Soft landing

experience
May 2018

Danish Ahmed (DA)

WHATSAPP: +92 333 2390582
Super Long writeup alert! it’s not only limited to the landing experience. you can expect very
minute details as I am writing this for Pre-ITA friends as well and I have tried to make it as
comprehensive as possible to cover maximum information on all topics based on my experiences
and what I have learned from other’s experiences. Most of the information has already been shared
in the post ITA groups, so please bear with me.

Table of content is populated for ease so you may jump to any area of your interest directly.

Disclaimer: This document is based on my personal experiences and research or what I have
followed or witnessed. It may or may not be the best way. The information may not be complete or
may be my interpretation of things are not correct but hopefully it helps to give an overall idea. I’ll
try to make things as accurate as possible with proper references where possible.

I am not claiming any copyright, some of the information is copied from the internet.

I did not proofread this document thoroughly so please excuse any typos or grammatical mistakes.

Happy Reading!

My most beloved picture from the trip. View of the Niagara Falls both US and Canadian side
captured from Heli.
Table of Contents
APPLICANT BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................... 1
PREPARATIONS FOR SOFT LANDING: ......................................................................................... 2
a) Air ticket: .................................................................................................................................. 2
b) Goods to follow (GTF) list: ...................................................................................................... 2
c) Goods Accompanying: ............................................................................................................. 4
d) Proof of Funds (POF) / Funds to Carry to Canada / Cash / online transfer: ............................. 4
e) Driving license information / Driving history: ......................................................................... 5
f) Immunization records: .............................................................................................................. 8
g) Clothing / Packing: ................................................................................................................... 9
h) Lodging arrangements in Canada: ............................................................................................ 9
i) Health Insurance: .................................................................................................................... 10
TRAVEL DAY ................................................................................................................................... 11
POST LANDING EXPERIENCES .................................................................................................... 12
a) Social Insurance Number (SIN): ............................................................................................ 12
b) Driver’s license: ...................................................................................................................... 12
c) Banking:.................................................................................................................................. 17
Few things to aim for during soft landing: ......................................................................................... 19
LIFE IN CANADA: ........................................................................................................................... 20
a) Housing:.................................................................................................................................. 20
b) Weather:.................................................................................................................................. 22
c) Transportation:........................................................................................................................ 24
d) Natural Beauty: ....................................................................................................................... 25
e) Mobile Sim: ............................................................................................................................ 26
f) Taxation .................................................................................................................................. 26
g) Job Situation: .......................................................................................................................... 28
h) Living: .................................................................................................................................... 29
CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 31
APPLICANT BACKGROUND
I am a FSW applicant with a family include wife and an Infant. Accountant by profession.

NOC: 1111
IELTS: CLB 9
CRS: 467
Visa office: Ottawa, fortunately Alhamdulillah !.
Country of Origin: Pakistan
Country of Residence: UAE

Timeline:
EE Profile Submitted 19 April
ITA 04 May 2017
AOR 25th June
No ADR
1st PPR 12 August
2nd PPR October 14
Passport submitted 26 Oct to Abu Dhabi VO via VFS
Passport received back with Stamped Visa.
Visa Expiry 29th May 2018 (Exactly 1 year from the date of medical)
Port of Entry: Toronto, Ontario

I could not submit my Passport on the first PPR call due to pre-planned travels.

Sent email to CIC to Request for 60 days’ extension but did not get any response till the 30 days’
period was expired. Sent follow-up emails but no response. After that I also tried to get an update
from CIC through Navdeep Bains MP Office (He is MP for Mississauga–Malton) as requested by
my cousin living there. Finally, I got the confirmation from CIC that my request was already
approved and extension was granted. unfortunately, I did not get any intimation which would’ve
helped me keeping my Sanity but it was a relief at the end. Later, I got the new PPR dated 14th
October.

Somehow, I was not part of any what’s app group till I got my visa stamped. I just took some help
from Canadavisa.com. Fortunately, I didn’t make any blunder in my application and I went through
smoothly.
In a way, it was good for me as I was sleeping on my application after AOR. I had no idea of the
terms like NA 1, IP2 etc and one fine day I got the PPR as a surprise ☺.
But these whatsapp groups are a blessing, really helped me in my landing preparations, I am truly
thankful.

We delayed our landing close to the Visa Expiry date so I can explore employment opportunities
and other factors to decide whether we should go for hard or soft landing.

Unfortunately, the job hunt didn’t go well and We decided to go for soft landing for now. Hence
some of the below details are predominantly applicable to soft landers.

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 PREPARATIONS FOR SOFT LANDING:
a) Air ticket:
If you really want to get economical rates for your air tickets, then this process need a lot of efforts.
However, if budget is not an issue for you or you don’t want to spend much time on this then best is
to book a direct flight.
I take the former view and below are few tips to get the best rates for your travel:
▪ If possible, avoid travelling in the peak holiday seasons;
▪ Be flexible with your dates if possible, Weekends would obviously be busier;
▪ Book the tickets around 3 months before your travel date, Rates would be higher before or after
(that’s the Pro’s advice I got from the internet)
▪ Don’t book through a travel agency, Use the websites like skyscanner.com, tajawal.com and the
likes. They’ll give you best quotes from all the booking websites for your dates.
o Corroborate the rate with the Airline website to get an idea of the discount you are
getting;
o Be vigilant to the luggage allowance, Sometimes the prices are exclusive of luggage;
o Check the rating of the website before you pay anything; Expedia, BudgetAir, cleartrip
are few good websites to name.
o Some websites may apply credit card fee for your location but if you change the country
on that website, this fee may be waived. Like I saved the credit card fee from Budget Air
by changing the country to UK from UAE. Don’t judge me :P
o Such discounted tickets may have a high cancellation or rescheduling fee so be sure
before you book the ticket.

▪ I got my return ticket for my Family with Saudi Airline via Jeddah for almost half the price of
the direct flight from UAE to Canada with Emirates or Etihad.
▪ Folks with an infant younger than 1 year should pre-book the Bassinet. For walking infants,
bassinet won’t help much as your kid will not sit on it.
▪ Travelling with an infant/toddler on such a long flight can be a nightmare, my tip would be to
keep them occupied and not let them sleep before at least 6 hours of the flight so they’ll sleep in-
flight and it would be smooth. This thankfully worked for me, my kid slept peacefully for good
8-9 hours in a 13 hours’ flight.
▪ If you don’t want to book a separate seat for an infant than book one window and one aisle and
leave the middle one empty as it’s the least desirable seat. If the flight is not fully booked, this
will remain unoccupied most probably, even if it’s not and there is any other seat available in the
plane than this person will most likely shift there. It worked for us on both flights going and
back.

b) Goods to follow (GTF) list:

I found this the most Grueling pre-landing thing to do.

For soft landers, GTF is used to save the custom duties/charges on any item brought to Canada
subsequent to your 1st landing. This is stamped by the customs at the port of entry upon your
first landing.

▪ To avoid the hassle of deciding what you’ll take to Canada and what not, it’s recommended to
put all your possessions on the list for now and later decide at the time of hard landing.
It’s been said that you can include a Ship on the GTF and Customs won’t bother but even a
needle brought other than that will be taxed.

