Important documents

Ensure you have all the proper documentation you need before your arrival and understand what you will need after your arrival by visiting Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Before you arrive

You will need to have the following documents on arrival in Alberta:

• Canadian Immigrant Visa and Confirmation of Permanent Residence for each family member travelling with you.
• Valid passport or other travel document for each family member travelling with you.

After you arrive

Social Insurance Number (SIN) and Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan cards are the two most important documents to get in your first few days in Alberta.

Social Insurance Number (SIN)

Applying for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) is one of the most important things to do after arriving in Canada. You will need it to work here, to open a bank account and for taxation purposes. This number tells the government who is earning money, paying taxes, paying into pension plans, and using government services. Your employer will ask you for this number.

To apply for your SIN, go to the nearest Service Canada Centre listed in the blue pages of your telephone book. For application information, visit Service Canada.

Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan

Register for the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP) as soon as possible so you will not have to pay for most health care services. You must register within three months of your arrival to Alberta.

To register, you must submit a completed application form and a copy of your Canada Entry Permit. AHCIP application forms are available:

• On-line in the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan/Forms section of the Alberta Health and Wellness website
• By phone from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. In Edmonton, call 780-427-1432. From elsewhere in the province, dial 310-0000 toll-free, then enter 780-427-1432 after the prompt
• By mail to the following mailing address:
  Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan
  Box 1360, Station Main
  Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2N3
• By fax to 780-422-0102