Canada, topic by topic
Seven chapters that apply to everyone. Start at the beginning or jump to what you need.
Bureaucracy
The paperwork that starts the moment you land: entry rules, health registration, tax residency, and the long road to citizenship.
Free Social Insurance Number Read bureaucracy 02Banking
Opening an account before your credit history exists, and the fastest way to build one from zero.
24 mo Longest fee-free newcomer offer Read banking 03Visas & Immigration
Canada cut its immigration targets sharply for 2026 — here’s what’s actually open, and what closed in the last two years.
380,000 2026 PR target / year Read visas & immigration 04Work
Where the jobs are, what they pay after tax, and the one big cultural difference from an at-will labour market.
6.4% National unemployment Read work 05Education
Public school is free and strong by international rankings; the real decision points are childcare cost and where your province stands on tuition.
$7,734 Avg. domestic tuition/yr Read education 06Housing
Most newcomers rent for the first few years — here’s what that costs, what buying involves, and the rules that only apply to non-residents.
$674,819 Avg. national home price Read housing 07Cost of Living
What a realistic monthly budget looks like, by city tier — and how Canada stacks up against the US and UK.
$1,470 Toronto, single, excl. rent/mo Read cost of livingSources & how current this is
Canadian immigration and housing policy moved unusually fast through 2025–2026 — provincial nominee programs were restructured, several federal entrepreneur streams were paused, and fees were adjusted mid-year. Every figure above was current at the time of writing; treat anything immigration- or fee-related as a starting point and confirm the live number on the official source before you apply or budget around it.