▪ A lot of nice templates in excel are circulating on the whatsapp groups, I used one of them and
summarized items in the below categories with a summary page on top and breakup as
annexures:

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 I. Jewelry:
Value need to be give based on the current Gold Rates. Pictures should also be there
for jewelry;
II. Electronics
Serial numbers should be included in the list for each item, Pictures not necessary;

III. Furniture & fixtures

IV. Kitchenware For these items, pictures / Sr No.s are not necessary.
V. Clothing Estimated value need to be given for each line item.
VI. Books Small value items like clothes can be clubbed.
VII. Toys

A. Values can be in the local currency and conversion in CAD can be done on the summary page at
the current market rate.
B. This summary need to be pasted in the form BSF186 of the Canada Border Services Agency
(CBSA) and other info need to be filled.
C. Although there is a space for vehicle in the CBSA form but importing vehicle has a different
procedure altogether. Please refer my experience with customs for more details.

References

Original form BSF186:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/bsf186-eng.pdf

Filled form Sample:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_9sxUTiiwEjN1Mwd3dVckV5dWs

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c) Goods Accompanying:
List of Goods accompanying (GA list) can also be prepared in the same excel template as GTF.
It’s not really required but it can certainly help you in case customs asks what’s inside your
luggage specially for food items as you’ll declare in the Declaration form.

d) Proof of Funds (POF) / Funds to Carry to Canada / Cash / online transfer:

If you are soft landing, it’s important to note that you are not required to carry all your POF with
you, however you may be asked to show the POF. You can carry cash that you are planning to
spend or deposit in the bank account in Canada and for the remaining POF, you can have a latest
stamped bank statement to show to the officer if they ask. Although in most cases they don’t ask
anything on POF. But its highly recommended that you keep an evidence. I heard one case
where an applicant was denied entry due to not showing POF at the port of entry (the
border/airport where you land first as an immigrant) – Not sure if later he was allowed or not.
Also, keep these bank statements safe, may be in future you need them for tax purposes to prove
your wealth at the time of first landing.

How to bring the funds in Canada:

I. Cash/travel card / forex card

You can bring as much Cash as you want at the time of your first landing without any
tax implication. You just need to declare to customs if you are carrying more than 10K
CAD.
My recommendation would be to keep all the supports like Bank Statements / Foreign
Exchange Receipt etc. to prove the money trail in case you are questioned by the
CBSA.

II. Wire transfer to the Bank account:

You may opt to open a bank account before you land and transfer the funds through
wire transfer. A lot of banks allow the opening of a bank account before your first
landing to Canada. Each bank has a different limit for wire transfer before you land
ranging from 25K – 50K CAD.
Please visit the below links for

RBC:
http://www.rbc.com/newcomers/moving-to-canada-resident.html
TD Canada Trust Bank:
https://www.tdcanadatrust.com/m/planning/life-events/new-to-canada/moving-to-
canada.jsp
Scotia Bank:
http://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/0,,7193,00.html
CIBC:
https://newcomer.cibc.com/cibc-welcome-to-canada-banking-package

Important Note: There is a lot of confusion/ambiguity over the wire transfer to an account
opened online pre-landing from outside Canada. Like some banks have a requirement that
the transfer can only be done from an account with your Name. However, UAE exchange
for eg. also, sends the money to your account under your name.
Further, there can be excessive delays when the funds are actually available for you to use in
Canada due to delay in release by the Bank’s departments dealing with Fraud / money
laundering etc. So please research well before you decide to open an online account.
And always carry some cash with you to spend in your initial days.

My personal recommendation especially to soft landers, carry cash (I repeat there is no limit
in how much you can carry in your first landing) and open the bank account after you land.

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 Carefully assess the facilities being offered by different banks and choose the one suits your
needs.

e) Driving license information / Driving history:

When you land in Canada as an immigrant, you are eligible to drive on your Home country
license for a short period (60 days in Ontario, 90 Days in BC).
After which you need to convert it to a valid Canadian Driver’s license. Since I landed in
Ontario so I’ll give details for that however below links can help you for the information related
to other provinces as well.

To drive a car, van or small truck in Ontario, you will need a G class license. Although Ontario
has 15 types of licenses.

The whole process can be broken down into below.

Passing the Eye and theory test

G1 License (see note 1)

8 to 12 months waiting period

Passing the G1 Road Test (see note 2)

These steps can be skipped if
you submit the proof of more
G2 License (see note 3) than 2 years driving
experience.
12 months waiting
period

Passing the G2 Road Test (see note 4)

Full G License

Note 1:
By law, when you have a G1 license, you must:
• maintain a zero-blood alcohol level (no alcohol in your blood)
• make sure every passenger with you wears a properly working seatbelt
• not drive between midnight and 5 a.m.
• not drive on 400-series highways or high-speed expressways (e.g., 401, Queen Elizabeth
Way (QEW), Gardiner Expressway)
• drive with a fully licensed driver who has:
o at least four years of driving experience
o a blood alcohol level of less than .05 (if this person is 21 and under, their blood
alcohol level should be zero)
The driver accompanying you must be the only other person in the front seat. If you are driving
with a driver instructor certified in Ontario, you can drive on any road.

In most cases, you practice with your G1 license for 12 months.

Note 2: The G1 road test is the first of two you need to take as a new driver. you can take your
first road test after 12 months with a G1 license. If you finish a government-approved driver
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 education course, you can take your first road test after just eight months. this exam tests basic
driving skills (e.g., turning left and right, stopping, parking).

Note 3: After passing your G1 road test, you get a G2 license. You practice with your G2 license
for 12 months.
You can now drive:
• without another experienced driver in the car
• on all Ontario roads
• at any time of the day, in most cases
You must still:
• have a zero-blood alcohol level
• carry only as many passengers as there are working seatbelts

If you are 19 and under, some other restrictions still apply.

Note 2: This is the second of two road tests you take as a new driver. you can take the test after
12 months with a G2 license. the test covers more advanced driving skills (e.g., driving on a
highway, parallel parking).

WHAT NEED TO BE ARRANGED FROM YOUR HOME/RESIDENCE COUNTRY

AND WHY:
If you can prove that you have more than 2 years of driving experience, waiting period for G1
and G2 road tests can be skipped. It also gives you a golden attempt to go for the Full G by
booking the G2 road test directly after getting the G1. The only hassle here is getting the dates of
the road test which normally has a waiting of 1-1.5 months. I’ll elaborate on this further with my
test day experience.

So as a proof, you need to carry the below to the driving school before registering for G1:
✓ Original Home/Residence country License:
✓ Driving History/ Drivers Information (DH) from your home/residence country DL issuing
authority. For some countries, they might need it to be issued from the embassy/consulate in
Canada (I know for Pakistan, its required).

In UAE, you can apply for the DH through:

1. Roads and Transport Authority (RTA): It can be applied online using the below
link:
https://traffic.rta.ae/trfesrv/public_resources/public-
access.do?switchLanguage=en&noCache=1444547795476
Fee: 150 AED

RTA DH has a validity of 2-3 months, so It’s always better to apply for it in your
last few weeks before leaving UAE.

2. In Abu Dhabi: by visiting the Abu Dhabi Police Department office on Muroor Road.
Takes 10-15 minutes normally. Make sure to get it stamped.
Refer map link below.
Fee: 150 AED
https://goo.gl/maps/fRxffdFW3gu
AD DH has no validity so the general rule of 6 months will apply.

