The Vancouver skyline and marina reflected in calm water, seen from the Stanley Park seawall under a blue sky — Stanley Park seawall, Vancouver

A red and white streetcar on a sunny Toronto street, with the CN Tower and downtown skyline behind it — Downtown Toronto, Ontario

Three people in bright winter coats walking through deep snow and pulling sleds, with snowy peaks behind them — A proper Canadian winter

Downtown Halifax seen across the harbour under a wide cloudy sky — Halifax harbour, Nova Scotia

A cobblestone street in Old Montréal lined with stone buildings, street lamps and café terraces — Old Montréal, Québec

Wherever you began, you belong here. Wherever you go, we go with you.

Together and Stronger Canada — TAS Canada — is the membership organization for newcomers, for everyone who came to Canada from another country, and for Canadians living abroad. One household has little bargaining power. Hundreds of thousands of households, speaking with one voice, have a great deal.

Become a member See the twelve benefit areas

Membership is free. One membership per adult; children under 18 are included.

Show what membership does for

New to CanadaCanadian abroad

A plain plan for your first 90 days: SIN, bank account, health card, phone, school.
Strength in numbers on the two hardest problems: credit history and credentials.
Flights home, money transfers, and medical cover for the parents who come to visit.

One card, recognized by every Together and Stronger house on every continent.
Travel, health and insurance programs for the years away and the visits home.
A clear way back: banking, credit and provincial health cover when you return.

Stronger communities.
Always stronger together.
Together we stay strong.
Together we stand.
Together, we get things done — beautifully.

Almost one in four of us came from somewhere else

Canada is not a country with a newcomer community. In large part, it is a country made of one.

8.3 million

people in Canada — almost one in four — came from another country and made Canada their permanent home.

Each dot is one person in a hundred. The red dots are the 23.0% who settled here permanently after arriving from abroad.

1.3 millionnewcomers settled permanently in Canada between 2016 and 2021, the highest number recorded in a Canadian census.
More than 450mother tongues were reported in the 2021 Census.
92.7%of recent arrivals can hold a conversation in English or French.
304 millionpeople around the world live outside the country where they were born (mid-2024). Canadians abroad are among them.

Sources: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census; United Nations (UN DESA), 2024. These figures describe the communities we serve. They are not our membership.

Two stories, one membership

Some of us arrived. Some of us left. Many families have done both, and the same card serves each of them.

Pedestrians walking along a downtown Toronto sidewalk

New to Canada

You came to Canada

Permanent residents, citizens born abroad, international students, temporary workers, and the children you are raising here. Whatever your status, we never ask.

A first-90-days checklist in plain language, province by province.
Programs that start a Canadian credit history in your first month.
Guidance and bridging support so the qualifications you earned are recognized here.
Flights home, and visitor medical cover for parents and grandparents who come to stay.
Money sent home through regulated providers we select for clear fees and fair rates.
English and French learning, and an introduction to a community association near you.

Join as a newcomer

A man and a woman walking away through a bright airport terminal, with aircraft visible through the tall windows

Canadian abroad

You are Canadian, living abroad

In the United States, Britain, Europe, Hong Kong, the Gulf or Australia, for a posting, a degree, a marriage or a lifetime. Your membership travels with you.

One member card, recognized by every regional house of the family.
Travel and health programs for the years away and for every visit home.
Help keeping a Canadian bank account, credit history and documents in order from a distance.
The Consular Desk: how to reach Canadian consular services wherever you live.
Support for family in Canada: elder care, schooling and emergencies across borders.
A plain guide to coming back, from provincial health cover to housing and work.

Join from abroad

Twelve areas of benefit, negotiated for the many

Your membership covers twelve areas of everyday life. TAS Member Services negotiates every program on behalf of the whole membership; these eight matter most to a life between Canada and somewhere else.

With your member card

The wing of an airliner above bright white clouds, seen from a window seat

Flights home & family visits

Members travel home on fares we negotiate for the routes families actually take, from Toronto to Manila and from Montréal to Casablanca. Family visits to Canada belong to the same program.

A person in a white shirt using a smartphone

Sending money home

We select regulated transfer providers for clear fees and fair exchange rates. One negotiation for the whole membership replaces thousands of separate ones.

