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Originally posted by payal05

Thanks for the information. Where I need to apply for OHIP card. And I believe that I can apply for it only once I reach over there.

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When you sign a lease for the apartment , ONLY for the first year, you have to sign a 1 yr lease.

After the 1 year is over, it AUTOMATICALLY becomes a month to month lease by law in ON atleast. So there is NO need to sign a 1 year lease again in the 2nd year, 3 rd year and so on.

After the 1 year is up, you can keep on living there on a month to month basis without any lease. You can also leave anytime you want with a 60 day eritten notice, after the 1 year lease is over , without any penalties.

Its only in the first year you are stuck with a lease and have to pay if you break the lease. No such thing in the 2nd yr, 3 rd yr and so on, as you DON'T have to sign a lease in those years.

Lot of desis don't know that and end up signing 1 year leases in the 2nd yr, 3 rd yr and so on, and get stuck all over again , even though legally they don't have to

For OHIP card you can apply immediately upon landing, no need to wait for 3 months. The card and coverage will be active only after 3 months - but you dont have to wait for the card to arrive.

Hiren

Let us know, when you arrive in Sep , which is here BTW, and TK will tell you about ALL the scams, for immigrants.

HW36 will tell you ALL about the schooling system in Canada.

The apartment you are on your own. Most probably you will stay in a Motel for the first few days, and then you will probably go for a 1 year lease .

Your husbands company should have taken care of this for the first 10-15 days atleast.

Your first month will go in understanding the public transport system, formalities like applying for SIN, opening bank accounts, understanding various stores and shopping options ( mostly grocery related, clothing related, pots and pans related )

Later on you will go for BIG ticket items like bed, mattress, furniture, TV, sofa etc. All this will cost a fortune , if you don't shop properly and don't go to the right stores , and don't watch their specials, sales, flyers etc.

You can get a Brand new mattress for $ 300 or the exact same mattress for $ 1,000 depending on which store you go to and if you don't see their sale prices, specials, clearance prices etc

It will easily cost you atleast $ 5,000 to reasonably furnish your apartment, with basic and simple furniture , TV etc, we are NOT even talking about fancy stuff !

All apartments will come with Fridge and Stove/Oven , so you don't have to buy them. But you might want to buy a Microwave oven and some small appliances like toaster, kettle, iron , Vacuum cleaner etc.

Washer and Dryer will be in the bldg basement to wash and dry clothes. They will be coin operated, usually $ 2 per use. People only wash clothes here once a week, unlike India , where Kaam Wali Bai washes your clothes daily !

Cheap desis will also wash their clothes in the bath tub and dry them in the house or balcony. Cheap Chinese people are also like that, to save money i.e Coin Laundry.

TK will give you ALL details about it, he is an expert on these matters .. He also has extensive knowledge about Food Banks, Soup Kitchens, Ikea Breakfast, Salvation Army, Good Will stores, Welfare , Unemployment Insurance, Kijiji etc .

Don't hesitate to contact him and don't feel shy to ask him for cheap Desi tips . Use Canada the way Canada uses you, that should be the motto of ALL immigrants, who come here. Tit for Tat

Air Port taxi is a fixed rate. Print out the map from the Pearson airport website and tell the taxi driver the major intersection.

90 % the taxi driver will be Paki, Desi, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Somali, Arabic/Persian guy. No Chinese guy and almost NO white guy. You might meet some Russian , Ukrainian, Polish or some other East European guy once in a while.

Maybe a black guy occassionally ( but mostly Somali )

TK please provide further details, you are an asset to CD

thanks a lot for all the information.

Initially we are staying in a hotel and then finalize an apartment .
where should I look for bed, Tv and other furniture with good discounts.