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 3. Few Concerns on DH:

A. Attestation:
Some people recommend to get these certificates attested from UAE MOFA and
Canadian Embassy. However, I didn’t do any attestation and my certificate worked
fine. No question was asked on this at the Driving School in Canada.
Also, these certificates can be verified online through the below links. If the Driving
School has any doubts, they can always verify online.

i. RTA:
Through the document validation services on RTA Website
https://traffic.rta.ae/trfesrv/public_resources/my-
ecertificates.do?CSRF38mfsk=1e3gpzvkimslq&preserveParameters=TRUE
&switchLanguage=en&noCache=1508574103148

ii. Abu Dhabi Police:

Through “Whom it may Concern” Certificates Inquiry. Although
https://es.adpolice.gov.ae/whomitconcern

B. Father’s Name as part of the Driver’s Name on the Driving License:

Some people recommend to get the Driving License amended to make the Name
exactly as per passport by removing the Father’s name. However, I don’t feel any
need for it, The Driving School in Canada will take your name from the Passport
and in case they have any doubts on the Name, you can always explain and prove by
showing the UAE residence Visa/Emirates ID.
Still if you want, it can be done at a fee of 150-200 AED.

✓ In case you forget to carry DH from Home/Resident country to Canada, you can always contact
the consulate/embassy of your home/resident country if you have a valid driving license. I am
not sure about India but for Pakistan the Toronto Embassy issues the Driver information for a
fee of 20 CAD.

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 Useful links for more info on Driver’s License:
For Ontario
https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-g-drivers-licence-new-drivers
For British Columbia Driving License
http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/new-drivers/Pages/Graduated-licensing.aspx
For Alberta
https://www.alberta.ca/class-5-drivers-licence.aspx

f) Immunization records:
You’ll get an Immunization record form with the COPR which need to be signed by a medical
practitioner for your kids below 16 years of Age. This is required only for school admissions and
not asked for at the Airport or anywhere else so ideally, it’s not required at soft landing stage but
no harm in carrying it to be on safe side.
In case you have not received the form or you misplaced it, it can easily be found online.
More details can be found in this article.
http://memovingtocanada.blogspot.com/2014/11/immunization-record-requirement-for.html

I got it done from Al Khaleej Healthcare Centre in Abu Dhabi. Can be done by any pediatrician,
just carry your baby’s vaccination card and cross verify that all the vaccinations are documented.
A filled one looks like this:

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g) Clothing / Packing:
The kind of clothes you need to buy for your stay in Canada largely depends on the months in
which you plan to land. Till April, you can expect extreme winter.

So, if you are planning to land before May, my recommendation is to buy heavy winter gears,
Snow boots thermals etc. Specially for kids. Although you can buy few from home country and
the rest from Canada as the quality and price would be better there.

I landed in May and thankfully the snow was gone and summer was around the corner but still I
was told to carry at least 1 jacket. I’ll share more details on weather in post landing experience.

Luggage:
Check carefully the weight and dimension limits for your airline and pack accordingly to avoid
any hassle/extra charges on the airport.
For flights to Canada/America, Airlines are very particular about the weight limits and
dimensions.
My Suggestion would be to Tag all your luggage with Names, flight and contact details to
minimize the risk of loss.

h) Lodging arrangements in Canada:

If you don’t have any family/friends to stay with and you are looking for an economical option,
then the best would be to book through Air BnB.
A basement/ 1 bed apartment would be fine for a short stay for a small family.

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 Try to find a location closest to the public transport. In Mississauga, near Square one shopping
mall would be a good option. I lived with my family so have not done much research on this.
It’s as important as booking the tickets well in advance to get a good deal.

Address for the delivery of PR Cards:

It’s very important that you have an address to give to the immigration officer on the airport for
the delivery of the PR Cards. It will be asked at the time of signing of your COPR at the
airport/port of entry.
Address is also required for opening of Bank Account, Driving License etc.

For soft landers, its best to give a family/friend’s home address.

If it’s not possible, then you may avail services of a UPS mailbox which can be used to receive
all your mails. It will give you a street address and not a PO Box number and can hold the mail
or forward to you at any given location.

Refer below link for more details:

http://www.theupsstore.ca/services/mailboxes/

i) Health Insurance:
If you are landing in Ontario, you’ll not get the medical coverage under Ontario Health
Insurance Plan (OHIP) for the first 90 days after your landing. So, its recommended that you
take a separate cover for those 3 months.
Some ME Companies provide insurance with global coverage, so better to check if that’s
applicable to you.

If you’re landing in other provinces, better check what’s the medical coverage there, like om
provinces (I guess Alberta, not sure), there is no waiting period of 3 months and you are covered
from day 1.

Please refer the below link for more information on eligibility:

▪ OHIP.
https://settlement.org/ontario/health/ohip-and-health-insurance/ontario-health-insurance-plan-
ohip/who-is-eligible-for-ohip/
▪ Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
http://www.health.alberta.ca/AHCIP/registration-requirements.html

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TRAVEL DAY
So Finally, the day arrived.

▪ Our flight from Dubai to Jeddah was at 11 pm. I was at the check-in counter at 8pm. I noted that
the girl on the counter was scanning our visas again n again but it was not proceeding. upon
inquiry, she told me that she is not getting approval from the Canadian immigration so they can’t
board me, it took them over 1 hour to issue me the boarding pass (this excludes any waiting time
in the queue), so my strong recommendation to reach airport at least 4 hours before the flight;
▪ I had 2 cartons, total size was around 156 cm each (max limit is 159 for Saudi), weight was
around 300-700 gms above 23 kg for each piece, it went through;
▪ No body checked the hand carry weight and size;
▪ Flight from Dubai to Jeddah was smooth and the inflight service was great, food was good,
although when I asked for the infant seatbelt, they said we don’t have any, just Hug your baby
tight 😀
▪ Now here comes the famous Jeddah airport, and it was horrible as expected, we landed and
proceeded to a transit counter which gave us the transit cards for all of us (fill them and keep it
with you, it will be collected just before you board the bus to the next plane). after that there was
a security check segregated for males and females, fortunately there wasn’t a long queue and we
went through in around 15 minutes. Ahead of us there was a big transit hall overcrowded with
no seats available and people sitting on the floor, just a tip for people planning to travel with
Saudi, go near the gate 9 area, you’ll find empty seats there as it’s a bit secluded. Anyways 2
hours’ layover went fast and we boarded the plane to Toronto;
▪ Flight to Toronto was also smooth with good inflight service;
▪ The flight flew on time but landed at YYZ 45 mins late at around 10:30 am. While heading
towards the immigration, we filled the declaration form in the kiosk took pictures, took the print
and went ahead, hardly took 2-3 minutes at the KIOSK;
You can also fill hard copy of the Declaration form. The important questions are regarding
whether you are carrying Cash more than 10,000 CAD and the food items. so, if you’re carrying
a lot of food items/spices, keep the list handy with you to show it to customs.
Refer link for E-declaration card pdf to have an idea:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/e311-eng.pdf

▪ Fortunately, there wasn’t a long queue at Immigration so our turn came in around 20 minutes,
we met a super friendly guy Named ‘Guy’, He dint ask any question, we gave him fresh pictures
for PR cards (it’s not mandatory), He attached it, signed our COPR and said welcome to
Canada!
▪ You don’t need to mention anything on the soft landing, they won’t ask.
▪ Service Canada was closed due to weekend so couldn’t get the SIN number (I’ll explain SIN
number later).
▪ We went to luggage area to get the bad news, 2 of our luggage items were missing, we lodged a
complaint and headed to the customs, here We met another friendly officer, I declared Figs and
200 sticks of cigarettes, he didn’t see it and said its fine, I declared Cash over 10k CAD, he
didn’t see it, just asked me the exact amount with breakup into USD and CAD, no question
asked on POF.
▪ I asked the officer that this 10k CAD non-declaration limit is per person or per family,
He said and I quote:
“There is a legal way and a smart way, if you are carrying 10.5k and you give half to your wife,
it may be fine but if it’s your money, we recommend you declare all in your name because if we
find out we’ll take it. But if you and your wife both have their own less than 10K each then no
need to disclose. In any case, it’s your money and we don’t have any issue if you disclose, it
takes 2 minutes to disclose and better than getting your money confiscated”
So, my personal recommendation is to always disclose if you are not sure, sometimes currency
conversions can bring it at a border line.