An older couple, seen from behind, on a video call with a smiling younger couple on a laptop

Phone & internet plans

We negotiate mobile and home internet plans that do not depend on a Canadian credit history, with international calling to the countries families call most.

Two health workers sharing a smile in a bright hospital corridor

Health, dental, vision & prescriptions

Provincial plans pay for doctors and hospitals. Cover for prescriptions, dental care and eyeglasses varies by province and by age. Our group programs are there for what the public plan does not pay.

A white house with blue shutters and snow-laden spruce trees after a heavy snowfall

Insurance through licensed providers

Life, home, auto and travel insurance, and the visitor medical coverage a super visa requires for parents and grandparents. Every policy is issued by a licensed insurer.

A smiling woman on a sofa holding a bank card in one hand and her phone in the other

Banking & building credit

We arrange newcomer accounts, secured cards and rent reporting that turn regular payments into a Canadian credit history. Savings tools follow once the foundation is in place.

Two engineers in white hard hats reviewing building plans beside a window

Jobs, credentials & language

We guide internationally trained professionals and tradespeople through credential assessment, bridging programs and mentoring. English and French courses include the language of your workplace.

A quiet road covered in fresh snow, lined with bare trees beside a river

End of life & repatriation

When a death happens far from home, we arrange repatriation of remains or a dignified burial in Canada through licensed providers, and the network stands with the family.

Also among the twelve:

Pharmacy
Legal and document help
Everyday savings
Family, education and elder care across borders

See all twelve areas of benefitInsurance programs are offered through licensed providers. Membership itself is not insurance.

Your first 90 days

Every newcomer faces the same list, and almost no one is handed it in order. Here it is: ten things to arrange, in the sequence that saves the most time.

Week one
The four that unlock everything else
- Social Insurance Number
  You need a SIN to work and to file taxes. Apply through Service Canada, and keep the number private.
- Bank account and first credit history
  Open a chequing account and ask for a first credit product. Your Canadian credit history starts at zero on the day you arrive.
- Phone plan
  Almost every form asks for a Canadian number. Compare plans before you sign a long contract.
- Provincial health card
  Apply once you have an address. Some provinces apply a waiting period before coverage begins, so arrange private cover for the gap.
Month one
A home, a school, a profession
- Housing and tenant basics
  Leases, deposits and tenant rights are set by each province. Read the lease in full before you sign it.
- School registration
  Children register through the local school board. Bring proof of address, identity papers and vaccination records.
- Credential recognition
  Regulated professions and trades are licensed province by province. Start the assessment early: it is the longest step on this list.
Month three
The road, the cold and the tax return
- Driver’s licence exchange
  Many foreign licences can be exchanged within a set period after arrival. Check your province’s list of recognized countries.
- Winter
  Real boots, a proper coat, winter tires and a heating budget. Everyone remembers their first January; nobody regrets being ready for it.
- A first tax return
  File a return even if you earned very little. Benefit and credit payments for you and your children depend on it.

Read the newcomer guidesGeneral orientation, free to everyone. It is not legal, immigration or tax advice.

Thirteen ways to be at home

Ten provinces and three territories, each with its own health plan, its own rules and its own winter. Choose where you live, or where you are going.

YukonTerritory

Largest cities: Whitehorse
Languages of settlement: English and French
Public health plan: Yukon Health Care Insurance Plan
Good to know: Most Yukoners live in Whitehorse, where nearly all settlement services are found. Winter days are short and summer days very long; plan for both.

Northwest TerritoriesTerritory

Largest cities: Yellowknife
Languages of settlement: English and French, alongside the territory’s official Indigenous languages
Public health plan: NWT Health Care Plan
Good to know: Yellowknife is the hub for work, schooling and services. Groceries and housing cost more than in the south, so set your budget before you move.

NunavutTerritory

Largest cities: Iqaluit
Languages of settlement: Inuktut, English and French
Public health plan: Nunavut Health Care Plan
Good to know: No road connects Nunavut’s communities to the rest of Canada. People and supplies arrive by air, and by sea in summer, so book travel early.

