Five phases take most newcomers from “which pathway am I on?” to “my first 90 days”. StudentFlow organises the tasks and links the official page for every regulated step.
Short answer: you use one of the official pathways, prepare the documents it asks for, apply and track the application, plan your landing, and then settle in over your first months. StudentFlow organises those steps and links the official page for each. It does not assess eligibility or recommend a route.
What are the steps? Your journey at a glance
Five phases, in order. The tasks below are typical, not a promise that each applies to you: your own checklist is built from the route you are using, where you will live and who is moving with you.
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Phase 1 of 5 · Before you apply
Choose your pathway
Find the official programme you are using and read its page.
Canada has several ways to move: permanent residence programmes, work permits and family routes. Each has its own official page, tools and rules. StudentFlow does not pick one for you; it points you to the government questionnaire and the page for the route you are using.
Typical tasks
Use the official IRCC questionnaire to see programmes you could explore
Read the official page for the route you are using, from start to finish
Check whether a province or territory has its own steps
Decide whether you want help from a licensed professional
Collect the proof your route asks for, in the format the government wants.
Most applications need identity documents plus a few items that take time: language test results, an education credential assessment, police certificates, a medical exam and, for some routes, proof of settlement funds. Start with the checklist on your official page.
Typical tasks
Check your passport and your family’s passports are valid
Book a language test and, if your route asks for it, an education credential assessment
Request police certificates from every country the checklist names
Arrange the immigration medical exam with an approved doctor when you are asked to
Prepare proof of settlement funds if your route requires it
Get translations and certified copies where the checklist asks for them
Submit online, give biometrics, answer requests and follow the status.
Most applications are made online through an IRCC secure account. After you submit, the government may ask for biometrics, extra documents or an interview, and it writes to you through your account. Keep every receipt and reply on time.
Typical tasks
Create or sign in to your IRCC secure account
Complete the forms, upload documents and pay the fees shown by the government
Give your fingerprints and photo when you receive a biometrics letter
Check your account regularly and respond to any request
Tell IRCC if your contact details or family situation change
Keep the confirmation you receive when a decision is made
Travel with the right papers in hand and know what happens at the border.
When your confirmation arrives, you plan your flight and your landing. The official guidance asks you to keep key documents with you, not in checked baggage, and to be ready for questions from a border services officer. Where it applies, your permanent residence is confirmed at the port of entry.
Typical tasks
Book flights once your confirmation documents are in hand
Keep immigration documents and passports in your hand baggage
Prepare the lists of goods the border officer will ask for
Check what you may and may not bring, and declare what you must
Arrange where you will sleep for your first nights
Get the essentials in place: SIN, SIM, health card, bank account, home and work.
The first weeks are a run of small official steps. Some depend on others: a bank account may need an address, and a health card application needs proof of status. StudentFlow puts them in a sensible order and links the provincial page for each.
Typical tasks
Apply for your Social Insurance Number
Get a Canadian SIM or eSIM
Apply for your provincial health card and arrange private cover for any gap
Open a bank account and start building a credit history
Move from temporary to long-term housing
Set up a CRA account and check which benefits you may qualify for
Enrol children in school and look into childcare if you have children
Find free settlement services and language classes
Short answer: there are several, and the right one depends on your own situation. These are the routes StudentFlow lets you say you are using, each with a short, high-level description and the official page.
We don’t choose a route for you. StudentFlow doesn’t assess eligibility or recommend a pathway, and the summaries below are not a test of whether a route fits you. Use the official pages and tools, and speak to a licensed professional about your case.
Express Entry (permanent residence)
Federal skilled programs managed through the Express Entry system.
Express Entry is an online system IRCC uses to manage permanent residence applications from skilled workers. It covers three federal programmes: the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program. In outline you create a profile, enter the pool, and may be invited to apply in a round of invitations. If you are invited, you submit a full application.
A province or territory nominates you to settle there.
Provinces and territories can nominate people whose skills and experience suit their economy and who want to live there. Each one has its own streams and requirements. Depending on the stream, you then apply for permanent residence through Express Entry or through a separate process. Quebec selects its own skilled workers through its own programme.
An employer-specific work permit lets you work for one named employer under the conditions printed on the permit. A job offer is required. For some permits the employer must first get a Labour Market Impact Assessment. IRCC has a questionnaire that shows which type of work permit applies to a situation.
A Canadian citizen or permanent resident may be able to sponsor a spouse, partner or dependent children, and under separate rules certain other relatives, to become permanent residents. The sponsor and the person being sponsored each have responsibilities. Some categories are paused from time to time, so check the current status on the official page.
Moving with or to a partner or parent who has status in Canada.
If your partner or parent already has status in Canada, for example as a worker, there are routes for spouses and dependent children, including open work permits for some family members. What is available depends on the status of the person you are joining and on the rules at the time.
Includes Quebec programs and routes not listed. We will point you to the official tools.
Other routes include Quebec programmes, caregivers, regional pilots and business immigration. Start with IRCC’s questionnaire, which lists programmes to explore. If you are unsure, speak to a licensed professional before you spend money or time on an application.