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▪ I gave him the goods to follow and he said it’s wonderful, he removed the Car from the list and
told me that although there is a space for car in the bsf186 form but there is a different procedure
and you need to apply through transport Canada to import the car.
▪ He gave me a ‘zero’ tax voucher for the value of GTF list, stamped each page, handed back to
me and Welcome to Canada!

▪ I haven’t seen such friendly immigration and custom officers in any other country where I have
travelled so far. But I have heard bad experiences as well so you can’t really tell.

The flight experience with Saudi is great except for the Jeddah airport. my luggage was misplaced
but that happened to me once with Etihad as well so I won’t count that and new Jeddah airport will
be open soon. The return flight was through Riyadh and it was all good.
The tickets were cheap, mine was 5,200 AED return ticket for the family so I won’t mind traveling
with Saudi again at this price.

So, the bottom line is don’t be stressed too much about the goods to follow list or anything else.
Everything will be smooth but just remember the key points to avoid any custom duty in future.

POST LANDING EXPERIENCES

a) Social Insurance Number (SIN):
A social insurance number (SIN) is a number issued in Canada to administer various
government programs. The SIN was created in 1964 to serve as a client account number in the
administration of the Canada Pension Plan and Canada's varied employment insurance
programs.
Canada Revenue Agency CRA also use the SIN for tax reporting purposes.
SIN is also required for opening bank account; however, some banks don’t ask.

SINs are issued by Employment and ‘Service Canada’.

Service Canada also has an office at the airport, so if you land on a weekday, you can get the
SIN at the airport after getting the COPR signed. However, it is not at all mandatory to get it at
this point of time. You can always visit any Service Canada City office and get the SIN later.

We landed on Saturday so We visited Service Canada Mississauga office on Monday Morning

with my signed COPR and Passports and we got the SIN within 10-15 minutes as there wasn’t a
long queue.

Important Note: SIN can be used for Identity theft so its v important that you keep them
confidential and only provide to your employer and Bank.

b) Driver’s license:
If you are a soft lander for 2 weeks or more and you have 2 year’s driving history, you can easily
get a Full G license if you plan well. Here is the plan:

Test preparation
Before you land in Canada especially if you are a soft lander, I’ll recommend that you prepare
well in advance for the G1 theory test. You can use:
o G1 Genius Mobile App
Apple Appstore:
https://itunes.apple.com/ae/app/g1-test-genius-ontario/id510568507?mt=8

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 Playstore:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dto.ee.g1.test.genius&hl=en

o From the Driver’s Handbook Study guide:

https://marcuseducate.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/DHSG.pdf

o You can practice online:

https://www.g1.ca/ontario-g1-test-practice/

The G1 Knowledge test consist of 2 modules with 20 questions each and you must give 16
correct answers in each.
o Traffic Signs:
for Signs preparation, mobile App is good
o Rules of the Road:
For Rules preparation, I would recommend the book as some questions might be
tricky.

G1 theory test:
Select any driveTest Centre near your place which is generally less busy and go there asap after
you land. DriveTest locations in Ontario can be found in the below link.
https://drivetest.ca/find-a-drive-test-centre/find_a_drivetest_centre.html

This is important because you cannot book a road test unless you pass the G1. You don’t have to
book for theory test, its walking.

I went to Toronto Etobicoke in Eglington which was less busy.

I reached there at around 9:00 am and did the registration, she checked the following documents
(All original):
1. Passport
2. UAE Driving license
3. UAE driver’s history

She checked all the documents and made me fill a small form, and gave me a token.
“No question asked for any attestation”

Afterwards, I did my Eye test, paid the fee and headed for the G1 test.

The fee for the G1 test is 159 CAD including the fee for G1 road test. If you fail any 1 module,
you can retake for 15CAD on the same time.

There was a waiting of around 15 minutes for the eye test but not waiting for the G1 theory test.
I passed in the first attempt and got my G1 license.

Overall it took me around 1.5 hours to get into the driveTest Centre and walking out with a G1.

You’ll get a temporary paper license and the original card will be dispatched to you at your
address.

Driving Practice:
The good thing is that you can drive anyone’s car anywhere on G1 as long as you accompany a
Full G driver with 4+ years of experience. So, any of you friend or relative can help you.
Don’t forget to add yourself as a driver with Car insurance.

If you don’t have anyone then taking lessons from the instructors is your only option. See below
for details.
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 Booking a Road test:
So, after getting G1, now is the time to decide whether you want to go for Full G or G2. It has
been established that some insurance companies charge higher premiums if you directly go for G
and skip G2.

You can book a road test by visiting the below link and entering your G1 details.
https://drivetest.ca/book-a-road-test/

You first need to select a drivetest Centre in which you want to give and then you book a test
date based on the availability.

Tip: The booking form also asks for the expiry date of your G1 license, if you are booking using
the paper license, there is one expiry date on the top right, if you enter this, it will not accept it.
Remember, this is the expiry of this paper license. You need to enter the expiry date of your G1
license which is 5 years from the date of issue. I.e. 09-May-2023 in my case below.

PROBLEM:
Dates!! if you check online, normally there is a waiting of 4-6 weeks to go for full G road test.
Even there is a long waiting for G2 road test.
So, if you are a soft lander for 2-3 weeks, it’s very difficult to get the road test dates during your
trip

Solution:
▪ Select a drivetest center in the outskirts, Kitchener, Orangeville, Guelph are good centers to
name a few.
Try to look for the dates again and again multiple times a day, its highly likely that someone will
cancel and you’ll get it.
P.S. you can cancel the road test without any fee before 48 hours.

▪ If you opt to take classes, driving instructors offer classes at a rate ranging from 25CAD to
35CAD for a 45 minutes’ class. If you decide to go with them to give the test, they’ll take care
of the test date. Usually they get you a date within a week, Specially for G2 they reserve some
slots.

So, I took around 3 classes with a very nice elderly Gentleman Name Malik.
You may reach him at +1 (647) 88 DRIVE (37483)

He explained all the rules very well and his tricks were great for Parking and I decided to go to
the drivetest center in his Car. We opted for Guelph.
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He got me G2 date within a week of my G1 and charged me 150 CAD for taking to the center (1
hr drive), a class at the location and for getting me back.

G1 Road test Day - A Bad day that ended not so Bad!

So, on the day of road test, we were 3 students went with the instructor to the test Centre in
Guelph.
He gives each of us one 45 minutes’ lesson on the route of the test to get us familiar with the
route which was great!

Road tests in Ontario are very comprehensive unlike in UAE, it’s a 15-20 minutes’ test where
the examiner tests every aspect like parking, left, right turns, speed limit, changing lanes etc.
There is no Highway test in G2 but for Full G, the examiner takes you to

Then we came to the Centre to get registered for the test. He kept a safe gap of 45 minutes
between the test timing for each of us so the Car is available for each of us.

