7 apps to prepare for your move to Canada

Planning your move to a new country is no small task.

But digital tools can help.

The CIC news team has compiled a list of 7 mobile apps that newcomers can download to help prepare for their move to Canada.

Accommodation and housing

Padmapper, Rentals.ca, Rentseeker.ca, or Zumper: Newcomers can use these digital tools to search for rental housing. These platforms allow users to filter searches based on parameters such as location, cost, number of bedrooms, and other amenities. If newcomers want to tour apartments in person, they might consider initially booking a short-term rental on platforms such as AirBnB or VRBO, and then searching for a long-term rental after arriving.

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Realtor.ca, Zillow, or HouseSigma: These platforms are predominantly focused on buying and selling real estate, but offer a good deal of rental housing as well. Newcomers can use these to search for listings if they are looking to purchase a home, or can use them as additional platforms in their search for property to rent. If you are coming to Canada as a temporary resident, you must meet certain conditions to purchase residential property.

Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace: Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace are among the most popular online classifieds in Canada. Users can search these platforms both for accommodations and for household furnishings. Newcomers can use classifieds to obtain items at a fraction of the cost of new merchandise—or even for free. Users can filter searches by parameters such as price and distance. Purchasing items from classifieds is one of only a few situations in which it is generally considered socially acceptable to haggle in Canada.

Customs declaration

ArriveCAN: Travellers are no longer required to use ArriveCAN to enter Canada. But newcomers who are flying into participating major Canadian airports can use the ArriveCAN app to save time by completing an advanced customs declaration. Participating airports include the following:

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ)
Calgary International Airport (YYC)
Edmonton International Airport (YEG)
Halifax Stanfield International Airport (YHZ)
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL)
Ottawa International Airport (YOW)
Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB)
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – terminals 1 and 3
Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG)

Navigation and transportation

What3Words: What3Words is a useful app for saving and communicating locations, even if that location doesn’t have a street address. The app generates a unique string of three words that maps to a three meter square on the earth’s surface. Users can use this string to save locations for themselves, share locations with friends, or even communicate their location to first responders in the event of an emergency.

Transit apps: In addition to Google Maps, newcomers may want to download local transit apps for the cities they are moving to. These apps will often provide real-time updates on schedules. Some may also allow for in-app fare payments. Here are some examples from major Canadian cities:

Calgary – My Fare (fares), Transit (navigation)
Halifax – HFXGO (fares)
Montreal – Chrono or Transit (navigation)
Ottawa – Transit
Toronto – TTC trip planner, Transit
Vancouver – Translink trip planner, Next Bus

Carsharing: Carsharing apps provide an alternative to traditional car rentals. Users can create an account with a car sharing company operating in their region, and can use the app to reserve, unlock, and return a vehicle. Here are some car-sharing companies operating in Canada:

Unlike traditional rentals, car sharing apps usually offer hourly rates (in addition to daily rates), and some services may allow you to leave the vehicle within a large service area when you’re done with it, rather than having to return it to your original pick-up location.

Schedule a Free Canadian Citizenship Consultation with the Cohen Immigration Law Firm