as his address, as he was staying at an Air-BNB at the time. It took less than five minutes.
Get a local SIM card or prepaid plan📱
Walmart might be the best place to go, but there are many options.
A couple of the guys from Mexico 🇲🇽 are on Fido because they have a plan that permits phone calls to Mexico.
Another guy from Mexico is on Charter Mobile. He says he bought his chip at a plaza near where he stays. This was late fall/early winter 2023:
One of my coworkers has prepaid with Charter. He says all options are expensive compared to Mexico. Just remember, there is no good plan; all Canadian cellular plans suck and are expensive. You will quickly meet some people from your home country; just go with whatever plan they have.
Get a bank account🏦
This is primarily so you can set up direct deposit with your employer, but also so you can pay for things. Don’t worry, soon, you’ll be whipping that card out and spending money faster than you ever thought possible.
I don’t endorse any specific bank, but for the purposes of opening an account just so the new recruit can set up direct deposit, I have found CIBC to be pretty easy. The branch at Finch and Weston had a Spanish speaking bank teller, which made things so much easier.
You will have to learn how to do an eTransfer.
Get a Canadian Driver’s Licence 🚘🇨🇦
Do you have a valid US 🇺🇸 Driver’s License? This may not apply to you, but I’m seeing many Mexican🇲🇽 nationals who already have a valid US driver’s license when they show up here in Canada🇨🇦. They received the US license while working in the United States under the H2B guest worker program. This is great, because the clerk at the Drive Test Centre is much more likely to grant you a “Full G” license if you present a valid US license, than if you present a Mexican driver’s license.
Do you have a clean driving record going back at least three years? You will also have to present an official abstract (historial) from the state that issued you your driver’s license. You should probably get that before you leave Mexico. I’m finding that a lot of Mexican states don’t let you order the historial online.
You will have to get your Mexican driver’s license translated into English. We found a lady who has proven to be a great resource. For CA$50 she provided us with a notarized official translation of both the front and back of the Mexican driver’s license. You can send it to her via Whatsapp before you even leave Mexico and she’ll have it ready for you when you arrive.
You will have to get your abstract (historial) translated into English as well. The same lady did it for another CA$50.
In summary, be prepared to pay CA$100 for the notarized translation of both the license and the abstract.
Example A: Eugenio went to the Drive Test Centre in Newmarket Ontario. He showed them his valid driver’s license from the US state of Texas, as well as an official abstract from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The abstract showed that Eugenio had 17 years of clean driving in Texas. The clerk at Drive Test issued Eugenio a Full G Ontario Driver Licence. Eugenio did not have to take a written test, nor did he have to take a road test. He did, however, have to take an eye test.
Example B: Israel went to the Drive Test Centre at Downsview Park in Toronto. He presented a notarized English translation of his valid driver’s license issued by the Mexican state of Hidalgo, as well as a notarized English translation of his official abstract (historial) from Hidalgo State. The abstract showed 11 years of driving history. The clerk at Drive Test issued Israel an Ontario G2 Driver Licence, which allowed Israel to drive under strict limitations. After 60 days, Israel took and passed the road test, whereupon they issued him a Full G Licence. Israel did not take a written test; he did take a road test and of course he did take an eye exam.
Q: Will Canada accept my US Class B or Class A commercial driver’s license? A: I can’t speak for other provinces, but they won’t accept it here in Ontario. You will have to start fresh to get your DZ licence.
Q: Will they accept my motorcycle license? 🏍️
A: They didn’t accept my Texas motorcycle license. The clerk at Drive Test at Downsview Park told me they don’t accept out-of-country motorcycle licenses, even if they’re from the US. But I’ve heard of other cases where they did accept it. Bottom line: be prepared to relinquish your motorcycle endorsement. This may depend on the clerk–I have noticed a fair degree of bureaucratic caprice at “Drive Test”. Maybe I should’ve pushed back harder, asked to see it in black-and-white or asked for a supervisor. In any case, be prepared to start over from scratch and go through the whole permit and motorcycle road test process in Canada.
Meet people from your home country.