There was something wrong with the system and it was a mess, everyone was waiting and
delayed for at least 1 – 1.5 hrs.

It was a painful wait, anyways the first of our fellow student went to give the road test after 1 hr
of the designated time, He was passed, and then the second student went.

While we were waiting for her to come back, my number came, we explained that the Car is
being used by another student and my instructor showed in the map that it’s about to reach back
in 5 minutes but the Lady examiner was Chill and She said Oh it’s just fine, I’ll skip it and it will
be assigned to another examiner, just wait.

The Horror:
We waited in our car for around 1.5 hrs more, then we noticed that most examiners are leaving
and the test Centre was about to close at 4 pm.
So, my Instructor went to check what’s happening and I waited in the Car, after a while, I saw
him coming out with a Lady supervisor who was Literally Shouting!!

Lady: why you dint come inside and let us know

Instructor: Because the examiner told us to wait and she’ll skip, she didn’t ask us to go
inside to re-register.
Lady: No, no! you have to come inside. Now nothing can be done. Come again
tomorrow and I’ll accommodate you, I don’t have anyone.

I was sitting in the Car watching all this drama. After an exhaustive day, listening to all this
made my head blown. You can imagine.

I never expected this kind of sheer mismanagement, arrogance and uncooperative behavior of
the staff.

My poor instructor said to me, no chance unfortunately, we’ll have to comeback. I was furious
and frustrated.

When we were about to leave, we saw that Chill Lady and we made our last try. That Lady was
responsible enough to accept that She mistakenly ‘Cancelled’ it instead of ‘Skipping’ and she
also agreed to take my test.

And after a happening day, Finally I passed the G2!!

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 So, all is well that ends well.

What I liked most is that the lady took the test under normal conditions and did not show sign of
frustration over the drama that happened.

Morale of the story: Please double check the information shared by one person and if there is
anything unusual, always confirm from drivetest staff.

I made some minor mistakes but no Major mistake so I got passed. Below is the paper I got and
you can see the kind of things they examiner in the test.

The best thing about Canada Driving test is that they can’t fail you just because the examiner is
having a bad day or He doesn’t like you: D.
Unfortunately, this is the case in some other parts of the world. If they fail you, they’ll give you
a proper justification and if it’s not accurate, you can challenge them.

G2 Road test for Full G license:

▪ I dint initially planned to go for full G in my soft landing but since the instructor got me a date
so I went for it.
▪ For road test of full G, people normally don’t use instructor.
▪ you drive your own/rented car on G2 and practice for some time. There are very minor
restrictions on G2 as compared to G (see the diving information above), So once you are ready,
you can book for G and go by yourself in your own car for the test.
▪ I however chose to go with the instructor because he got me the date and I dint have my own car.
16 | P a g e
 We went to Kitchener.

A Good Day with a not so good ending!!

▪ So, this time all went smooth except for that I failed my G unfortunately .
▪ I made one major mistake (failed to give right of way due to a confusion) while taking out the
car out of the parking. *Face Frying Pan 
▪ My Examiner was a super cool guy, when I made mistake he just said you should’ve watched
him Buddy, but dint say much. Although he failed me in the beginning but still provided me full
test experience and tested everything. Very politely giving me instructions throughout the test
and similarly at the end he again politely said. “Unfortunately, you did not meet the ministry’s
requirement for the G license, you can book again after 24 hours” and there went my 300 CAD
down the drain with my hopes of getting the G in the soft landing. 90 was the fee, instructor took
200 this time as I was alone.
▪ When I asked him, he pointed out towards the first mistake which was considered as Major. He
said everything else was fine.
▪ So now I’ll go for G next time.

Below are few Dash cam videos that will help you get an idea of the Road test.

G Driver’s License Road Test Route Kitchener Ontario

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uyfo3oc_jU

Drive Test Route for G Test in Orangeville Ontario Canada

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MZV5ATe1QE

Below link might give you an idea of driving license procedures in other Provinces

https://moving2canada.com/drivers-license-in-canada/

c) Banking:

Bank Account
As I mentioned earlier, I dint open the bank account prior to landing.
▪ I didn’t check what other banks are offering and went to the nearest TD Canada Trust Bank
branch directly on the next working day after my landing. Hence the below is only with respect
to TD.
▪ The guy there (Relationship Officer RO), explained to us the different account options
available.
▪ Canadian Banks normally charge you for the smallest things, for e.g. (depend on the type of the
account) they’ll limit the number of transactions you can do per month, for example for a basic
account its 20 transactions which includes cash withdrawals, online transfers, bill payments etc
and after that, they’ll charge you for each transaction.
▪ Each account also has a minimum balance requirement which if not met, will result in penalties
and charges.
▪ However, TD does offers an unlimited ‘New to Canada chequing account’ which is free for the
first six months with no minimum funding requirement. After six months, you’ll have to
maintain aa minimum balance of 3K CAD to continue free of cost.
▪ I opened 2 bank accounts one in CAD and one in USD, since I am not landing hard in near
future so I thought it’s better to keep some funds in USD. My wife also opened one basic
17 | P a g e
 account in CAD.
▪ SIN number was not asked and he only saw COPR and Passports.
▪ The guy told us that the maximum Credit Card CC limit He can give us is 1K CAD each. I
didn’t have much need for it so I didn’t insist on higher limits.
▪ 4 free cheques were given and we were told that additional can be applied for a charge.
▪ Debit Card was provided on the spot

The Lies:
▪ We requested the guy to raise the CC request as urgent so it can be delivered ASAP. He
confirmed that he’ll get it approved by the branch manager on the same day and CC will be
delivered within 3-5 business days. I got relaxed but when after I called the helpline to know the
status after 1 week, they told me that it’s not approved by the branch and the process has not
started and I was like Whatt!! I told him that the RO confirmed me it was approved 1 week back
and he re-confirmed that this is the status in the system and asked me to contact the branch. I
called the branch next day and speak to the guy and told him the story
▪ He said “No, the call Centre guys don’t know the true picture, you should always check with the
branch, you card was approved and is under process”.
▪ I got perplexed but had no choice but to trust him. So, after 2 days I called again to call Centre
and they told me that its dispatched and I’ll get it in 12 days !! and my head was spinning, I told
him that I am travelling and I need it urgent, after much deliberation, He finally agreed that
they’ll cancel the old one and send the new one by courier to the Branch and I can collect in 2
days. Due to long weekend that 2 days became 5 days but finally I got my cards.
▪ All of this may not look significant to you guys but it’s very crucial if for soft landers.
▪ I requested for a paper statement (I was told its required for applying OHIP, although if you
have G1 /G2 license, it’s not required) and the lady in the branch confirmed but later when I
called to re-check, it was not setup so this and I had to do it again.
▪ We planned to use the CC during our stay in Canada to build up the credit History (will
elaborate on this below).

