Flying to Toronto mid Feb. Checklist?

whatlliwear

Hello,

So I fly out on Feb 10th from Dublin. I am so excited.

I am hoping to compile a list of things to get sorted beforehand & what i should do as soon as I arrive.. Any tips would be appreciated.

So I bought snow boots & a ski jacket onsale today in Trespass & a lot of good clothes onsale over here..

- I think I'll bring a Suitcase instead of a back-pack- as my name suggests I
like shopping :rolleyes: I'm thinking of bringing 2 cases as I doubt I will
fit everything in 1 case. Has anyone spotted any good deals on suitcases
suitable?

- When I land I am going to get my SIN. Any idea where I go & if you can go
directly by public transport from the Airport?

- Get a sim card & a pay as you go tariff- any recommendations on best
value?

I have no job lined up yet & I am booked into a hostel for a week.
I'm going to suss that all out when I get there. No pressure like!! Ha ha.

COYVB

You need to go to Service Ontario for your SIN. Depending on what time you land, that might not be doable - but if it is, expect a long wait

Do NOT get pay as you go. It costs an absolute fortune. Sign up with Koodo if you plan on travelling or Wind if you're sticking to Toronto instead. Much better value

On the clothes thing, I'm not an expert but I think a lot of the stuff you buy in Ireland won't cut it over here in terms of warmth during the colder days, even if it's snowboarding gear. I could be wrong, but I think I remember a few people saying they'd bought stuff before they came that was pretty useless once they got here

Pythia

You can get your SIN at the airport when you get your visa. I got mine there. There was no queue.

In terms of clothes, unless you plan to be outdoors a lot, you don't need anything special. I have a coat I got here in Canada and then just the usual woolly scarf, hat, gloves plus boots. I don't have a car so I get public transport and that's all I need. It's very warm indoors so you end up roasting inside.

COYVB

SIN at the airport is new then

Good idea though!

Tiddlypeeps

With a good jacket and boots you should be fine weather wise. I just got back last week from a two week visit and the locals were telling us it was much colder than it usually gets in winter for the area, it got down to -20 the day we landed. Toronto is apparently very mild in winter compared to the rest of Canada. I brought a bunch of heavy woolly jumper dresses and heavy tights and tbh they were just a waste of suitcase space. Everywhere indoors is really well heated so it's just too warm to be wearing that sort of thing. Bring lots of things you can layer so you can take most of them off when you are indoors but are still wrapped up when you are out in the cold. If you can find a scarf big enough that you can wrap it around your face you'll be pretty glad of it if it gets windy.

I don't know if you are familiar with Toronto, they have an underground system called PATH. It's a series of underground pathways that links up all the built up areas in the city center, so you can walk to a lot of places without ever having to go out into the cold. If you like shopping this will be your best friend as it links most of the major shopping areas of the city center.

SupraSonic_26

Pythia wrote: »

You can get your SIN at the airport when you get your visa. I got mine there. There was no queue.

In terms of clothes, unless you plan to be outdoors a lot, you don't need anything special. I have a coat I got here in Canada and then just the usual woolly scarf, hat, gloves plus boots. I don't have a car so I get public transport and that's all I need. It's very warm indoors so you end up roasting inside.

im going over may 4th just wondering how you did this or the procedure is it only open at certain time in the airport thanks?

SupraSonic_26

whatlliwear wrote: »

Hello,

So I fly out on Feb 10th from Dublin. I am so excited.

I am hoping to compile a list of things to get sorted beforehand & what i should do as soon as I arrive.. Any tips would be appreciated.

So I bought snow boots & a ski jacket onsale today in Trespass & a lot of good clothes onsale over here..

- I think I'll bring a Suitcase instead of a back-pack- as my name suggests I
like shopping :rolleyes: I'm thinking of bringing 2 cases as I doubt I will
fit everything in 1 case. Has anyone spotted any good deals on suitcases
suitable?

- When I land I am going to get my SIN. Any idea where I go & if you can go
directly by public transport from the Airport?

- Get a sim card & a pay as you go tariff- any recommendations on best
value?

I have no job lined up yet & I am booked into a hostel for a week.
I'm going to suss that all out when I get there. No pressure like!! Ha ha.

what hostel you staying in? ive picked 3 but not sure which one to go for they are so expensive ha.

Pythia

SupraSonic_26 wrote: »

im going over may 4th just wondering how you did this or the procedure is it only open at certain time in the airport thanks?

All I can tell is that it was open when my Aer Lingus flight from Dublin arrived into Toronto (about 4pm landing so probably nearer 5pm when I got to the SIN place). I went on a weekday.

I went to the normal immigration, then had to go to a place behind that to get my visa. After this, I was directed further down the room to a booth. There was a couple in there already getting their SIN and I was the only other person waiting. It took a couple of minutes to wait and then I was in there for about 10 mins myself.

I went to a Service Ontario today for my OHIP and was in and out in 30 mins so it's not like it's a terrible wait if you don't get it at the airport.

SupraSonic_26

Pythia wrote: »

All I can tell is that it was open when my Aer Lingus flight from Dublin arrived into Toronto (about 4pm landing so probably nearer 5pm when I got to the SIN place). I went on a weekday.

I went to the normal immigration, then had to go to a place behind that to get my visa. After this, I was directed further down the room to a booth. There was a couple in there already getting their SIN and I was the only other person waiting. It took a couple of minutes to wait and then I was in there for about 10 mins myself.

I went to a Service Ontario today for my OHIP and was in and out in 30 mins so it's not like it's a terrible wait if you don't get it at the airport.

ill try that in st johns when i land i must check what time im landing at, just one more question whats the OHIP i thought once you get your sin you dont have to go to sevice ontario?

