Pre-arrival vs post-arrival, restated.
The split that matters most on day 1: which tasks you can only do in person in Ontario, and which you must have already done before you landed. The same visual is on the timeline page — repeated here because day-1 confusion is the most common reason a first month goes sideways.
Done before T-day
If these are not done, day 1 stalls
- CPSO certificate of registration
- Work permit issued
- UHIP enrolment for trainee + family (effective T-day)
- Banking account opened (Big-5 newcomer pre-application)
- Lease signed (Form 2229E)
- First + last month rent transferred
- Cell + internet booked
- Children's school enrolment package assembled
Can only happen post-arrival
First-week priorities, in order
- SIN application — Service Canada in-person, ~30 min
- Bank branch activation in person
- UHIP card pickup from PGME office
- Move-in (elevator deposit $200-300 refundable)
- Public school registration with proof of address
- Fellowship sign-in (CPSO confirmation in hand)
- Driver's licence application — full Ontario testing required (60-day deadline)
- OHIP application — only after the 3-month wait (T+90)
The 30-day checklist, in three phases.
Tick tasks as you complete them. State persists in your browser. Days 1-7 is everything that has to happen the first week. Days 7-30 is the licence-and-credit-build window. Days 30-90 is OHIP eligibility unlocking for the trainee — and the moment your family doesn't transition.
The most-misunderstood Toronto-specific fact
Will my spouse and kids get OHIP after 3 months?
- The short answer
- No. Your spouse and dependents stay on UHIP for the entire duration of your fellowship. They do not transition to OHIP at T+90 like you do.
- Why
- OHIP eligibility for accompanying family members is tied to their own work-permit or PR status, not yours. As dependents on your work permit, they don't meet the OHIP eligibility test (which generally requires full-time work for an Ontario employer for at least six months, per Settlement.org).
- What UHIP covers
- UHIP — the University Health Insurance Plan, coordinated through PGME at U of T (parallel process at McMaster) — covers what OHIP covers: physician services, hospital visits, ambulance, basic lab and diagnostic. Coverage cap: $1,000,000 CAD per person per policy year. Policy year runs September → August.
- Family enrolment
- Spouse + dependents pay the family-tier UHIP premium and are enrolled at the same time as the trainee. Membership fees are typically the responsibility of the trainee/employee. Government-sponsored physicians: the sponsor often covers UHIP costs as part of the funding package — confirm with your specific sponsorship terms.
- What this means practically
- Plan for your family's primary care to run through UHIP-billing providers for the duration of the fellowship. The bridge isn't temporary for them; it's the whole arrangement.
3-month bridge timeline
BC MSP ↔ Ontario OHIP / UHIP cheat sheet
| Dimension | BC (MSP) | Ontario (OHIP + UHIP) |
|---|---|---|
| Wait period for trainee | 3 months from BC residence | 3 months from Ontario arrival |
| Bridge insurance | Trainee's responsibility — typically private | UHIP — institutionally coordinated through PGME |
| Family coverage during wait | MSP eventually covers family | UHIP throughout entire fellowship — no OHIP transition for family |
| Cost responsibility | Trainee covers private bridge | Trainee covers UHIP membership fee (often sponsor-reimbursed) |
| Coverage cap | MSP standard | UHIP $1M/year/person |
| Application process | MSP via Health Insurance BC | OHIP via ServiceOntario in person (after wait); UHIP via PGME office |
Day 1 is too late for the day 1 questions.
Settlement-tier clients get the first-30-days concierge layer — UHIP card pickup support, banking activation, school registration, mosque + community connection, and a 30-day check-in. Forty-five minutes on a call closes most of the gap.