Few important points which I have noted in relation to Banking in Canada:

o No setup of Next of KIN:

I was told that Canadian banks do not have any concept of next of KIN, so for an
individual bank account, if god forbid something happens, the spouse or kids will not be
able to access the account unless it’s a joint account or a Power of Attorney is to setup in
the bank’s records. Otherwise the normal legal procedures by way of a ‘Legal Will’ shall be
followed. So, this is very critical. I added my Wife’s power of Attorney in my Bank
account which is the quickest and easiest way.

o Credit Score / History:

This is extremely essential for getting any apartment on rent, applying for an auto /
personal loan, negotiating your CC limit and most importantly applying for a mortgage.
I’ll elaborate further on this.

o Do your research and get clarification on ambiguity:

Banks here like anywhere else may try to sell you by giving you incomplete information so
it’s very important that you read and get full understanding of the fine print and the TnCs

o Negotiate as much as you can:

Opening a new bank account is the best time to negotiate the terms with the bank specially
with respect to CC limit

18 | P a g e
 o Get yourself aware of any promotions or offers:
Surprisingly, your RO may not tell you about any current promotions going on which can
benefit you. Like I got to know about a 300 CAD cashback offer running on opening a new
bank account with TD after I opened the account. The guy did not mention anything.

o No 24 Hours helpline:
Helplines normally do not operate in nights and on public holidays. So, keep this in mind.

o Online transfer to an account in the same bank may take up to 1 day.

Not sure about other banks but for TD, it’s true. It was a new thing for me as in UAE, I use
ADCB and ADCB to ADCB transfer happens on real time basis. One person gets the text
for debit and the other for credit within 5 seconds.

Few things to aim for during soft landing:

▪ Driver’s license:
Even If you or your spouse doesn’t have any previous driving experience, I would recommend
that you at least get G1 during your soft landing so the waiting period is passed till the time you
come again.

▪ Try to use the credit card to build the credit score:

Use your credit card during your stay where possible and keep on using it every month and pay
your bill on time. This way, during the time you stay outside, your credit score will be good.
One easy way is to do online purchases, like Netflix etc.
As far as I understand, the amount does not matter. Even you use your CC for a minimal amount
each month and pay you bill on time, it will help you with the credit score.

▪ Get photos clicked for PR cards at any local photo studio:

As seen in the recent trend, most applicants receive a request to resubmit the photos and this
request normally comes after 6-8 weeks and by that time you are most probably be out of
Canada. So, it’s better if you get fresh photos clicked when you are in Canada and leave it with
your friend/relative so they can dispatch to CIC if required. If you don’t have anyone, even then
you can use services of Canada Post for this.
I was not smart enough to do this and now I am dispatching the photos from here.

▪ Meet the recruiters:

Normally the recruiters don’t entertain the soft landers so if you plan to meet the recruiter just to
have an experience and idea, don’t mention anything on the soft landing.

▪ Attend the Job Fairs:

▪ Although most of them are useless and mainly for blue collar and entry level jobs but you never
know when you get lucky.

▪ Explore:
Allocate sometime for the amazing nature spread each part of Canada.
Travel by the public transport to get an idea how it works.

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 LIFE IN CANADA:
Although my stay in Canada was only for 3 weeks, However, I’ll try to share what I’ve witnessed.

a) Housing:
To give you an overview, below are the types of housing options mainly available in Canada. I have
compiled the information from the internet for reference

Condominiums (Condos):
A condominium, often shortened to condo, is a type of real estate divided into several units that are
each separately owned, surrounded by common areas jointly owned.

You own the unit, or “condo”, but you do not own the land it is built on or any common space
outside your unit. You are charged monthly “condo fees” to maintain indoor and outdoor common
areas shared by the condo owners, including parking areas, elevators, carpets, front entrances, and
any recreation facilities. These monthly fees can vary widely and are in addition to your mortgage
payments.

Condos are generally believed to be better maintained as compared to normal apartments.

Please see below an excellent video to understand the difference between a Condo and a House.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=54&v=QWSvD-bJWm0

Detached House:
This is a house that stands on its own. It is often referred to as a ‘detached’ home and tends to be the
most expensive type of home to purchase due to the land costs. You own both the house and the land
it is on. When your house needs repair or maintenance, you must pay for it yourself. House owners
must also pay the monthly bills for water and heat, as well as their other bills (like telephone and
cable television). Owners are free to make changes to their house, inside and out, but they must obey
local bylaws and apply for renovation and building permits when necessary. Single houses appeal to
a wide array of people, including families with children and generally provide more space and
privacy than other unit types.

Townhouse
A townhouse is a unit in a row of other units that look like houses, attached to each other. In each
unit, you share a wall on either side with the people who live beside you. Often, especially in cities,
there may also be a smaller unit above each townhouse, so there could also be someone living above
you or below you. Townhouses (sometimes called row houses) are usually 2 or 3 levels tall (each
level is called a ‘story’).

Semi-detached House
This is a home joined to another on one side. Owners are only responsible for the care and
maintenance of their own side, just like a detached house. Owners of semi-detached homes own their
side of the property, including the land it is on, and are responsible for its care and maintenance, per
local bylaws. Semi-detached houses appeal to people who want to own their own house as well as
the land it is on. Semi-detached houses are usually less expensive than fully detached houses,
although, like all real estate, this depends on the area.

20 | P a g e
Duplex/Triplex:
A duplex/triplex is a building that is divided into multiple units. Like semi-detached houses, each
household has its separate entrance and is responsible for the care of its own unit. Typically, you
would buy the entire property and rent a unit to help offset your mortgage payments. Types of homes
that are ‘duplexed’ or divided into two or more separate living units may be detached homes, semi-
detached or even row houses.

Renting a house/Condo in Canada:

For new landers with no credit history and job in hand, renting a home/condo can be painful as the
landlords normally don’t take risk with the new landers.

21 | P a g e
Below may help to convince the landlord:
- Up to six month’s upfront payment
- Provide references of your friend who can vouch for you,
- Even if you don’t have job, you can show bank statements personal profile with education
and professional history to prove that you have the muscles to bear the rent.

Even after all this, it still depends on the owner if he wants to take risk with the newbies.

b) Weather:
Weather is the biggest concern for new immigrants, especially for those who are moving from
Middle East and the Subcontinent.
Although I landed in May and the weather was good but still I could feel the remains of Summer
during my Stay.
The temperature was fluctuating between 10-20. It’s very important to check the weather
forecast in the morning before leaving home

Initially, when it was a bright sunny day, we tried to get out and explore the neighborhood on
foot but it was Cold breeze was unbearable, especially if you have an infant/ toddler.
The Summer was not officially started till 21st June. Winter in Canada can be extreme up till
April.

Few Canadian winter things which might be new for you:

▪ Snow Storms:
Canada has some worst snow storms in the world. So, forget the ‘Dust Storms’ and be prepared
for the Daddy!

FYI, GTA had a very bad ‘Snow Storm’ on 14th April 2018 with Freezing Rains.
Don’t take my word, Read more below:
https://globalnews.ca/news/4144779/weather-ontario-ice-storm-freezing-rain/

▪ Thunder Snow:
Thunder snow, also known as a winter thunderstorm or a thunder snow storm, is an unusual kind
of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary instead of rain.

▪ Freezing Rain:
This was totally new for me to hear and I have heard some horrible stories about it.
Here is the Internet’s definition for you to understand:

“Freezing rain is the name given to rain precipitation maintained at temperatures below
freezing by the ambient air mass that causes freezing on contact with surfaces. Unlike sleet, a
mixture of rain and snow, ice pellets, or hail, freezing rain is made entirely of liquid droplets.”

Black ice, sometimes called clear ice, is a thin coating of glaze ice on a surface, especially on
roads. The ice itself is not black, but visually transparent, allowing the often black road below to
be seen through it. The typically low levels of noticeable ice pellets, snow, or sleet surrounding
black ice means that areas of the ice are often practically invisible to drivers or people stepping
on it. There is, thus, a risk of skidding and subsequent accident due to the unexpected loss of
traction.

