Some Bureaucracy
To complete my quest to get (bureaucratically) settled in Canada, I had to visit Germany’s consulate in Toronto.
So my Permanent Residence (PR) application was approved - what next? Although the bulk of it is done, there were (and are) some things that I had/have to take care of now that I’m officially a landed immigrant.
My list of to-dos:
Get health insurance (I’ve been reliant on travel insurance to get me through if anything happened)
Get a Social Insurance Number (or SIN)
Get my driver’s license
Open a bank account
Find a job
Thankfully, half the list was relatively easy to take care of. I went to a Service Canada-location for my SIN 20 minutes before closing (without an appointment) with my proof of PR and my passport. Left fifteen minutes later with my number. Honestly, that’s impressive. Personally, it might be one of the shortest visits to a national or municipal office ever…
… only beaten by my visit to Service Ontario (the province I live in) to get my health insurance. This time, with my proof of PR, passport, and proof of address. The visit itself was incredibly short and uncomplicated, and I left ten minutes later with my new Canadian health insurance.
What was a bit tricky to arrange before the visit was my proof of address. Online, I found a long list of accepted documentation that would prove your place of residency.
The problem is, as a newcomer to Canada, I simply didn’t really have any of it available. Credit card statements sent to that address? I only just got here; I have never had a Canadian credit card. Health card? That’s what I was trying to apply for. Driver’s license? Working on it. A lease? Don’t have one, since we’re staying with Sky’s family right now. Eventually, Sky’s dad wrote a letter certifying I actually live where I say I do (which worked, thankfully).
Getting a driver’s license
Originally, I wanted to get my driver’s license first - which would have simplified the proof of address - but that proved to take a bit more time and planning than anticipated.
Firstly, Germany has an exchange agreement with all Canadian provinces. That means, someone with a German license doesn’t have to re-take any tests or classes and can instead just exchange theirs for a Canadian one (the reverse also works). That’s great news in theory, however, Ontario doesn’t automatically accredit prior driving experience, which becomes relevant when eventually looking for car insurance. So if I were to just exchange my license now, I would only be able to self-declare one year of experience, which isn’t a lot, when, in reality, I’ve had my license for over ten years.
Getting your experience recognized isn’t impossible as I understand it, it just required a bit more effort than I was ready for. Basically, I had to get an official translation from the country that issued it - so I needed the consulate’s help.
I actually made it to and from the city almost entirely by public transport. This is the bus that got me back home to Elora from the train station.
Here, I had two options: Mailing in my request or visiting the location in Toronto. Neither was ideal, because mailing required certified copies of all documents and a prepaid return envelope, and going in person required me to go to Toronto, which I had had no plans for in the near future originally.
However, because the paperwork is easier this way, I made an appointment for mid-March, went into the city, and left in the afternoon with what hopefully is all the necessary paperwork.
A few days later, I stopped by a DriveTest centre to apply for my license. After filling out some forms, signing my name a bunch of times, and getting my very unfortunate-looking picture taken, I walk out of the office with a giant sheet of paper that will now be my driver’s license until the real thing comes in the mail. I had to leave my German card behind, which felt odd, since it has had a permanent space in my wallet for the last 10 years. Bye bye, German license!
On to the next thing:
After an hour-long visit to TD Bank, I also had a bank account - and it’s time to fill it, so I’ve been on the job hunt for almost two months now. As most people (if not everyone) know, finding a job isn’t always easy. I don’t work in a field with super high demand, nor do I have years and years of experience under my belt.
Considering I’m at the beginning of my job hunt journey, it’s too early to say just how difficult finding a job will be, but I already know it’s not easy. Fingers crossed I find something sooner rather than later.
But hey, I kept busy in the meantime: figuring out all the steps above was almost a fulltime job. Almost.
To read more of my Canadian adventure, click here.
