Accommodations, Logements

Where to stay, this is very important. Très Important

You've received your confirmation of Permanent Residency. The shock and joy hits you like something out of a dream. You have a "plan" but now, the real work begins even before you land. Where are you going stay in your first 6-12 months in Canada? Are you going to stay with a friend? Are you going to stay with family? Are you going to look at other options? Regardless of the choice this is going to be temporary and is a critical part of your first entry as a permanent resident. Navigating this landscape is complex, daunting and finding a place to stay as a new migrant is no different. Now luckily for you, you are smart and are reading this now so you know what to expect but don't worry let's look at the main challenges below in a bit more detail.

Availability

If you are planning to stay in any of the downtown urban areas, it can be a nightmare depending on the time of year. If you are fortunate enough to find lodging, then you may run into the next challenge.

Response time

E-mailing prospects or sending online inquiries is convenient but doesn't always generate a timely response. In some cases you get no response or one over a week later telling you the accommodation is no longer available. Don't just sit and wait. If you want to make your search more meaningful, it may be faster to call to speak to someone directly. While this may not be feasible in all cases due to the costs of international calls and time differences, it can be the fastest option. Now let's see what's next.

Price

This will have the largest impact on your migration budget and should be planned wisely. Please consider all your options including condos, apartments, hotels, motel, airbnb since the difference in rates between each can be 1000's of CAD or more based on the province, city, location and time of year. Be sure to keep in mind this is a "temporary location" so research and book early in advance to secure the best rates. Regardless of the option renting is not cheap and beware of any "extras" that may not be included in the rental sum. Cable, internet, utilities, etc; just to name a few. Let’s go to the next hurdle.

Requirements for rental

You find a potential accommodation within your budget in your desired area and now you realize you don't meet any of the requirements. This happens all too often and is incredibly frustrating. The most common requirements for renting are; credit score, employment letter/income verification and references. As a new person you most likely will not have any of these from Canada but do not be deterred. If you are able to contact the prospective landlord/agent and explain your situation, they may be willing to work with you. It's not done yet one more challenge to go.

Lease term

Some properties have specified lease terms which means they lease for a period of 3-6 months (short term) and yearly (long term). Be sure to enquire about this with prospective landlords.

To sum it all up

Just looking at the challenges above you can see why you need to start early since this is going to be the most stressful and frustrating task (n.b. there are also others that strongly rivals this in terms of frustration and difficulty but you’ll see that in the book). Additionally accommodation (a mailing address) affects:

• PR application
• SIN Number
• Bank account
• Drivers permit or Provincial ID
• Health card