Brantford•Brant Checklist

The following checklist will help newcomers prepare for immigration to Canada and settlement in Brantford•Brant.  Other checklists are available from the Government of Canada .

 Before you Arrive

• Make sure you have a valid travel document, a valid visa and confirmation of Permanent Residence for you and each family member traveling with you.
• Check Citizenship and Immigration Canada for a list of other important documents for your move to Canada, and for a list of items that can and cannot be brought into the country.
• Save enough money to cover living expenses, such as rent, food, clothing and transportation, for up to six months.
• Pack clothing for all weather conditions: hot, cold and rainy.
• Before you come, arrange for a place to stay for your first few nights.
• Look at Employment in your field, before you arrive.
• Look into having your Foreign Credentials for Canada or Employment Ontario.
• If possible, have the following work-related documents translated into English: a resume that includes your education, work and volunteer experience, skills and qualifications, diplomas, degrees, certificates and other proof of qualifications, school records or transcripts, letters of recommendations.

Your First Days

• Visit the YMCA-Employment, Training and Settlement Services of Brantford located at 38 Darling Street, Suite 201 in Brantford.
• Find Temporary Housing for your first few nights in Brantford.
• Exchange your money for Canadian currency at a bank.
• Apply for the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) a publicly funded program that covers basic health care services after you have lived in Ontario for 3 months.
• Apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN), which you  must have to work in Canada.

Your First Weeks

• Visit YMCA-Employment, Training and Settlement Services of Brantford to help you get settled in Brantford•Brant. On-site staff is able to serve clients in English, Spanish, French, Urdu, and Punjabi. Interpretation and Translation is also available in 33 languages.
• Look for permanent housing in Brantford•Brant. The Newcomers Guide to Canadian Housing can help you with this.
• Opening a Bank Account. Here is a list of Banks in Brantford•Brant.
• Set up important services such as utilities.  These may include:
  -Reliance Home Comfort (Water/Heat)
  -Union Gas (Water/Heat)  
  -Brant County Power (Hydro)
  -Brantford Power
  -Bell Canada (Telephone)
• Find someone who will act as a reference or a co-signer for your apartment and/or mortgage.
• Registering your child for school 
  (see Education and Schools in Brantford•Brant).
• Arrange Childcare for your children if you will be working.
• Apply for the Child Tax Benefits a tax-free monthly payment made to eligible families to help them with the cost of raising children under age 18.
• Find medical care in Brantford•Brant. Complete a Doctor Search to see if any doctors are accepting patients in Brantford•Brant. 
• Have your children immunized once you have arrived in Brantford•Brant.
• Apply for an Ontario driver's license.
• Visit a library in Brantford•Brant to obtain a free library card and learn more about the various programs and services offered.
• Register for Language Training  to improve your skills or to learn English as another language.Employment services and job search websites are available to help you with your search for a job.
• Start volunteering to gain Canadian work experience.