Oliviald

Hi everyone,
Extremely sorry if this has been discussed before but would appreciate some help from you expat experts!

7 weeks until our moving date to Toronto!

I have a student visa, my fiancee has a working visa (no job yet). I don't want to secure anywhere to live before Iseeing it so we are planning on staying in a hotel for a few weeks!

Reading up on the things we need to get....
SIN card for work - can't get this without an address
bank account - cant get this without sin card and address
Somewhere to rent- need a bank account and a job

As you might notice i cant get one without the other etc etc...

Where on earth am i meant to start with this?!

The plan was to go straight to get a sin card and bank account when we arrive and then apply for jobs and arrange apartment viewings...

Olivia

Aviator

You seem to have it figured out.

Novocastrian

Engineer_abroad

Not to worry you only need an address for the SIN number for their records they don't send anything to that address (you don't get a card nowadays).

Bank will normally work from a hotel address especially if you are opening a new arrivals account. I used my work address when I first got here. I set up my account before even moving here after a trip to land for 3 days to get my work permit.

For renting a place you may need an account with a cheque book, a lot of places here require you pay rent with 12 post-dated cheques.

You have the right order as bank will want your SIN number.

Siouxie

Which may or may not be legal, depending on the Province.

For Ontario: What tenants need to know about the law | CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario

Engineer_abroad

opps. I was speaking from BC experience. Either way you will find quite a lot more is done in cheque and cash here rather than plastic.

Siouxie

I had the same experience in Ontario, lol. I couldn't get anyone to rent to me unless I provided them with post dated cheques - at the time, I didn't know it was illegal (and they should have known better, they were a very large company).

Knowledge is useful though, just in case the landlord is trying it on.

Shirtback

It's not legal here in Qc either, for a landlord to request/require post-dated cheques. However, there's nothing to stop a (prospective) tenant (a new arrival, or someone with no rental history, for example) offering them as a "good faith" gesture...