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Canada arrival checklist for international students

A practical starting point for your arrival documents, first-week tasks and official sources, without guessing what applies to your case.

5 minute read

Before you book the last details of your move, separate the documents you need at the border from the tasks you can do after arrival. This guide gives you a manageable order and the official pages to check. Your school and IRCC remain the authority for your situation.

1. Build an arrival folder you can reach

IRCC lists a valid travel document, the port-of-entry letter of introduction and a valid letter of acceptance among the documents to have when you arrive. Other requirements can apply, including travel authorization, funds and medical-exam results. Do not treat a short checklist as your complete entry requirements.

  1. Open the IRCC arrival page below and compare its full list with your documents.
  2. Keep the documents you may need accessible during your journey, rather than only in checked luggage.
  3. If your school, start date or passport has changed, read the relevant IRCC instructions and check with your school before travelling.

2. Confirm what your school needs

Ask your international student office about orientation, enrolment confirmation, your school's insurance arrangements and the address or contact details you should use on arrival. These are school-specific, so a generic website should not invent the answers.

  1. Write down the international student office contact and your arrival address.
  2. Check the start date on the school documents you will bring.
  3. Save copies securely. Do not post your passport, permit or acceptance letter in a public group or an AI chat.

3. Put first-week tasks in the right order

After entry, read the conditions on the study permit you receive. Use the Service Canada pages to understand the SIN application requirements if you are authorized to work. A SIN does not itself authorize you to work. IRCC says you cannot start work before your study program begins.

  1. Confirm your arrival and enrolment steps with the school.
  2. Check health-insurance arrangements and any gap in coverage with your school or province.
  3. Read the work conditions and SIN document requirements before planning work.

4. Turn the move into dated tasks

Use the free Newcomer Copilot checklist to organize tasks around your arrival date. It covers the main international-student journey, with extra health steps for British Columbia and Ontario. It is a planning aid, not confirmation that you meet immigration requirements.

If an official page is difficult to understand, the paid assistant is designed to explain the selected source text in your language and link it for you to verify. It cannot decide your eligibility or advise on your application.

Official pages this guide was written from

Open the page before you act on anything here; it is the authority, and wording changes.

Ask the assistant instead

It answers a question like these from the official pages, in the language you ask it, and links what it read.

  • What documents does IRCC list for arrival as an international student?
  • What should I check before applying for a SIN?

See the assistantOr get the free arrival checklist

CAD 8 once for 100 questions over 30 days, no subscription. Passes are not on sale yet.

This guide is not advice about your case. It cannot tell you whether you qualify or what to apply for. For personal immigration advice, use an authorized Canadian representative: find one on the official list.

Assistant passes are CAD 8 one-time for 100 questions over 30 days, with no auto-renewal, and they are not on sale yet.

Next: How international students apply for a SIN in Canada