22 | P a g e
However, Despite the Scary winter stories, Canada has all the four Seasons.
I was amazed by the frequency by which the trees change their appearance.

One day you wake up, the trees are naked;

The next day, they are all green with leaves;
2 days later, they got full with white flowers,
Few days later, white flowers are mixed with green leaves.

It was a lovely sight to witness.

Ice Fishing:

Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening
in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishermen may fish in the open or in heated enclosures,
some with bunks and amenities.

PATH (Toronto):
PATH is a network of underground pedestrian tunnels, elevated walkways, and at-grade
walkways connecting the office towers of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is more than
30 kilometers (19 mi) long.
Per Guinness World Records, PATH is the largest underground shopping complex in the world
with 371,600 square meters (4,000,000 sq ft) of retail space.

23 | P a g e
 It’s a blessing in winter where you don’t need to get exposed to the cold and roam around the
city carefree.

c) Transportation:
A summary on different modes of transportation

Owned Car:
Car prices are like ME, also the pre-owned cars can be bought at a reasonable price.
Importing a Car from ME is not a good Idea as the Canadian Specs are different specs.

Insurance
Auto Insurance is mandatory and is very expensive as compared to ME, however negotiation can
be done based on many factors such as previous accident history (most insurance companies
only accept Canada and US history– not sure about all the companies), if you are using same
insurance company for other insurances as well, type of license etc.

In Ontario, you need only $200,000 in third-party liability coverage. If you have an accident in a
province with a higher minimum – say $500,000 – and you're insured for only $200,000, your
insurance company will honour the higher amount.

Even $500,000 won't shield you from multi-million dollar lawsuits if someone is killed or
injured in an accident for which you're held legally responsible.

So, some people boost the liability coverage to $1 million or $2 million with an additional
premium off course.

Traffic:
It’s a Right-Hand Traffic (Left Hand Drive) like ME.
Traffic is generally very smooth. Speed limit need to be strictly followed. One difference which
I felt is that you need to drive exactly at the speed limit. Like for a 50 road, you need to maintain
your speed at 50 all times.

The drivers are also mature, even when you drive on highways and in left most lane, no one will
honk you or give flashing headlights to change the lane.

Canadian roads generally have lower speed limits as compared to ME. Radar Cameras are
almost non-existent however a Patrolling Police Car may give you fines.
Red light cameras are also not much and warning signboards are always there indicating the
existence of a camera.

Gas prices
Surprisingly more than 70% of the Gas stations are owned by independent retailers so the Gas
prices fluctuates on daily basis and may vary for each retailer. Gas stations are on self-service.
Normally the Gas prices are high in the mornings and lower in the evenings.

Types of Public transports available.

Source:
https://settlement.org/ontario/daily-life/transportation/public-transit/how-can-i-travel-within-
ontario/

Bus Travel
Bus travel is often the cheapest way to travel between Ontario cities. Sometimes, it is the only
way to travel between smaller towns and cities, other than driving.

24 | P a g e
 Bus lines offering service throughout Ontario include:

• Greyhound - servicing all Ontario.

• Ontario Northland - servicing Toronto, central Ontario and northern Ontario.
• Coach Canada - servicing the southern part of the province from Windsor to Montreal.
• Megabus - Servicing parts of Ontario, Quebec and the United States.
• GO Buses - servicing the area from Niagara Falls to Peterborough.

Train Travel
There is train service throughout Canada. Some train networks offer long-distance travel and
other networks offer commuters a way to travel between cities for work.

• VIA Rail Canada - servicing all Ontario.

• Ontario Northland Rail Services - servicing northern Ontario.
• GO Train - servicing the area from Hamilton to Oshawa.

Public Transportation
Most cities in Ontario have a public transit system of buses or streetcars. Most cities provide
transit maps for free.

For eg. Mississauga has a public transportation MiWay.

Toronto has Subways, StreetCars (Trams), Buses, Toronto Island Ferrys etc.

Uber Pool is also quite popular

Presto Cards
The Presto card (stylized as PRESTO) is a contactless smart card fare payment system used on
participating public transit systems in the province of Ontario, Canada, specifically in Greater
Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa.
Presto card readers were implemented on a trial basis from June 25, 2007, to September 30,
2008. Full implementation began in November 2009 and it was rolled out across rapid transit
stations, railway stations, bus stops and terminals, and transit vehicles on eleven different transit
systems.
It’s like the NOL Card used in Dubai.

d) Natural Beauty:
25 | P a g e
 Canada is blessed with breathtaking natural beauty. Although the most beautiful side is British
Columbia and Alberta, however Ontario also has many beautiful places to explore. Not to
mention the majestic Niagara Falls.

Ontario is named after the Lake Ontario. Ontario has over 250,000 Lakes!
Lake Superior is the biggest.

Besides, every few kilometers, you can find a park and if you travel in suburbs, it has amazing
parks and areas to explore. The Air is fresh and the views are scenic.
Specially for people moving from ME who are deprived of natural greenery, you’ll feel
amazing. Excellent hiking and biking trails if you are a hiking lover.
You may also encounter wild life like Deer’s, Racoons even Reindeers in the suburbs (if you get
lucky)

But don’t forget, everything gets closed max by 10. No matter the Sun sets at 9:30 in peak
summers.

e) Mobile Sim:
Since I wanted to keep a Canadian No. permanently so I was looking for a cheapest Prepaid sim
cards. But I was told that a minimum monthly fee has to be paid otherwise it will be blocked.
Whichever package you choose, calls within Canada are normally free. It’s the Internet Data that
is expensive.
I didn’t do much research and bought Roger’s Sim with a monthly rental of 25 CAD. My cousin
is a Roger’s employee and He can allocate his monthly data bundle to up-to 10 numbers. So, that
was the best deal for me ☺.
Fido, Chatr, Bell, Virgin are other available options for cellular sims.

f) Taxation

Sales Tax:
Canada has a mix of Federal and Provincial VAT (Sales Tax systems). The Federal VAT is
called GST (Goods and Services Tax) and charged at the rate of 5 % plus the Provincial Sales
Tax of about 8 % in most provinces/territories results often to a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) of
about 13 %.

Income taxes:
The tax year is from January to December. The deadline for filing the tax returns is 30 April of
the following year.
First you need to determine whether you are a tax resident for any year.

Normally you become a tax resident on the date you arrive in Canada as a permanent resident.
However, the below conditions are important for soft landers.

Important for Soft Landers:

All the soft landers should consider the below before making any decision to move the family,
buying a house or making any other investments in Canada.

You become a resident of Canada for income tax purposes when you establish significant
residential ties in Canada. You usually establish these ties on the date you arrive in Canada.

Significant residential ties to Canada include:

26 | P a g e
 - a home in Canada;
- a spouse or common-law partner in Canada; and
- dependents in Canada;

Secondary residential ties that may be relevant include:

- personal property in Canada, such as a car or furniture;
- social ties in Canada, such as memberships in Canadian recreational or religious
organizations;
- economic ties in Canada, such as Canadian bank accounts or credit cards;
- a Canadian driver's license;
- a Canadian passport; and
- health insurance with a Canadian province or territory.
- To determine residence status, all the relevant facts in each case must be considered,
including residential ties with Canada and length of time, object, intent, and continuity
while living inside and outside Canada.

