You finally have your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) in hand, your flight is booked, and the years of waiting are about to end at a Canadian border counter. What happens between the moment a CBSA officer stamps your landing and the day you finish your fourth week in Canada will shape the next decade of your life here. Get the first 30 days right and you walk into year one with a SIN, a bank account, health coverage, a PR card on the way, and your kids enrolled in school. Get them wrong and you spend months untangling a missing PR card, a frozen credit file, or bureaucratic delays that could have been avoided.
This is the playbook our team at UP Immigration walks newcomer families through every week. It is built specifically for Brazilian and Latin American families landing as Express Entry, PNP, or family-sponsorship PRs in 2026. Follow it week by week, in order, and you will be ahead of 80% of newcomers by day 30.
The 30-day landing roadmap at a glance
| Week | Focus | Critical actions | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Port of Entry (POE) | COPR processed, IMM 1442 stamp, goods-to-follow list submitted | Without the landing stamp, nothing else can start |
| Week 1 | Identity + money | SIN at Service Canada, newcomer bank account, PR card application submitted | The SIN unlocks every other service |
| Week 2 | Health + housing | Provincial health card application, temporary housing transition to permanent rental | Health coverage waiting periods start the day you apply |
| Week 3 | Family + mobility | School registration, driving licence exchange, utilities and internet | Kids cannot start class without proof of address and immunization |
| Week 4 | Money back + career | Settlement Provider Organization (SPO), provincial benefits, credential recognition | Free settlement services and credential recognition are time-sensitive — register early |
Day 1: the Port of Entry (what most people get wrong)
The single most important document of your life as a newcomer is created at the airport: the IMM 1442 landing record (the stamped Confirmation of Permanent Residence). When the CBSA officer asks you to step into secondary inspection, that is normal. Have these documents in your carry-on, not your checked bag:
- Your passport and COPR letter
- Your immigration medical exam confirmation (if requested)
- Two signed copies of your Goods to Follow list (B4A form) and your Goods Accompanying list (B4)
- Proof of funds (only for Express Entry FSW/FST/CEC without a Canadian job offer, but bring it anyway)
- A Canadian address where your PR card will be mailed within 180 days
A few things to triple-check before the officer hands you back your documents:
- The spelling of your name on the COPR landing stamp matches your passport. A single typo here will follow you into your SIN, PR card, and tax file for years.
- Your goods-to-follow list is signed and stamped. If you forget to declare household items you plan to ship later, CBSA can charge full duty and taxes when they arrive.
- You have a Canadian mailing address recorded. If you have not rented yet, use a friend's address or your immigration consultant's address and update it later through the IRCC web portal.
Once you walk out of CBSA, you are officially a Permanent Resident. The 30-day clock starts now.
Week 1: SIN, bank, PR card
Social Insurance Number (SIN)
The SIN is free, walk-in, and almost always same-day at any Service Canada centre. Bring your passport and your COPR landing document. Most provinces issue the SIN as a paper letter on the spot; the plastic card was discontinued in 2014. Without a SIN you cannot legally work, open a registered bank account, file taxes, or apply for benefits, so this is the very first stop on Monday morning.
Newcomer bank account
The Big Six Canadian banks (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO, CIBC, and National Bank) all run newcomer programs that waive monthly fees for 6 to 12 months and bundle a no-credit-history credit card. The product names change every year, but the structure is consistent:
- RBC Newcomer Advantage
- TD New to Canada banking package
- Scotiabank StartRight Program
- BMO NewStart Program
- CIBC Smart Account for newcomers
The pragmatic choice is the bank with a branch closest to your home and a Portuguese-speaking advisor if you can find one. What matters more than the brand is that you walk out with three things on day one: a chequing account, a savings account, and a secured or unsecured credit card. Start using that credit card immediately for small recurring purchases (groceries, transit) and pay the full statement balance every month. Six months of clean activity is the foundation of every future car loan, rental application, and mortgage.
PR card application
Your PR card is not automatic. IRCC mails it to the Canadian address you gave the CBSA officer, but only if your file has a confirmed address within 180 days of landing. If you do not have a permanent address yet, log in to your IRCC secure account in week 1 and submit your address using the online PR card application portal. Processing times in 2026 are running 80 to 100 days, so submitting in week 1 means you have your card before your first international trip.
For a deeper dive on the SIN and bank account steps, see our Portuguese guides on como tirar SIN no Canadá and abrir conta bancária no Canadá como brasileiro.
Week 2: health coverage and housing
Provincial health card
Healthcare in Canada is administered by the provinces, and each one has a different waiting period and acronym:
- British Columbia. MSP, 3-month waiting period from the first day of the second month after arrival
- Ontario. OHIP, 3-month waiting period historically waived for most newcomers in 2024 and confirmed waived in 2026
- Alberta. AHCIP, coverage starts the date you establish residency
- Quebec. RAMQ, up to 3-month waiting period
- Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, NL, generally cover newcomers from day one or after a short administrative delay
Apply the day you arrive in your province, even if you are in temporary housing. You apply with your COPR, passport, and proof of intent to reside (a signed lease, utility bill, or letter from a landlord). Until your provincial card is active, buy private interim health insurance for the family. Plans from Manulife, Sun Life, Allianz, and Destination Canada run roughly CAD $80 to $180 per person per month and cost less than a single emergency-room visit.
