5 Things You Must Know After Coming To Canada As a Student

It is a joyous feeling when you have reached your study-abroad destination. Canada is surely a stunning destination with beautiful splendours and urban architecture. Canada is an immensely large country with vast diversity and people practice different religions. The country is known for its friendly, peace-loving and secure environment. Above all, the healthcare system in Canada is continuously ranked among the best in the world. Here are 5 Things You Must Know After Coming to Canada as a Student.

Must Read: 101 Interesting Facts about Canada

5 Things You Must Know After Coming to Canada as a Student

The following are the must-know things after coming to Canada:

Get your SIN: One of the 5 Things You Must Know After Coming to Canada as a Student

SIN stands for Social Insurance Number. It is a nine-digit number that you will require to work in Canada. You can apply for your SIN at any Service Canada Office. You can have all of your work sorted out in an hour or two. Be sure to bring along your work and study permit. You can also obtain your SIN online or via email. But, these processes could take a bit longer. 

Get a local cell phone plan

The first thing you’ll need in Canada at your fingertips is your cell phone. Thus, having a local cell phone plan is of high importance. This is probably the first thing you should figure out after coming to Canada as it could save up a lot of your roaming charges. You should strategically look for your local cell phone plan depending on the duration and purpose of your stay. If you are planning to stay for 2 years along with your work permit you must look for a long-term feasible plan.

Setting up a bank account

Another important thing you must figure out after coming to Canada is setting up a bank account. You will need a bank account to manage your finances, debited and credited payments, and potential withdrawals. This will also help you manage your savings in a foreign country. Banking in Canada is convenient however, different types of accounts will have different charges, probably higher than in your hometown. Each of the bank accounts has monthly fees associated with their chequing accounts. 

Taxation: Another of the 5 Things You Must Know After Coming to Canada as a Student

In Canada, taxes are collected by both the federal and provincial governments. Taxation is under the decentralised federal system. Taxes are collected at multiple levels in Canada. Depending on your status or employment you may be entitled to a tax refund at the end of the fiscal year. Every state has a different sales tax on items. For example, the sales tax is 5% in Alberta and 14.97% in Quebec.

Buddy System in Canada

In Canada, the buddy system is designed and customised as per the interest level of the international students to help them through the smooth cultural transition. The programs are as follows:

International Student Study Buddy – It is designed for peer-to-peer specific for upper-year international science students and home students and other representatives of the university who help international students get academic support from existing and students with similar courses grouped together.

Global Buddy Program – It is the social network of the local students of a university. They invite the new and the exchange students to be a part of the university and assist them with the university process, and services and invite them to network events and other fests to make them feel comfortable and create a sense of belongingness.

Must Read: Student Life in Canada

Documents Required to Study in Canada

The following are the documents required to study in Canada:

• Academic Transcripts
• Proof of English Proficiency 
• Copy of passport
• Statement of purpose
• Work Experience (if applicable)
• Proof of Financial Stability
• Reference letter
• Letters of recommendations
• Research Proposal (for PG Research)
• Resume/CV
• Research statement for PhD students

Must Read: Documents Required for Admission in Canada

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