YOUR GO TO CHECKLIST FOR RELOCATING TO TORONTO

It is not easy when planning to relocate to Toronto or any other place for that matter! There is so much you have probably already thought about doing and likely some things you have not even considered yet. To make that move a little less stressful for you we have compiled a checklist to help you along the way.

VISAS

The number one thing you need to consider is your purpose for moving to Toronto. You may be relocating to Toronto for work or perhaps you are coming here to study. Either way you will need a visa in one form or another. The first place to look for what type of visa you will need is the Canadian Government website. This should help you to decide which visa is most appropriate for you. It can be quite confusing however and so you may find it helpful to consult with a professional so that they can assist in preparing your visa application. The last thing you want to do is move your life over to Toronto to find that you have not prepared the right visa application.

SOCIAL INSURANCE NUMBER

Before you can begin working in Toronto or receive any benefits you will need to obtain a Social Insurance Number, often referred to as a SIN number. Service Canada are responsible for issuing you your SIN number. If you are here on a temporary visa which has an expiration date, your SIN number may also have an expiration date. This can be updated once/if you obtain an updated visa with a new expiry.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Living in Toronto you will be able to receive free health care through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). To obtain an OHIP card you will need to apply through Service Ontario usually in person. Note that you will need to show valid ID and proof of address otherwise they will turn you away and you will have to come back another time with all of the necessary documentation.

Although your OHIP entitles you to free health care, it does not cover everything. OHIP will cover doctor appointments, hospital care, diagnostic testing and some other services. It does not cover prescriptions, dental services and optometry services. For a full detailed breakdown of what OHIP covers, you should check Service Ontario’s website as depending on your healthcare needs, this could be a deal breaker for your relocation to Toronto.

Given the limits of OHIP, we strongly recommend putting in place health insurance for you and your family. More often than not, your employer will provide health insurance as a benefit, but this is something you should check before relocating.

PETS

If you have pets at home, you will no doubt want to bring your furry friends with you when you are relocating to Toronto. There is lots to consider including what airlines allow pets to travel, what medical checks and vaccines are required and will your pets need to quarantine (most likely not if their health records are up to date)

We cover relocating with pets in much more detail in one of our previous blogs, so go ahead and give that a read to help you navigate this important factor when moving to Toronto.

YOUR CURRENT HOME

If you are renting your current home and you are nearing the end of your tenancy, it will be quite easy to simply pack your things and move. If you are not near the end of your tenancy, then it is worth contacting your landlord if you have not already done so and explain your situation. They may be willing to end your tenancy earlier than planned.

If you own your home, have you considered selling or renting? Your mortgage and financial situation may determine this decision for you but is is important to start the process of selling, or preparing your house for renting as soon as possible so that when the time comes to relocating to Toronto your home will be sold or leased. Hopefully this means your house will not be empty for too long and you will not be out of pocket for too many months either!

At the same time you should also start making a list of all of your utility providers so that you are ready to cancel your accounts and pay final balances when you do move. Making a list now rather than scrambling to find the information once you have moved will make your life so much easier.

Have you considered mail redirection? If you are expecting mail to be delivered to your current home once you have moved then it would be sensible to set up mail redirection so you can be sure that you do not miss any important correspondence.

YOUR NEW HOME IN TORONTO

Toronto is a great place to live but coupled with that is a competitive housing market and high rental costs. Although the housing market has slowed down slightly, rental prices will still make your eyes water if you are not relocating from another major city. Keep this in mind when budgeting for your new home.

There is quite a quick turn around when it comes to finding a place to rent and you definitely want to see the propeety you will be renting before moving in. So, we would highly recommend staying in

Toronto temporary accommodations for your first month or so while you settle down and decide where in Toronto or the Greater Toronto area you would like to live.

TORONTO RELOCATION SERVICES / TORONTO REAL ESTATE SERVICES and TORONTO SHORT TERM FURNISHED APARTMENT RENTALS

The above checklist is not exhaustive and this will need to be personalised to your individual Toronto relocation needs. You may find there are more things on your checklist, including finding the right schools for example or obtaining a driver’s license. Whatever your Toronto relocations needs are MAC Relocation Services are on hand to help make your relocation seamless. We offer a number of relocation services which include the following:

• Toronto and the GTA AREA ORIENTATIONS – we can familiarize you with the city and neighbourhoods
• Move Management (Global) – we arrange the mover, surveying your home, customs clearance and all of the other details from origin to destination.
• Destination Services and Settling in Services – we can help in organizing things such as your Social Insurance Number, Health Insurance, Driver’s License, Banking, Schools, Cars, Pets and much more.\
• Toronto Real Estate Services – rental and Toronto residential re-sale – we are experts in rental and home purchases in Toronto and the GTA. We are professional licensed Toronto realtors.
• Toronto furnished short term apartment rentals – we offer fully furnished Toronto suite and Toronto luxury furnished apartments while you wait for permanent real estate accommodations.
• Departure Services – we are able to assist those who are leaving Canada including home sales, lease terminations, closing of utilities, etc.

If you are considering relocating to Toronto then please get in touch with our registered Toronto real estate agents and broker. We can assist in Toronto individual relocation, family relocations, group relocations and Toronto corporate relocations. Please email info@macsuites.ca or telephone 416-222-0025 / 1(877)230-0025.