- Study permit holders may work up to 24 hours per week off campus during a term and unlimited hours during a scheduled break
- A Social Insurance Number applied for online takes about five business days
- British Columbia charges international students a mandatory 75 dollar monthly International Student Health Fee on top of MSP enrolment, and the Ontario OHIP eligibility list does not include study permit holders.
What Should You Register For as Soon as You Land in Canada?
Within your first two weeks, register for a Social Insurance Number at Service Canada, enrol in your provincial health plan, open a Canadian bank account, register with the High Commission of India, and confirm enrolment at your designated learning institution. These five registrations unlock legal work, healthcare, wages and consular support.
Landing in Canada is only the first step. Your study permit is issued at the border, but almost every practical thing you need afterwards, a payslip, a doctor's appointment, a phone plan or a tax refund, depends on a registration you have to complete yourself. Nobody does it for you, and a few of them have waiting periods that start the day you arrive.
- Collect your printed study permit from the border services officer at the port of entry.
- Apply for a Social Insurance Number with Service Canada once your permit shows work conditions.
- Enrol in your provincial health plan on arrival, because wait periods run from your arrival date.
- Open a Canadian chequing account so your employer and the CRA can pay you.
- Register as an Indian student or citizen with the High Commission of India in Ottawa.
- Complete registration and enrolment confirmation at your designated learning institution.
| Registration 2026 | Where You Register | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Study permit | Border services officer at the port of entry | Issued on the day you land |
| Social Insurance Number | Service Canada, online, by mail or in person | About 5 business days online, about 20 by mail |
| Provincial health plan | Provincial health ministry, for example MSP or AHCIP | Apply on arrival; BC has a wait period |
| Bank account | Any bank, federal credit union or authorised foreign bank | Same day, in person or online |
| High Commission of India | hciottawa.gov.in online registration | A few minutes, online |
How Do You Apply for a Social Insurance Number in Canada?
The Social Insurance Number is a nine-digit number you need to work legally, get paid and file taxes in Canada. Apply through Service Canada online, by mail or in person, using your study permit plus a passport. Online applications take about five business days and mailed applications about twenty.
A Social Insurance Number issued to a temporary resident always starts with the digit 9, and it expires on the same date as your study permit. That means you must update your SIN record every time you receive a new permit with a new expiry date, otherwise employers and the Canada Revenue Agency will treat your number as lapsed.
There is one condition students routinely miss. To get a SIN for off campus work, your study permit must carry a printed condition allowing you to work, worded either as permission to work 24 hours per week off campus under paragraph 186(v) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, or as permission to accept employment on or off campus under paragraph 186(f), (v) or (w). If your permit has no work condition, you must request an amendment before Service Canada will issue the number, and there is no fee to add those conditions.
- Bring your valid study permit; an email from IRCC is not accepted as proof.
- Bring one secondary identity document, such as your passport or a driver's licence.
- Apply online for the fastest result, or visit a Service Canada office in person.
- View and print your SIN confirmation later through a My Service Canada Account.
- Never carry the number in your wallet, and never share it with a landlord or an employer before you are hired.
Which Provincial Health Card Should You Register For?
Health coverage in Canada is provincial, so the plan you register for depends on where you study. British Columbia requires MSP enrolment and charges a monthly health fee, Alberta accepts study permits valid twelve months or longer for AHCIP, and the Ontario OHIP eligibility list excludes study permit holders altogether.
This is the registration most students delay and later regret. In British Columbia the wait period is the rest of the month in which you become a resident plus two more months, and the province tells new arrivals to apply as soon as they arrive rather than waiting for the period to end. Applying late does not shorten the wait, it only delays your card.
| Province 2026 | Plan | Where Study Permit Holders Stand |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Medical Services Plan (MSP) | Study permits valid six months or longer may be deemed residents; enrolment is mandatory and the International Student Health Fee is 75 dollars per month |
| Alberta | Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) | Eligible with a 12-month study permit and 12 months of residence, or a 6 to 12 month permit plus a school letter and intent to stay 12 months |
| Ontario | Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) | Study permit holders are not on the OHIP eligibility list, so students rely on their institution's own plan |
| Other provinces | Provincial health ministry plan | Rules differ by province; check the provincial health ministry before you arrive |
The British Columbia health fee is not optional and is not a school charge. It is a mandatory monthly fee of 75 dollars applied to every international student on a valid study permit who is in the province for at least six months of the year, and it applies per person, so a spouse or child on a study permit is billed separately. Ontario works the other way: because OHIP does not list study permits among its qualifying statuses, your university or college plan is your primary cover.
