Medical Services Plan (MSP) is the provincial healthcare plan for residents of B.C. You must enrol yourself in MSP as a B.C. resident (including students, and workers on a work permit).

Before you arrive, make sure to obtain private insurance that will cover you for three months + the remainder of the month when you arrive. MSP becomes active 3 months after you arrive in B.C.

For the same reason, when you arrive in B.C., make sure to enrol as early as possible.

To enrol: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/eligibility-and-enrolment

You can expect a card mailed to your location from the B.C. government shortly before your MSP activates.

Premiums

Currently, MSP is free of charge. International students may need to pay a fee of $75 a month.

In the years prior, MSP premiums varied between $0 to $75 per month.

Coverage

MSP covers doctor’s visit, emergency care, medically necessary check-ups (such as X-Ray or CT scans), surgeries, and ambulance (you pay a flat $80 for ambulance—including helicopter—with MSP, vs thousands of dollars without).

Dental and vision (except for youth) are not covered. Drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) are not covered. Paramedical services (physiotherapy, massage, etc.) are not covered.

Annual physical checkups, if not deemed medically necessary, are not covered.

For a comprehensive list, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/health-drug-coverage/msp/bc-residents/benefits

SIN (Social Insurance Number, 亦称作 SIN Number、社保号码) 是你在加拿大政府系统中用来报税和领取福利的识别号码。如果你有在加拿大工作的资格却没有 SIN，你可以前往加拿大联邦政府官网进行申请。

你的 SIN 是私密的、个人的。任何人不能使用你的 SIN 做任何事情。请注意保密你的 SIN，你在申请工作、提交租房意愿时不应该被要求提供 SIN。一些合法、合理的 SIN 请求理由包括——

• 银行开户时，因为可能产生利息收入所以必须要求提供 SIN
• 入职工作、申请信用卡时可能会做信用或背景调查。一般而言这些调查不需要 SIN 也可以完成，但使用 SIN 可能会加快审核速度
• 入职工作后工作收入需要提供 SIN

具体建议请参考加拿大政府官网: Canada.ca

You can get a bank account by simply walking into a branch of a bank. The largest banks of Canada are:

• TD (TD Canada Trust)
• CIBC
• Scotiabank
• RBC (Royal Bank)
• BMO (Bank of Montreal)

You can’t really go wrong with any of the above 5 as your first banking choice. By the way, the bank needs your SIN because they might pay you interests. Get your SIN first.

加拿大有三大运营商，他们也有各自的 “廉价” 入门级运营商品牌：

这些子品牌运营商一般都有更便宜的运营商计划，但因为他们和主品牌使用相同的网络服务，他们的信号覆盖并不差。一般而言，你也很难在大温地区感受到运营商信号质量和覆盖率的差别。

除上述六个品牌之外，Shaw 是互联网提供商，最近才进军移动运营商业务。我个人对 Shaw 没有任何使用体验，只知道 Shaw 的定价层级和三大运营商相同。

在加拿大切换运营商非常容易。你可以非常简单地携号转网，直接跳到另一个运营商的促销计划上（除非你现在在使用合约机）。新的运营商可以很快将你的号码导入到他们的服务中，一般这一过程当面操作的时间不超过十分钟。如果你在网上办理业务、收到寄来的 SIM 卡，这一操作自助进行也很方便。

若想降低你的手机套餐开销，可以参考以下几个方面：

• 将你的家庭网络套餐和移动业务套餐绑定。在温哥华比较常见的是 Telus 和 Shaw 这两家公司同时做互联网和手机业务。
• 在黑五或 Boxing Day 时办理正在促销的套餐。这些套餐一般会持续一年时间，有的套餐价格会永久生效，直到你换另一个套餐或运营商。
• 将家里其他人添加到同一个运营商的账户里。
• 考虑使用 Freedom 等小型运营商。这些运营商的覆盖率和联网速度可能比不上大运营商，要自己斟酌。

在 BC 办理 Photo ID 是一个可选项。你可以不办理 BC 的 Photo ID，继续使用你的外国护照和居留许可（例如工作或学习许可）。永久居民的枫叶卡也是可以被接受的 Photo ID。

办理 BC Photo ID 可以为你提供许多方便：你在飞境内航线时可以不用将护照带在身上，也不需要在去酒吧或入住酒店时用护照证明自己的身份和年龄。

Find out which card to get from the B.C. Government website—Driver’s License, Photo MSP Card, or BCID:

• If you already have a driver’s license from outside of B.C., visit ICBC website to check out steps to get a B.C. license.
• If you are a PR or citizen moving to B.C., your MSP card will be your photo ID. (The MSP card for non–permanent residents don’t bear the photo.)
• If you qualify for both a Photo MSP Card and a Driver’s License, you may be able to combine the two cards—it’s an option that recently became available.
• You can also get a BCID: it’s a plain photo ID that proves your identity.

Renting a place to live can be very complex, especially if you are doing it remotely. Realtors generally don’t handle rentals in Greater Vancouver.

You can usually find listings online from Craigslist, Kijiji, or—if you read Chinese—Vanpeople. Visit the rental places in person if possible, or ask for a video chat to show you around if you can’t physically be there. Start looking 1–2 months before the month you want to move in. For example, if you are moving in in April, start looking near the end of February.

The B.C. Government website outlines important information, FAQs, and tenancy rights and responsibilities for you: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies

Common rights include:

• Your deposit is no more than 1/2 month’s of rent, plus 1/2 of rent for pet (only if you have a pet) or furniture (only for furnished units) deposits
• The landlord must inspect the unit with you, and you need to sign inspection reports when you move in and out
• The landlord cannot charge you for “wear and tear” and cannot unreasonably hold your deposit—they can pay heavily if you dispute

The residential rental market in B.C. is heavily regulated. It is generally a good thing. Landlords can’t put shady things onto a contract and expect to gouge you. Most landlords that I rented with use the template contract provided by the provincial government. Dispute processes—in the absence of strong evidence—usually favour the tenants.

Follow the rules and know your rights.

You might need to get electricity and gas yourself. Ask your landlord and they should always know.

For electricity, BC Hydro is the place to go. (B.C.—and actually the entire Canada—gets most of their electricity from hydro power, so an electricity bill is often called a “hydro bill”.) You will need to open an account with them and you will be billed on a bi-monthly basis (once every two months).

For gas, Fortis BC is the place. You will need a separate account and they bill you monthly. Because gas is relatively cheap, many buildings don’t have gas metres anymore. You don’t pay gas in that situation; your landlord pays for gas as part of the strata fee, and the strata settles gas usage with Fortis BC on a per-building basis.

There aren’t many players in Vancouver when it comes to internet. Telus and Shaw are two big players, and they are almost universally available. Novus is long-standing and much cheaper than the Big 2; I’m happy with their service thus far.

To lower your internet bill, consider these:

• Check if your building (whether you rent or own) has partnership with any of the internet provider—ask your landlord, the strata, or your building manager. Usually these “partnerships” exist on old buildings, but you might be able to get internet for free, or for less than $20 a month.
• Students: ask for student discount.
• Check if your building supports smaller players such as Novus, so that Telus/Shaw aren’t the only options.
• Bundle your mobile phone line with the internet plan.
• Snatch a great deal on Black Friday, provided that you are not on a contract that stings you if you end early.
• Go on a contract if it’s a really good deal. The carrier may come back and gouge you so beware.