Use the government’s own tools for anything about eligibility, scores, fees and processing times. We link them so you never have to guess which site is real.
Where do I start with a health card and a driver’s licence in my province?
Short answer: each province and territory runs its own health plan and its own licensing, so start on the official page for the place you will live. Some provinces make new residents wait before public health cover starts, so ask early and consider private cover for any gap.
Official starting pages for a health card and a driver’s licence, by province or territory
Where a provincial site could not be checked automatically, we link IRCC’s page for that province or territory (or the provincial newcomer portal) instead, and it points onward. Links last verified .
What does moving to Canada cost? Costs to plan for
We don’t quote amounts here because they change and depend on your route and family size. Each line below tells you where the real number lives.
Government application fees
Paid to IRCC when you apply. The official fee list shows the current amount for each application type and for family members.
Biometrics fee
Usually paid with your application. IRCC explains who gives biometrics and what the fee covers.
Language tests
Paid to the test organisation. Prices differ by test and by test centre.
Education credential assessment
Paid to the assessment organisation IRCC designates, where your route asks for one. Fees and speed vary by organisation.
Police certificates
Paid to the issuing authority in each country you lived in, plus any courier or translation costs.
Immigration medical exam
Paid to an approved panel physician, not to the government. Your own doctor cannot do the exam.
Proof of settlement funds
Not a fee, but money you may need to show and keep available. IRCC publishes the current requirement for the routes that ask.
Translations and certified copies
Documents not in English or French usually need a certified translation.
Flights and baggage
Fares and baggage rules change with the season and the airline.
Temporary housing, deposit and first rent
Deposit and advance-rent rules differ by province. Budget for somewhere to stay while you search.
Private health cover for any gap
Some provinces make new residents wait before public cover starts. A private plan can bridge the gap.
Phone plan, winter clothing and first essentials
A SIM or eSIM, warm clothes if you land in winter, and the household basics.
Licensing and credential recognition
Regulated professions and compulsory trades charge for assessment, exams and licences.
Professional help, if you choose it
A licensed immigration professional sets their own fee. Ask for a written contract.
Which services do newcomers usually need?
Everything on your list works without buying anything. These are the services people most often want next to the step they belong to. Booking is optional and not open for everything yet.
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SIM or eSIM
Data and calls from the airport, plus a number for banks and landlords.
Short answer: be careful of anyone who guarantees a result, rushes you or asks for payment in an unusual way. The government states that no one can guarantee you a visa, a job or permanent residence.
Anyone who guarantees a visa, a job or permanent residence. No one can.
A call, text or email that threatens arrest or deportation over unpaid fees.
A request to pay into a personal bank account, with gift cards, prepaid cards or money-transfer services.
Contact from an “official” using a free email address or social media.
Pressure to pay or reply right away, or special deals for people who want to immigrate.
A “representative” who tells you to include false information. That can end your application.
It depends on the pathway. An employer-specific work permit needs a job offer. Other routes, such as some permanent residence programmes, work differently. IRCC’s official questionnaire lists programmes to explore, and each programme page states what it asks for. StudentFlow does not tell you which one applies to you.
Which pathway should I choose?
We cannot say. Choosing a route is immigration advice, which only a licensed professional can give. We explain how each official pathway works in outline and link the official tools, so you can read the real rules and decide with the right help.
Can StudentFlow check my eligibility or calculate my Express Entry score?
No. We do not assess eligibility, score applications or predict outcomes. The government publishes its own questionnaire and score tool, and we link both in the official tools section above.
Can my family come with me?
Many routes allow you to include a spouse or partner and dependent children, and some let family follow later. The rules depend on your pathway and on your family’s situation. Check your pathway’s official page, and tell StudentFlow about your household so your checklist includes everyone’s tasks.
How long will my application take?
IRCC publishes current processing times for each application type, and they change. We do not quote them. Leave generous buffer time, and avoid non-refundable bookings until you have your confirmation.
How much money do I need to show?
Some routes ask for proof of settlement funds and others do not. The required amount depends on the programme and your family size, and it is updated by the government. Our guide explains what the proof looks like; the official page has the current figures.
Not always. Each province and territory runs its own health plan, and some have a waiting period before new residents are covered. Apply for your health card as soon as you can, and consider private cover for any gap. Check your province’s official page.
Common first steps are applying for a Social Insurance Number, getting a SIM or eSIM, arranging temporary housing, applying for your health card and opening a bank account. The order depends on your situation and your province.
No law makes you hire one. If you do pay someone for immigration advice or representation, IRCC expects them to be authorised, meaning licensed to practise. Check before you pay, and be careful of anyone who promises a result.
I am moving to Quebec. Does this plan work for me?
Quebec has its own selection rules and its own services for newcomers. Much of the Canada-wide guidance still applies, but check the Quebec government pages first. Our provincial table links the Quebec newcomer portal.
StudentFlow gives general information from official sources. It is not legal or immigration advice and we are not a licensed immigration consultant or lawyer. For advice on your case, speak to a licensed professional. View this page as plain markdown.
Turn this into your own plan.
Tell StudentFlow the route you are using, where you will live and when you expect to land, and get these steps with your own deadlines — free.