Cost of Living in CanadaRead →Why Should You Register With the High Commission of India?
The High Commission of India in Ottawa runs an online registration for Indian students and citizens living in Canada. Registering records your passport details, address and institution with the mission so it can reach you during an emergency, an advisory or a consular problem. The form takes only a few minutes.
The registration page asks you to select whether you are a student or a citizen, then collects your name, passport number and contact details in Canada. Consulates General in Toronto and Vancouver cover their own jurisdictions, so register with the mission responsible for the province you are studying in. Once registered you can log back in and update your address whenever you move, which matters more than most students expect during a four year degree.
- Register at the High Commission of India, Ottawa, using the Indian Registration form on its website.
- Keep a scan of your passport, study permit and letter of acceptance in cloud storage.
- Note the mission's emergency contact numbers separately from your phone contacts.
- Update the registration whenever your address, institution or passport changes.
How Do You Open a Bank Account and Register With the CRA?
You have a legal right to open a bank account in Canada even if you have no job and no money to deposit right away, as long as the bank can confirm your identity. You can open one in person, online or by telephone, then register with the Canada Revenue Agency for benefit and credit payments.
Federal rules protect this right at banks, federal credit unions and authorised foreign banks, so a bank cannot refuse you simply because you are new to the country or unemployed. The bank must also give you written information about fees and about any future increase in charges, and it must send you an electronic alert when your balance falls below a set amount.
Once the account is open, deal with the Canada Revenue Agency. The CRA treats you as a newcomer for the first year you are a resident of Canada for income tax purposes, and newcomers can apply for benefit and credit payments even before filing a first return. Your residency status for tax purposes is separate from your immigration status, so read the CRA guidance for international students rather than assuming a study permit makes you a non-resident.
Part-Time Jobs in CanadaRead →When Can You Start Working on Your Study Permit?
You can only start working once your study program begins, never before you arrive or during the gap before classes. During a term you may work up to 24 hours per week off campus, and unlimited hours during a scheduled break such as summer, winter holidays or reading week.
The 24 hour limit replaced the older 20 hour rule, and the government confirms that if your permit still prints the 20 hour wording you are nonetheless allowed to work up to 24 hours per week, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements. Working beyond the limit is a violation of your study permit conditions. You can lose your student status, be refused a future study or work permit, and may have to leave the country.
- You must be a full-time student at a designated learning institution.
- Your program must be at least six months long and lead to a degree, diploma or certificate.
- You must hold a valid study permit, or have applied to extend it before it expired.
- You must keep your own record of hours worked to prove you are complying.
- You cannot work off campus while on an authorised leave from your studies.
What Should You Show at the Port of Entry When You Land?
A border services officer issues your actual study permit when you land. Carry your passport, the port of entry letter of introduction the visa office sent you, a copy of your letter of acceptance, proof of funds and your electronic travel authorization or visitor visa in your cabin bag.
There is no fixed window for arriving before your program starts, so give yourself a reasonable amount of time to settle in, but remember you cannot work on or off campus until your studies actually begin. If you deferred your intake, you need the deferral approved by your institution, an updated letter of acceptance and a valid letter of introduction to show at the border.
- Valid passport or other travel document, plus your electronic travel authorization or temporary resident visa.
- Port of entry letter of introduction carrying your permit reference number.
- Copy of a valid letter of acceptance from your designated learning institution.
- Any letters of reference or other documents the visa office asked you to bring.
- Evidence of enough money for your stay, and proof of ties that show you will leave at the end of your studies.