Pythia

SupraSonic_26 wrote: »

ill try that in st johns when i land i must check what time im landing at, just one more question whats the OHIP i thought once you get your sin you dont have to go to sevice ontario?

Service Ontario does lots of stuff like drivers license, health insurance etc. OHIP is health insurance. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/ohip/

ripcord

Hey guys!

I'm flying to Toronto on IEC 22nd Feb - Just getting stuff together now! didn't even know about a "SIN" but I plan to do some travelling first before I work anyway. I land in Toronto late on a sunday evening - I doubt I can get the SIN then?

Also I completely forgot I might need a scarf!

Also- I know the IEC is a multi-entry visa - but is there any time restriction on how long you can spend outside of the country?

Thanks!

COYVB

You'll need a SIN to work, and you can come and go as you please on the visa

ravingitup

If you are just travelling over on an activation trip (i.e. just for a week) and plan to come back and stay permanently in the future, would you be better off waiting to apply for my SIN until I come over for good, or should I get it on the first trip?

Eutow

ravingitup wrote: »

If you are just travelling over on an activation trip (i.e. just for a week) and plan to come back and stay permanently in the future, would you be better off waiting to apply for my SIN until I come over for good, or should I get it on the first trip?

What do you mean by this? If you are going just for a week, do you plan on going back to Ireland. If so, for how long? I wouldn't activate a work permit if you plan on just staying for a week and then coming back to Ireland for a good amount of time.

The SIN number you get for a temporary work permit always starts with a nine. Anybody that then gets P.R. gets a different SIN number.

ravingitup

Eutow wrote: »

What do you mean by this? If you are going just for a week, do you plan on going back to Ireland. If so, for how long? I wouldn't activate a work permit if you plan on just staying for a week and then coming back to Ireland for a good amount of time.

The SIN number you get for a temporary work permit always starts with a nine. Anybody that then gets P.R. gets a different SIN number.

I'm going over to activate my visa, as I have a full-time job that I can't give up until the summer. My POE expires at the end of March, so I have to activate it or I'll lose it.

I am under the impression that I won't have to apply for a SIN number until I get back to Canada (for good) in the summer? Surely, that's the case or else all of these other people just travelling over to activate their visa would have to get SIN number too. Would I not just leave that until I come over again for good?

Pythia

ravingitup wrote: »

I'm going over to activate my visa, as I have a full-time job that I can't give up until the summer. My POE expires at the end of March, so I have to activate it or I'll lose it.

I am under the impression that I won't have to apply for a SIN number until I get back to Canada (for good) in the summer? Surely, that's the case or else all of these other people just travelling over to activate their visa would have to get SIN number too. Would I not just leave that until I come over again for good?

Yeah, don't bother getting your SIN until you come back. Your SIN will expire on the date of visa expiry so it doesn't really matter when you get your SIN. You just can't open a bank account, get a job, usual stuff, until you get a SIN.

Eutow

ravingitup wrote: »

I'm going over to activate my visa, as I have a full-time job that I can't give up until the summer. My POE expires at the end of March, so I have to activate it or I'll lose it.

I am under the impression that I won't have to apply for a SIN number until I get back to Canada (for good) in the summer? Surely, that's the case or else all of these other people just travelling over to activate their visa would have to get SIN number too. Would I not just leave that until I come over again for good?

Yeah, that makes sense, as you have a year from when you get the approval confirmation to when you activate it, so I would continue to do what you have planned.

I first went over to Canada in 2011, so I think things have changed now, and in the Toronto thread somebody said you can now get the SIN after you are given your work permit at Pearson airport.

When I was there I had to go to a service centre in Toronto. They then posted my SIN card a week later to the hostel I was staying at, but I got the actual number there and then on a printed A4 sheet. So, if you were to apply for the SIN when you go over for the week to activate the permit, would you have an address for them to post out the SIN card?

Either way, it shouldn't matter when you apply for one.

Can you not quit your job, because if you go in the summer it may be more difficult to find a place in a hostel and a job?

SupraSonic_26

Eutow wrote: »

Yeah, that makes sense, as you have a year from when you get the approval confirmation to when you activate it, so I would continue to do what you have planned.

I first went over to Canada in 2011, so I think things have changed now, and in the Toronto thread somebody said you can now get the SIN after you are given your work permit at Pearson airport.

When I was there I had to go to a service centre in Toronto. They then posted my SIN card a week later to the hostel I was staying at, but I got the actual number there and then on a printed A4 sheet. So, if you were to apply for the SIN when you go over for the week to activate the permit, would you have an address for them to post out the SIN card?

Either way, it shouldn't matter when you apply for one.

Can you not quit your job, because if you go in the summer it may be more difficult to find a place in a hostel and a job?

im going over may 4th as you said somebody got there sin at the airport which what im going to try do when i stop at st johns on the way over sae me a trip to service ontario.

Liam90

Flying out on the 10th too, can't wait!!!

COYVB

SupraSonic_26 wrote: »

im going over may 4th as you said somebody got there sin at the airport which what im going to try do when i stop at st johns on the way over sae me a trip to service ontario.

St johns would be service Newfoundland or whatever. Not sure they can give you a sin if you're going to be based in Ontario. Not sure on that but they do like protocol here, so I wouldn't be surprised

whatlliwear

Liam90 wrote: »

Flying out on the 10th too, can't wait!!!

Hi,
How are you getting on? I love it so far. Mind you I might not be saying that if I don't find a place to live a job pronto.

Liam90

whatlliwear wrote: »

Hi,
How are you getting on? I love it so far. Mind you I might not be saying that if I don't find a place to live a job pronto.

So far so good but same here, I will feel a lot better once I find a job and permanent accommodation.