How to meet obligations, find home, etc.

[Abhi1982]

Hello. Can someone please advice on few questions? I am a PNP nominee and when I enter Canada on PR, I will need to stay in Saskatchewan. I have a family with small kids. I am wondering how can a new comer like myself get an apartment on rent, or for that matter, anything else too. New people have no credit history, no Canadian documents except PR visa on the passport, no contacts. PR card takes time. other formalities take time. What does one do till then? How do people find rental homes, how to visit doctors, if needed? how to get internet, phone, etc? Is this not a vicious circle? I am completely new to all this and hence a little worried.

 

[IndianBos]

Hello. Can someone please advice on few questions? I am a PNP nominee and when I enter Canada on PR, I will need to stay in Saskatchewan. I have a family with small kids. I am wondering how can a new comer like myself get an apartment on rent, or for that matter, anything else too. New people have no credit history, no Canadian documents except PR visa on the passport, no contacts. PR card takes time. other formalities take time. What does one do till then? How do people find rental homes, how to visit doctors, if needed? how to get internet, phone, etc? Is this not a vicious circle? I am completely new to all this and hence a little worried.

It sounds like you are getting overwhelmed. I would suggest - start making a list of things to do and documents needed for each. Then compile all this in a document for you to follow and complete.

Example, you need SIN number first (just need COPR and Passport) that should help you with everything else. Then Bank Account and credit card, you will get a secured one and most banks have newcomer programs to get you started.
Rental homes - read this forum and there are recommendations on realtors.

There is a lot of community support available as well, like Facebook forums which will help you answer a lot of questions.
When millions of other people have gone through the process, you will get through as well.

 

[jakklondon]

Hello. Can someone please advice on few questions? I am a PNP nominee and when I enter Canada on PR, I will need to stay in Saskatchewan. I have a family with small kids. I am wondering how can a new comer like myself get an apartment on rent, or for that matter, anything else too. New people have no credit history, no Canadian documents except PR visa on the passport, no contacts. PR card takes time. other formalities take time. What does one do till then? How do people find rental homes, how to visit doctors, if needed? how to get internet, phone, etc? Is this not a vicious circle? I am completely new to all this and hence a little worried.

Focus all your attention and efforts on getting a job (unless you already have one in Canada). That's the single most impossible thing to get in Canada as newly landed PR. Everything else is not so difficult. They have lots of options for newcomers to establish credit history (you can even get a credit card immediately upon landing, and there are mortgage companies that work with new immigrants). Rent is also not impossible to get, everyone understands you are a newcomer and they have options for new PRs to rent housing. You won't need PR card to get most of the documents you need, you can use your landing document instead. As to doctors, I think you have to wait some time before you can get government paid healthcare, but I heard it depends on province, some have a requirement to reside for certain time, others don't. You should have some kind of health care insurance to provide a temporary coverage before you qualify or able to get free healthcare insurance. Most vicious thing (after finding a job) is the cost of real estate, which is astronomically high unless you live in very remote/rural areas in the middle of nowhere. Even then you may have to spend $300,000 to get an old, small, ran-down house.
But things you are concerned about are actually easy to handle in Canada.