After arriving in Canada, you should choose the communication tool that’s right for you. However, if you goal is to start a new life in Canada, it’s a good idea to try to get ID as soon as possible so that you may be able to start building your Canadian credit as well.
If you have your Canadian ID or Canadian credit card already, feel free to skip right to the section below with information on choosing the right communications tool(s) that is right for you.
Service Canada (Apply in person)
Social Insurance Number (SIN) Application
The fastest one to get in your hands is usually the SIN # from Service Canada and there’s actually one on the second floor of the Gerrard Square Mall a few doors down from our store! (For other locations, visit the official Service Canda Website)
Application Requirements:
Original primary proof of identity documents need to be provided to prove your identity and legal status in Canada!
- Canadian Citizens – a certificate of birth or certificate of Canadian citizenship can be used as proof
- Permanet Residents – Permanent resident card or Record of Landing
- Temporary Residents – Must submit either a work permit issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) or a study permit that indicates that the holder “may work” in Canada
With this document and your International Passport, you’ll be able to have a credit check performed to set up a phone service that will be linked to your personal credit profile in Canada. Make sure to make on-time payments or set up pre-authorized payments from your bank account so that you may be able to start building your Canadian credit more quickly.
Setting up a prepaid phone service without ID will not help you with establishing Canadian credit, so we typically recommend getting your ID and setting up postpaid service as quickly as possible.
Service Ontario (Apply in person)
Ontario Photo ID Application
After you get your SIN and your communications service(s) set up using your credit profile, if you don’t intend to get a Driver’s License, you may wish visit a Service Ontario location to apply for the purple ID card that’ll be easier than lugging around a passport around as photo ID. If you plan to get a Driver’s License soon, then there will be no need for this as you can only have one or the other for photo ID.
It’s only about $35 for the application (at the time of writing) and should be valid for about 5 years, so the price is definitely worth the convenience of having photo ID that’s easy to carry in your wallet.
The last time I checked, it may take 4-6 weeks for the ID card to arrive in the mail, so the sooner you apply, the faster you’ll have Canadian government issued photo ID.
You can apply for the Ontario Photo Card if you:
- Do not have a driver’s license
- Are a resident of Ontario
- Are 16 years of age and older
Please bring original identity documents to prove your legal name, date of birth and signature, such as:
- Canada passport or
- Canadian permanent resident card
- Marriage certificate, if you are applying under your married name
Ontario Health Card Application
If you’re eligible for heath care benefits from Ontario, when you’re at Service Ontario, you should also make sure to apply for your Ontario Health Card so you may get both done on the same day.
Application Requirements:
- Complete registration for Ontario health insurance coverage form
- Provide 3 original documents, one from each list:
- List A:
Proof of Citizenship or OHIP-Eligible Immigration Status, such as a Canadian Passport or valid Permanent Resident Card - List B:
Proof of Residency in Ontario, such as a valid Ontario Driver’s License and Property Tax Bill - List C:
Support of Identity, such as a valid Ontario photo ID or credit card
- List A:
Canadian Passport Office
This one below is here just for completeness so you have all the information you may need to start a life in Canada. Please bookmark or save this page for future reference as newcomers will typically need to wait and fulfill other requirements before you’ll be able to get a Canadian passport.
Canadian Passport Application
Application Requirements:
Canadian citizens who are 16 years of age and over must complete the Adult General Passport Application Form which can be downloaded from the CIC websiste.
Additional required documents include the following:
- Proof of Canadian citizenship
For example, you can provide your birth certificate if you were born in Canada. If not, you can provide certificate of citizenship as proof - A document to support your identity,
such as a Provincial or territorial Driver’s License - Two identical passport photos (one stamped & signed)
- Find one guarantor and two references for your application
Choosing the Right Communications Tool
With your SIN, Driver’s License and/or Canadian Credit Card, you’ll be able to have a new postpaid account set up for your phone services so that it’s linked to your Canadian credit profile and regular on-time payments will help you build your credit and improve your credit scores.
How do you choose the right service that’s right for you? We’re going to outline several different options with pros and cons for each one so that you may able to decide what’s the best solution for your family.
Landline Phones
Traditional home phone services which require wiring inside of your home
Pros:
- Calls can be made even when there is no electricity
- Wiring can allow multiple jacks to be installed around the home so that you may use many telephones
Cons:
- Installation by technicians and fees to put in the wiring and jacks are required
- If you move, you will need to have installation done at your new home
Mobile Phones
Portable telephones/Smartphones which use a cellular or hybrid satellite network architecture allowing users to be mobile within this telephone service area
Pros:
- Calls may be made when you are at home, but also when you are out and about
- Additional services such as text messaging, MMS, GPS (maps), email and mobile Internet access is often availble
Cons:
- Phone batteries must be regularly charged
- Interference may occur in remote areas or inside buildings with a high concentration of steel or concrete
Wireless Home Phones
A Service that allows traditional wired telephones to be connected to a cellular network
Pros:
- Calls can be made even when there is a tempoary power outage using built-in battery backup with a push-button phone
- No installation is required and can be easily relocated (typically anywhere across Canada)
Cons:
- Includes only one or two jacks for plugging in telephones
- Installation to your existing in-home wiring may require hiring a professional technician
VoIP Phones (Internet Phones)
This technology uses the Internet to place and receive telephone calls
Pros:
- Cheap
Cons:
- Call quality relies heavily on network servers, Internetconnection, and also your modem/router/Wi-Fi speeds
- Cannot be used in any of these conditions: power outage, Internet unstability, network equipment failures, and more
If you’ve read through this entire article and are still not sure what is the best fit for you, please bring your ID and visit our store location so that one of our communications specialist may be able to review your situation to help determine what the best solution for you should be.
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IQ Mobile Inc is a small business in Toronto and the team at our main store location has accumulated over 26 years of experience. Articles like this one have been designed to try and help better support the customers in our neighbourhood and also the online community. If you’ve found this information useful, don’t forget to click the share buttons below (or at the top) to send to your friends and family so that they may be able to learn more as well!!
