Need help for SIN card and find family doctor in St. John's

[annieann13]

Hello,

I am immigrating to St.John's, Newfoundland in the next 4 days. With my minimal research and time limit due to my husband's job, we have not had any accommodation ready once we get there. We will use his company's address there firstly for PR card delivery or anything until we find our rental apartment. My husband will be with me for 2 weeks before his leaving for overseas job. Here are following questions;

1) To register SIN card, I will have only passport and Copy of COPR during those 2 weeks, could you please advise which documents I have to bring for SIN card registration?

2) How long does it take to receive SIN card once registered?

3) When does healthcare start to cover healthcare/ any assistance for landed immigrants? Are there any rules to be applied?

3) Could you please recommend the good family doctor/which hospital in St. John's for us? Kindly please PM me if you think it's confidential.


I appreciate your assistance

 

[annieann13]

Anyone can help?

Thank you

 

[Leon]

Your passport and COPR should suffice to apply for a SIN card. You will get your SIN number right away and the card in the mail in 1-2 weeks.

Newfie health shouldn't have a waiting period for new residents who are moving from overseas as far as I know. To apply for your health cards, you may be asked to prove that you live in the province with something like a letter sent to you at your address. This can be as simple as opening a bank account and ask them to print you out a statement right away.

 

[annieann13]

Your passport and COPR should suffice to apply for a SIN card. You will get your SIN number right away and the card in the mail in 1-2 weeks.

Newfie health shouldn't have a waiting period for new residents who are moving from overseas as far as I know. To apply for your health cards, you may be asked to prove that you live in the province with something like a letter sent to you at your address. This can be as simple as opening a bank account and ask them to print you out a statement right away.

Thank you, Leon. Could you please advise how I can find a good family doctor? Will they give me the list of available family doctors?

I heard that if there is a friend living there, and that person could help out by introducing his/her family doctor to us. In this way, is it common in Canada?

 

[Leon]

You can find Newfie health here: http://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/mcp/index.html and they have a link there on doctors who are taking new patients. If you know someone there who says they have a good doctor, you can ask them to ask their doctor if they will take you too. Doctors will sometimes take new patients like that on referral from an existing patient even though this doctor might not be listed as taking new patients.

 

[annieann13]

Thank you, Leon. How do I know who the best family doctor is? Do I have to search his/her name based on Google or do you have any useful website that I can refer and search for?

Thank you

 

[Leon]

You can try google but I doubt you would find many people writing reviews on their family doctor there. The best way is to ask people you know which doctor they go to and if he or she is good and if they can ask them if they can take you as well. If you don't know anybody or can not wait until you know somebody, you can pick a doctor from their list, go to this person and see if they are ok. If you dont like them, you don't have to go back.

 

[annieann13]

Thank you, Leon. As you said, if we do not like the family doctor, can we change until we know which family doctor suits our satisfaction? Are there any limits on choosing family doctors in Canada?

I have heard that changing too many family doctors may affect on health insurance as well. Is it true?

Thank you

 

[Leon]

As far as I know, you can change family doctors as many times as you like. I have not heard anything about it affecting health insurance but you should ask the health insurance when you register.

 

[annieann13]

Thank you for your reply, Leon