A couple of my guys met some Spanish speakers at the Walmart on Keele between Finch and Sheppard. They got tons of advice, including a lead on a room to rent. That was about eight months ago–summer of 2023–and they’re still in touch.
Another place to meet Spanish speaking people is weekday mornings in the Shell parking lot at the corner of Jane and Wilson. People are selling homemade breakfast tacos and sack lunches out of the trunks of their cars, and tons of Spanish people are hanging out before heading to work. Some of them look like they’re available to work for cash.
There’s also the Walmart at Jane just north of Wilson.
You will quickly learn how to use the subway and the buses, and where the least expensive groceries are.
Bringing your family to Canada👨👩👧👦
If you are coming to Canada on a work permit, you may be able to bring your spouse and children. This guide does not cover all the details and eligibility for bringing your wife, but you will have to have a Marriage Certificate. If your partner is a common law spouse, you will have to go through a bunch of other hoops to bring him or her to Canada.
Do not attempt to do this without doing your homework. You’re going to need documents that will be quite difficult to obtain if you’re already up here.
Example 1: Absalon came to Canada in 2022 on a LMIA work permit. After 90 days he flew to Mexico City, where his wife and two elementary school-aged children met him at the airport. They got on a flight back to Canada. Absolon never even left the airport. Upon his arrival at Pearson he presented his work permit to the border agent and stated that he would like a work permit for his wife and student permits for his kids. Having presented all the proper paperwork, they issued an open work permit to his wife and student permits to his kids. She was now eligible to get a SIN number and seek employment.
Example 2: Porfirio came to Canada in 2023, also on an LMIA work permit. Like Absolon, Porfirio flew down to Mexico to retrieve his wife and kid after working in Canada for 90 days. Unlike Absolon, Porfirio didn’t have a marriage certificate. They let her and the kids enter Canada on a visitor visa. She can’t work, and the kids can’t attend school. They will have to return to Mexico and get their common law marriage (concubinato) validated by a judge before the Canadians will recognize their marriage and grant the spouse an open work permit.
Bring some money.
Obviously they won’t accept Mexican money, so you’ll have to exchange it for Canadian dollars.
Most everyone knows that US dollars are accepted in Mexico, so we’ll occasionally get a worker who shows up with a few hundred US dollars in his or her pocket, thinking they can spend it in Canada.
They are always surprised to learn that US dollars are not accepted in Canada. I guess because they’re accepted in much of Latin America and the Caribbean, it never occurs to them that their US dollars will need to be exchanged. I sometimes go to the US for work, so if a newcomer has a small amount–say, less than US$100–I might give them CAD in exchange. I give them whatever rate Siri says, which will be better than the bank.
You’re not likely to have very many American coworkers, so you’ll probably have to exchange your US dollars at the bank.
What is not in this report🚫
This report does not contain a list of all the paperwork you will need.
This report does not contain all the procedures for provinces other than Ontario.
This report does not cover details for those arriving by land or by sea.
This report does not discuss finding a place to stay.
This report does not tell you how to use public transportation.
Checklist
Before you leave Mexico, you should get an official abstract (historial) from the state that issued your driver’s license.
Get your driver’s license and your abstract officially translated from Spanish to English https://adrianawhiteside.com/translations/ As of 2024 she charges CA$100 for both. You do not have to wait to arrive in Mexico. You can send it to her and she can get started on it.
Before you leave Mexico, make sure you have your marriage certificate or your validated concubinato status. If your spouse is coming along at a later date, you probably want to leave it with her or him. You may have to have that translated into English.
Make sure you have the kids’ birth certificates. Again, leave them with your spouse if she or he is coming later. But you don’t want to be stuck up here in Canada asking your homies back in Mexico to go through your sock drawer looking for documents.
There’s a good chance you will need steel-toed boots if you’re working in Canada. I wouldn’t buy them in Mexico unless they have this symbol on them:
Money/Credit card. If you have an LMIA hopefully your employer will advance you some money until you get your first paycheck.
Thanks for reading; hope this helps, and please refer my friends!
Sincerely,
The Many Flags Newsletter
End of Report