How To Bank in Canada

By Zhu

Unless you’re from the U.S.A, chances are you will find banking a bit confusing when arriving in Canada. Interact, checking and saving accounts, credit cards may be new to you. Besides, opening a bank account on a resident visa and applying for a credit card can seem challenging. Let’s have a closer look at that! The main commercial banks in Canada are: Scotiabank (Bank of Nova Scotia), CIBC (Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce), National Bank of Canada,TD Canada Trust (Toronto Dominion), BMO (Bank of Montreal), RBC (Royal Bank of Canada). As a temporary or a permanent resident in Canada, you will need two pieces of personal identification (your Permanent Resident card, SIN card, Health card, Canadian driver license or foreign passport are among the acceptable piece of I.D) to open a bank account. You do not need to be employed or make a minimum deposit to open the account.

How To Manage Your Money In Canada

By Zhu

Money is always a bit tight for newcomers to Canada. Settling in a new country is expensive, especially between the immigration fees, the settling expenses and the fact you may not get a good job right away. So here are a few tips on managing your money in Canada. First thing you need to remember, is that the prices you see in stores are before tax. This is very important because it adds up and makes a difference on the final price you pay! In Canada there are three types of sales taxes:

Helping New Canadians Get Jobs

A new project funded by the Government of Canada will allow skilled workers who are new to Canada with the help they need to integrate into the workforce and their communities. Senator Hugh Segal announced recently on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, funding for the Assisting Local Leaders with Immigrant Employment Strategies (ALLIES) project in partnership with the Maytree Foundation with investment of over $800,000. "The Government of Canada is creating the best educated, most skilled and most flexible workforce in the world," said Senator Segal. "This project will help employers better integrate skilled new Canadians into the workforce and their local communities." The Maytree Foundation will receive funding through the federal government's Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP), to develop a comprehensive set of online tools on immigration to enable employers and community groups to better integrate skilled immigrant workers into the Canadian workforce, enabling them to better contribute to Canada's economic and social development.

Immigrants Flocking to Canada's Smaller Cities

New statistics from Citizenship and Immigration Canada suggests that mid-sized cities are beginning to attract an increasing number of immigrants due in large part to shifting economic and employment prospects. Government initiatives such as the provincial nominee program that allows provinces to select immigrants to fill specific labour needs; and the development of tools that help smaller centres draw and retain immigrants are some of the reasons attributed to his recent shift. In addition, a booming economy in Western Canada has lead to a surge of newcomers migrating to more rural areas thanks to the provincial nominee and family nominee programs enacted by the Government.