Housing: temporary to permanent
Most newcomer families burn through savings by overstaying in Airbnbs or hotels. The healthy target is two to three weeks of temporary housing followed by a 12-month lease. To sign a lease without Canadian credit history, expect to be asked for:
- 1 to 2 months of rent up-front (legal in some provinces, capped in others)
- A guarantor with Canadian credit (your consultant, employer, or relative)
- Proof of funds and proof of income or employment offer
Sites like rentals.ca, padmapper.com, kijiji.ca, and facebook.com/marketplace remain the primary inventory channels. Brazilian-community Facebook groups in your destination city are gold for sublets and roommate-share arrangements that bypass the credit-check problem entirely.
Week 3: school, driving, utilities
Enrolling the kids
You can register children in the local public school as soon as you have a permanent address. Each school district has a newcomer reception centre that handles assessment, English-language placement, and grade assignment. Bring the child's passport, immunization record (translated if not in English or French), proof of address, and your PR landing document.
There is no fee for public school. Lunch, school supplies, and field trips usually run CAD $50 to $200 per child per month. For specifics on documentation, timing, and ESL placement, see our guide on enrolling children in Canadian schools.
Transfer your Brazilian driving licence
Brazil has reciprocal driving-licence exchange agreements with most Canadian provinces, but the rules vary:
- British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, direct exchange available with a valid Brazilian licence
- Saskatchewan, NL, the Territories, may require a road test even with the Brazilian licence
You typically have 90 days from landing to drive on your Brazilian licence; after that, you must hold the provincial one. Walk into a provincial driver-licensing office in week 3 with your Brazilian licence, your passport, and your COPR. The vision test is on the spot, the fee is roughly CAD $25 to $90, and your plastic card arrives in 2 to 4 weeks.
Utilities and internet
Hydro (electricity), gas, water, internet, and cell phone accounts all run credit checks. Without Canadian credit, expect deposits of CAD $200 to $500 per account, refundable after 6 to 12 months of on-time payments. Bundle internet and cell with one provider (Rogers, Bell, Telus, Freedom, or Public Mobile) to reduce the number of deposits.
Week 4: settlement services and career
Register with a Settlement Provider Organization (SPO)
IRCC funds free settlement services through provincial SPOs like ISSofBC, MOSAIC, COSTI, S.U.C.C.E.S.S., and YMCA Newcomer Services. Once registered, you get free English classes (LINC), career mentorship, credential-recognition guidance, and connection to community groups. Bring your COPR; PR-status proof is the only eligibility requirement.
Credential recognition (regulated professions)
If you are a nurse, engineer, accountant, teacher, lawyer, pharmacist, doctor, or social worker, you cannot practise until the provincial regulator recognises your foreign credential. Start the process in week 4, because some assessments take 12 to 24 months. The federal Foreign Credential Recognition Program and provincial fairness commissioners (Ontario's OFC, Manitoba's OMFCA, Nova Scotia's OFP) can guide you to the right regulator. For most regulated jobs, expect a credential assessment by World Education Services (WES), International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS), or International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) plus a regulator-specific bridging program.
The common mistakes that cost newcomers months
After landing more than a thousand families, the same four mistakes resurface again and again:
- The "lost" PR card. The applicant moved twice in 90 days, never updated their address on the IRCC portal, and the card was returned to sender. Replacing it costs CAD $50 and 3 to 6 more months.
- The undeclared shipment. A family ships a 40-foot container of household goods 6 months after landing without having declared them at the port of entry. CBSA assesses duty and GST at fair market value; the bill arrives at over CAD $4,000.
- No credit-building strategy. A newcomer family lives on debit for 12 months because they fear credit cards. When they try to buy a car or rent a better apartment, they have zero credit score and are denied.
Documents to carry on landing day (printed, not just on your phone)
- Passport for every family member (with the COPR or eCOPR letter)
- IRCC medical exam confirmation
- Police certificates (originals, in case secondary inspection asks)
- Two signed copies of the B4 (Goods Accompanying) and B4A (Goods to Follow)
- Proof of funds (bank statements, letter from your Brazilian bank)
- Certified translations of birth certificates, marriage certificate, children's vaccination records, university degrees, professional licences, and driver's licence
- A Canadian phone number you can be reached at within 48 hours
- A Canadian mailing address for IRCC correspondence
Where to get help when something goes wrong
The first 30 days move fast, and the cost of guessing is months of paperwork. If you want a single point of contact to guide you through landing, PR card maintenance, credential recognition, and the path from PR to citizenship, book a consultation with our team. RCIC Larissa Castelluber (R710678) and the UP Immigration team are here to help.
