Hi,

We arrive in Vancouver on 17th August and I start work the following week. Do I need to make an appointment beforehand to get my SIN or just turn up?

Also where do I need to go? I read the Wiki but the link doesn't work.

I will be on a TWP initially while application for PR goes through if that's relevant.

Also, how far down the process of opening a bank account is it possible to go from the UK? Should I set up an appointment for that for the day after we've arrived too?

Thanks in advance!

No appointment. You need to go to Service Canada in Vancouver

Vancouver - Sinclair Centre (Downtown) Service Canada Centre

Bring your TWP and passport. You will be given a temp SIN starting with a '9'

Thank you! That's a great help

Don't bother trying to open a bank account from the UK.

Just turn up at the bank and they will sort you out there and then. An Interac debit card can be issued in the branch, so you will walk out with it as soon as you open your account (this is true for Scotiabank, so probably other banks too).

You can deposit a UK cheque, but they will not release it for a month. Costs for this are very small in Canada.

If you set up an account with HiFX, you can transfer money at a good rate in about 4 days (from placing order to money arriving in your Canadian account). It's all done online and you sent them the money by BACS.

Really?

Depositing a sterling cheque is fine at any bank. The time it takes will vary depending on the bank and the relationship you have with it. I get cleared funds the same day, but of course the bank (RBC) reserves the right to recall the funds if the cheque doesn't ultimately clear. There's no fee for the service.

Great to know I have my uk cheque book out here so I can do it that way to start to move money over that way

As a brand new customer you would get a 30-day Hold though - that was my point.

I've not had any holds for a very long time, except for a random one on a Rebate cheque - maybe they have problems with those!

There is a fee. It is usually built in to the exchange rate, however these costs are much lower than a UK bank would charge for doing this the other way round...

I've never been charged a specific fee for banking a UK cheque, however you always pay $15 approx for an EFT because this is what the banks charge to report your money import to the Canadian Government.

I wouldn't bank on there being no fees (pun intended).

As Rich says it depends on the bank and your relationship with them.
He gets cleared funds the sum day which sounds very much like privileged customer status and the "no fee" may well be for him.

I just did a bit of googling and plenty of results including RBC suggest a fee.
This from Scotiabank for example:
Cheque processed in foreign currency on a Canadian Dollar account where the Canadian equivalent of the cheque amount is
Under $1,000: $10.00
$1,000 and over: $15.00

From PC Bank - Note that transactions in foreign currency are subject to additional fee(s).

I'm with PC and CIBC so probably a similar fee. I was using PayPal but then they kept holding my funds.

I have an account with Hifx but I need to send over around $40k from the UK so always worried somewhere they will lose it or it will take longer to come through

Back in 2005 I transferred two large sums for house purchase and rental property purchase to the lawyers' account. The fee was a % but to a maximum £12 or £15 and the exchange rate was typical.

It all worked super smoothly.

Later I transferred a few thou to a PC account. Done similarly and no receiving fee.

If foreign currency cheques were free to deposit you can't imagine why anyone would pay for a transfer, other than speed.

was that through Hifx or a similar banking transfer service?

No just an ordinary (on-line) current bank account. Swift transfer IIRC.

I know this topic has gone off the rails a bit, but Paypal is a horrendous way to transfer money over anyway.

As for HiFX, I get what you're saying as I'm the same, but they're a reputable firm. Provided you put in all the details correctly for that sort of money you're probably looking at a few days.

I use HiFX and recently transferred a 'test amount' (£GBP200) to my newly opened Canadian bank account.

It worked fine and arrived in Canada about 2.5 working days later. Was then going to transfer a much larger amount, but BREXIT put all that on hold for now!!!