New Arrivals

he following links are intended to provide information pertinent to the Canadian immigrant who is newly arrived, or who is anticipating such.

One of the first concerns of a newly arrived immigrant may be that of lodging. This service offers hotel reservations throughout Canada for the convenience of those who will require such. Visitors are allowed to choose the rating of the hotel, from one to five stars, which will reflect on the cost of the hotel. The following are the Web Sites of various hotel chains, which provide contact information for their locations throughout much of Canada:

The Ramada Canada Home Page - with locations throughout much of Canada.
The ATLIFIC Home Page - also with locations in many regions of Canada.
SandMan Hotels and Inns - with locations in Western Canada.

Property Rental/Purchase [Top]

After settling down a little, new residents may decide to rent a home in Canada. Rentals reduce the amount of investment that the individual must make in the home initially, and frees up assets. The individual does not gain any equity in the home over time, however. The following are links to sites which provide assistance in locating a renting a residence in Canada:

CanRent - billed as Canada's online apartment guide, CanRent provides assistance in locating a residence in most larger cities throughout Canada.
For Rent - also providing assistance throughout much of Canada, but including assistance with commercial spaces also. This site has an excellent section providing information on specific cities throughout Canada.
Rent Canada - providing residential assistance covering many of the larger cities in Canada.
Canadian Apartments for Rent Online - Assisting in obtaining residential and commercial properties throughout Canada.

Those who wish to purchase a home may benefit by using the services of a real estate agent. The property seller in such a relationship typically incurs the cost of the real estate agent's services. The following are some of the Real Estate agencies in Canada who have a Web Presence.

Century 21 - one of North America's largest chain of Realty agents.
RealNet Canada - An excellent resource for purchasing all types of properties; both residential and commercial. This site also provides market overviews by sector of Canada.
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation - this organization provides information regarding various housing issues which may affect the home buyer.

Finances [Top]

New immigrants will need a place to safely put all of those settlement funds. The following are some of the major banking institutions in Canada. Most also provide assistance in investing assets if required.

mbanx - Canada's first virtual bank. Affiliated with the Bank of Montreal.
Bank of Montreal
Royal Bank of Canada
Toronto Dominion Bank
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canada Trust
ScotiaBank
The Bank of Canada
The Business Development Bank of Canada - as its name suggests, this financial institution is geared towards assisting small and medium sized businesses to succeed.

For those who wish to obtain information about interbnational banking, Central Banks of the World provides an exhaustive set of links; especially valuable for those involved in international business.

Related to banking, Canadian Offshore Financial Services S.A. is a legal organization which assists its clients in making investments overseas which safeguard their assets, protect their privacy, minimize their tax burden and maximize their investment return.

New Canadians may also wish to refer to the Revenue Canada web site for information and statistics concerning the taxation which will be incurred as a resident of Canada.

Health Care [Top]

A common concern of new Canadians, and those who are soon to be new Canadians, is that of health care in Canada. The Health Canada and Health System and Policy Division (HSPD) web sites may provide such individuals with valuable information regarding the services that they may become entitled to as Canadian residents. Those who wish to obtain more in-depth information, may refer to the Canadian National Forum on Health web site, where pertinent issues are discussed by individuals and officials across Canada. The following links are also provided to the appropriate division within each provincial government, as health care does vary by Province:

The HealthWay web site is an excellent resource for all Canadians seeking information on a wide variety of Health Issues. The HealthExchange web site also provides a comprehensive list of links to other sources of medical information on the Internet.

New residents of Canada will also benefit by referring to the other sections of the Canada Databank which provides information concerning other aspects of life in Canada.

Law Firm of Guy P. Major
ImmigrationCanadaOnline.com