Newcomers · First 30 days

Karibu Thunder Bay. Here is your first month.

Do these in order. Each one makes the next one easier. Everything below comes from the government or the organisation that runs the service, and we link you to the source.

Last checked October 20, 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the linked page before you go or pay anything.

Before anything: keep your passport and your immigration papers (PR card or Confirmation of Permanent Residence, work permit or study permit) together in one folder. Almost every step below asks for the originals, not photocopies.

1. Get your Social Insurance Number (SIN)

You need a SIN to work in Canada and to get government benefits. It is free.

Online is fastest. In person at a Service Canada Centre, you can get it the same day if your papers are complete. You book the visit online first.
Permanent residents bring the PR card, or the Confirmation of Permanent Residence (accepted for one year after you land).
Work permit or study permit holders bring the permit. A study permit only counts if it says you may work in Canada.
Adults also bring a second ID, such as your passport.
Keep your SIN private. Give it to your employer, the bank and the government, not to a landlord or a website.

Source: Government of Canada, "Apply for a Social Insurance Number"

2. Apply for your Ontario health card (OHIP)

The health card pays for doctor visits and hospital care. If you qualify, coverage starts right away. There is no longer a waiting period.

Who qualifies: permanent residents, and work permit holders who work full time for an Ontario employer for at least 6 months. Their spouse and children may also qualify. You must make Ontario your main home and be here at least 153 of your first 183 days.
Where: in person at a ServiceOntario centre. Thunder Bay has more than one; use the ServiceOntario location finder for the nearest one and its hours.
Bring three original documents: one proving your immigration status, one proving your Ontario address, and one proving who you are. Ontario keeps the list of documents it accepts on the page below.
Don't qualify yet? Buy private health insurance so you are not caught with a hospital bill. Students: ask your college or university's international office about the school's health plan.

Source: Government of Ontario, "Apply for OHIP and get a health card"

Sick and not sure where to go? Call 811 (Health811) any time, day or night, for free advice from a registered nurse, with interpreters available. For an emergency, call 911.

3. Open a bank account

You have the right to open a bank account even if you don't have a job yet and have no money to put in it right away.

Bring two original documents: one with your name and address, and one with your name and date of birth. A foreign passport counts. So does a Canadian government ID or a recent utility bill.
Or bring one document plus a person who can confirm who you are: a customer of that bank, or someone respected in the community.
If a bank says no, it must give you the reason in writing, along with how to complain.

Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, "Opening a bank account"

4. Give your Thunder Bay address to immigration

If you are waiting for anything from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), such as your PR card or a decision on an application, tell IRCC your new address and phone number. How you do it depends on what you applied for, and the page below walks you through it. Keep checking mail at your old address until IRCC has updated yours.

Be careful who you pay for immigration help. See free legal and immigration help and how to check someone is licensed.

Source: Government of Canada, "Update your contact information"

5. Visit the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association

This is the city's main settlement agency, and you should meet them in your first month. Their programs include orientation to life in Ontario, free English classes (called LINC) with a language assessment, help finding work, and citizenship preparation classes. They also have trained interpreters. Call to ask which programs you qualify for.

Address: 17 North Court Street, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 4T4
Phone: 807-345-0551 · toll free 1-866-831-1141
Email: reception@thunderbay.org
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Source: Thunder Bay Multicultural Association, newcomer services and contact page

6. Get a free library card

Thunder Bay Public Library cards are free for city residents. Students get one free no matter where in the area they live. Apply online for an eService card you can use right away, then bring ID with your address to any branch for a full card. The library has free internet, computers and quiet space, which helps a lot in your first weeks.

Source: Thunder Bay Public Library, "Get a card"

7. Read the city's Welcome Home guide

Welcome Home: A Guide to Thunder Bay Living came out in August 2026 from the city's Community Economic Development Commission. It covers city services, health care, schools, jobs and things to do, and it is updated every year. Paper copies are at the Multicultural Association, among other places.

Read it at gotothunderbay.ca/live

8. Find wakenya

You are not the first Kenyan to land here in the cold, and you won't be the last. Join Wakenyatbay so we can welcome you, invite you to events, and connect you with people who have done all of the above.

Join Wakenyatbay Kenyan consular services Jobs in Thunder Bay

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This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own case, speak to the Multicultural Association, IRCC, or a licensed immigration lawyer or consultant.

Next guide: Your first 90 days →