If you have not established significant residential ties with Canada to be considered a factual
resident, but you stayed in Canada for 183 or more days in the year, you may be considered a
deemed resident of Canada.

I went for 3 weeks, I didn’t purchase any property, furniture etc. I didn’t leave my spouse or kids
back there and didn’t get the OHIP. So as per my initial understanding, I will not be a tax
resident for the year 2018.
However, I got a driver’s license, opened a bank account and got a credit card. So, this need to
be further assessed.
Logically, I am not taking any benefit from the state and not generating any income. My Bank
accounts are current accounts.

Very informative video series and information to get you familiar with the Canadian Tax
system.
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/news/cra-multimedia-library/individuals-video-
gallery/series-newcomers-canada-canadian-tax-system.html

Provincial taxes rates for few, please follow the link for complete list:

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 Source:
https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-
agency/services/tax/individuals/frequently-asked-questions-
individuals/canadian-income-tax-rates-individuals-current-previous-
years.html

Quebec Tax rates:

http://www.revenuquebec.ca/en/citoyen/situation/nouvel-arrivant/regime-
fiscal-du-quebec/taux-imposition.aspx

Child Care Benefit (CCB):

The Canada child benefit (CCB) is a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help
them with the cost of raising children under 18 years of age. The CCB might include the child
disability benefit and any related provincial and territorial programs.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses information from your income tax and benefit return to
calculate how much your CCB payments will be. To get the CCB, you have to file your return every
year, even if you did not have income in the year. If you have a spouse or common-law partner, they
also have to file a return every year.

Benefits are paid over a 12-month period from July of one year to June of the next year. Your benefit
payments will be recalculated every July based on information from you and your spouse’s (if
applicable) income tax and benefit returns from the previous year.

The new Canada Child Benefit will provide a maximum annual benefit of $6,400 per child under the
age of six, and $5,400 per child aged 6 through 17. The benefit will be tax-free and paid monthly to
eligible families. Canadians already receiving the UCCB or the CCTB do not have to apply for the
new benefit.

Source and more details:

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-
benefit-overview.html

g) Job Situation:
The job situation is intense, I have seen Doctors, Engineers, Accountants, Bankers etc (who were at

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Managerial level positions back home) doing odd jobs such as flipping burgers, Uber etc.

This is primarily since Canadian employers through all your outside Canadian experience to a Bin
and you need to take a fresh start.
The exception to this may be:
- If you were working for an MNC back home and you got a transfer to Canada;
- Your profession is in demand like most IT professions; or
- If you get lucky.

Recruiters do not generally entertain candidates who are not in Canada so it’s very rare that you get
an interview opportunity while living in your home / resident country. However, it’s not impossible,
I have seen some successful cases. Networking and determination is important.

Local certifications help a lot, so try to get any for your field before landing if possible.

The suggestions which I have got from most people is that try to bring as much saving as you can so
you can survive for few months while searching for a reasonable job, during this period, you can:
- Look for unpaid voluntary work in good organizations to improve your contacts and
showcase your skills;
- Try to get short term contracts or hourly rate jobs;
- Keep your expectation low, you can’t get to the same level on which you were working back
home for the first job so grab any opportunity that comes your way if it pertains to your field
and helps you gain some experience.

For soft landers, my personal suggestion for hard landing would be to go alone initially for few
months and try to get settled. Living on savings is not a good idea in my opinion, you should aim for
jobs like Uber to at least deal with your expenses while obviously sparing half day daily for job
search. You can call your family when you have a reasonable job and the lodging and other
arrangements are sorted.

Canada is a beautiful society, no one feel ashamed in doing small odd jobs. In most cases, everyone
is treated with equal respect whether you are a CEO or a Garbage collector.

I was told that Racism is very rare, even if someone has it in heart, they cannot show it openly. I
didn’t encounter any unpleasant instance during my stay.

h) Living:

Life is tough as compared to ME. ME spoil us in every way. In Canada, you must do everything by
yourself. A person with average income cannot afford maids or cleaning personnel.
Specially in winter its more tough with Sunset at 4:30 pm and if you are living in a House, you need
to clean the Ice daily from the front of your home. In summers, you need to maintain the Grass. This
can be outsourced but it’s very expensive.

Even small maintenance works like plumbing or Carpentry is done by certified professionals and
they are not Cheap. so, do it Yourself (DIY) is an essential to survive.

Minimum wage is 12 – 14 CAD per hour.

Although I have seen Desi’s distributing their business cards for such services. I presume they do are
not professionals and hence might do such jobs at a lower cost.

Due to such reasons, what I’ve heard from people living there, the lifestyle is predominantly similar
for most people. They live in similar kind of house, their kids study in similar public schools,

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Medical coverage is same (Some companies do give extra coverage to their employees).

It’s a welfare state and taxes are higher for people earning well and less for people fall in lower
brackets hence maintaining an average lifestyle.

I am not living there and all the above are based on my observation and discussion with people. I
may be wrong about some aspects.

Schooling:
You cannot get an admission in any public school that you want, Schools are assigned based on your
street address. People select school based on the reputation, Although the schools are operated by the
state but still the neighborhood has its effect.
So, this is one of the Key factors for making housing decision specially for families with School
going kids.

Halal Food:
For Muslims, there are a lot of options for Halal food but We need to be very careful with the
ingredients of any packed product that we buy, even for an item as simple as a Cheese, the
preservatives might not be Halal.

GTA specially Mississauga has a lot of shops serving Halal meat and chicken.

Desi peeps don’t need to worry. A lot of Desi grocers are there specially in GTA serving most types
of desi spices, Vegetables and ethnic food from India, Pakistan and Arabic countries. Shan, mdh,
national all such brands are widely available.

Grocery is generally sold in Pounds rather in Kgs. Vegetable and fruits prices are almost double as
compared to UAE (what I have witnessed during my short stay)

A lot of food chains also serve Halal, Like Galeto’s, Popyes, Hero Burger etc.

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CONCLUSION
Moving to a new place is always difficult no matter how good the things are. So, it will take time for
you to settle.

Canadian life is way more tough and inconvenient than the life in ME for sure.

The beautiful thing about Canada is its diversity and tolerance to every religion, culture, ethnicity,
orientation. However, It’s not a perfect world. You may face unpleasant events like frauds,
Cheatings, lies, inefficiencies in public departments. Refer my G2 test and encounter with the Bank.
People will try to give you incomplete information which may cost you later. They won’t lie, they
will just tell you the Half-truth. So, In your initial days, research well on every area.

Very recently a CRA Fraud is happening across Canada. Read more in the link
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/cra-scam-text-email-phone-fraud-1.4494757

The key to a happy life in Canada is never Compare anything with your life back home. Be it the
weather, your job position, your lifestyle, prices etc.
Taxes would be a big shock initially as ME people are not used to it a lot.

Most expats move to Canada from ME have an aim of getting the passports and get back to ME, but
only few of them move back.

My suggestion is to come to Canada with an open mind to struggle and face challenges. Don’t forget
the efforts you put in for the immigration, after a year, things will be streamlined and you’ll love the
place even if you don’t initially. Stay hopeful, determined and strong.

Canada is definitely a place you can Call your Second home!

Phew ! I am no blogger but couldn’t stop myself from writing more and more. Guess I should stop
now.

I can be reached at my Whatsapp number +92 333 2390582 or ahmeddanish@live.com for any
feedback, query, clarification or any help.

Adios and Regards

Danish

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