First Weeks in Canada: Arrival Checklist for Indian Students (2026)

At the border: the ten minutes that matter most

Most students arrive holding a port-of-entry letter of introduction rather than the permit itself, and a border services officer issues the actual study permit on arrival. That printed permit — not your visa sticker, not your approval letter — is the document that states your conditions, and it is what every later step depends on.

So read it before you leave the airport, while the people who can correct it are still in front of you. Check your name, date of birth, the expiry date, the institution named on it if one is named, and — most consequential of all — whether it carries the condition permitting off-campus work. Students have discovered a missing or wrong condition months later, when an employer asked, and fixing it afterwards is a request to IRCC rather than a two-minute conversation at a desk.

• Carry printed copies of the port-of-entry letter, your letter of acceptance, proof of funds and accommodation details in your cabin bag, not your checked luggage.
• If anything on the issued permit looks wrong, say so at the airport before leaving the secure area.
• Photograph the permit as soon as you have it, and store it where you can reach it without your phone.
• Keep the permit itself somewhere safe at home afterwards — you will need it for the SIN, the bank and any work.

The first fortnight, in order

SIN, banking and the credit history nobody mentions

• The Social Insurance Number is free from Service Canada — never pay anyone to "arrange" one. You need it to be paid legally and to file taxes.
• Your Indian credit history does not exist in Canada. Landlords, phone plans and car insurance all look at a file you have not started yet.
• Start it in month one: a student credit card, or a secured card where you deposit the limit. Put one small recurring bill on it and pay the statement in full every month.
• Paying in full is the whole trick. Carrying a balance builds interest, not creditworthiness.
• Keep your SIN to employers, banks and the tax filing. No landlord or classifieds seller needs it, and a request for it is a scam signal.
• Ask your bank about newcomer packages — many waive fees and offer a starter card without a credit file, which is exactly your situation.

Health coverage differs by province — check yours specifically

There is no single national answer for international students. Some provinces cover eligible students under the provincial plan, sometimes after a waiting period and always with an enrolment step; others do not, and students are covered by a mandatory university plan instead. Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec all handle this differently, and arrangements change.

The reliable move is to ask your university's international student office in week one which plan applies to you, whether enrolment is automatic or something you must do, whether a waiting period leaves a gap to bridge with private cover, and what is excluded. Dental, vision and prescriptions are commonly outside the basic coverage everywhere, which is what surprises students most.

• Find out whether your coverage is provincial or a university plan, and whether you must enrol.
• Ask about waiting periods and how to bridge one — arriving uncovered is a genuine financial risk.
• Locate a walk-in clinic near where you live before you need one; emergency departments are for emergencies.
• Note that dental and prescriptions usually need the university's supplementary plan, if there is one.
• Canada's emergency number is 911.

Your first winter, honestly

Students from Andhra and Telangana routinely underestimate this, and it is not a joke about the cold: a Prairie or northern Ontario winter can sit well below −20°C for weeks, with wind chill making it feel colder still, and daylight that ends in the afternoon. It is manageable — millions manage it — but only with the right gear and some deliberate habits.

• Buy the coat and boots in Canada, not in India. The gear sold there for "winter" is generally not built for this, and end-of-season sales locally are cheap.
• Insulated, waterproof boots with grip matter more than the coat. Wet feet and black ice cause more misery and more injuries than the temperature does.
• Layer: thermal base, mid layer, windproof outer. One thick garment is worse than three thin ones.
• Cover the extremities — hat, gloves, and something over your face for the walk to the bus. Exposed skin is where frostbite starts.
• Ask "is heat included?" before signing a lease. A cheap apartment with heating billed separately can cost more across a winter.
• Short days affect mood, and that is a normal, known thing rather than a personal failing. Campus counselling services exist and are usually free — use them early rather than in February.

Housing, and the scams that come with it

• Never send a deposit for a place you have not seen in person or on a live video walkthrough of the actual unit. Fake listings with plausible stories are the most common fraud against new arrivals.
• Learn what your province allows a landlord to collect up front. The rules differ, and "damage deposit" demands that are not permitted in that province are a warning sign about everything else.
• Get a written lease and a receipt for every payment. Cash with no paperwork protects only the other side.
• Expect the no-credit-history problem, and prepare for it — a guarantor, proof of funds, or paying what the province permits in advance. Do not let it push you into an unwritten arrangement.
• Beware the "landlord is abroad, here is a courier for the keys" story, and anyone who wants payment by gift card, crypto or wire transfer to a personal account.
• Your province has a tenancy authority with plain-language guides and a dispute process. Find its name in week one, before you need it.

Frequently asked questions