British ColumbiaProvince

Largest cities: Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Victoria
Languages of settlement: English
Public health plan: Medical Services Plan (MSP)
Good to know: MSP coverage begins after a waiting period, so arrange private cover for your first weeks. Basic auto insurance is bought through the public insurer, ICBC.

AlbertaProvince

Largest cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer
Languages of settlement: English
Public health plan: Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan (AHCIP)
Good to know: Registry agents, private offices found in most towns, handle health card registration, driver’s licences and vehicle papers under one roof. Alberta has no provincial sales tax.

SaskatchewanProvince

Largest cities: Saskatoon, Regina
Languages of settlement: English
Public health plan: Saskatchewan Health Card
Good to know: The public insurer, SGI, issues driver’s licences and basic auto insurance. Prairie winters are cold and bright, and a block heater for the car is ordinary equipment.

ManitobaProvince

Largest cities: Winnipeg, Brandon
Languages of settlement: English; French in Saint-Boniface and other francophone communities
Public health plan: Manitoba Health card
Good to know: Manitoba Public Insurance handles driver licensing and basic auto insurance. Each summer Winnipeg’s cultural communities open their pavilions to the whole city at Folklorama.

OntarioProvince

Largest cities: Toronto, Ottawa, Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton
Languages of settlement: English; French-language services in designated areas
Public health plan: Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP)
Good to know: More newcomers settle in Ontario than in any other province. ServiceOntario centres issue health cards, and settlement agencies in every large city offer free language classes.

QuébecProvince

Largest cities: Montréal, Québec City, Laval, Gatineau
Languages of settlement: French
Public health plan: Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ)
Good to know: French is the language of public life. Francisation Québec offers free French courses to newcomers, and residents file two tax returns each year: one federal, one provincial.

New BrunswickProvince

Largest cities: Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton
Languages of settlement: English and French
Public health plan: New Brunswick Medicare
Good to know: Canada’s only officially bilingual province. Public services are offered in English and in French everywhere, and you may choose either.

Prince Edward IslandProvince

Largest cities: Charlottetown, Summerside
Languages of settlement: English
Public health plan: PEI Health Card
Good to know: The smallest province, joined to the mainland by the Confederation Bridge and a seasonal ferry. Most services are found in Charlottetown and Summerside.

Nova ScotiaProvince

Largest cities: Halifax, Sydney
Languages of settlement: English
Public health plan: Medical Services Insurance (MSI)
Good to know: Halifax is the largest city and port in Atlantic Canada, and its universities bring students from around the world.

Newfoundland and LabradorProvince

Largest cities: St. John’s, Mount Pearl, Corner Brook
Languages of settlement: English
Public health plan: Medical Care Plan (MCP)
Good to know: The island keeps its own time zone, half an hour ahead of the Maritimes, so set your watch when you land. Memorial University draws many international students.

United StatesFor Canadians abroad

Typical destinations: New York, California, Florida, Texas, Washington State
Questions we help with: Banking and credit on both sides of the border, health cover on visits home, and filing obligations in two countries (information, not advice).
Good to know: More Canadians live in the United States than in any other country abroad. A Canadian credit history does not cross the border by itself, so plan for both systems.

Europe & the United KingdomFor Canadians abroad

Typical destinations: London, Paris, Dublin, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon
Questions we help with: Health cover between two public systems, pensions earned in two countries, and keeping Canadian accounts and documents current.
Good to know: Canada has social security agreements with many European countries, so years worked on both sides can count toward a pension. Our sister house, TAS Europe, recognizes your card.

Asia-Pacific & the GulfFor Canadians abroad

Typical destinations: Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Dubai, Doha
Questions we help with: Private health cover for long postings, schooling for children, family emergencies at home, and the move back.
Good to know: Hong Kong is home to one of the largest communities of Canadians abroad. Provincial health coverage depends on living in your province, so a long posting needs private cover. TAS East Asia and TAS West Asia recognize your card.

Move from one province to another and four things change: your health card, your driver’s licence, your professional licence and your tenant rights. Your SIN, your credit history and your membership stay with you.

The two hardest problems, taken on together

Ask anyone who arrived as an adult what cost them the most time in Canada. The answer is nearly always one of these two.

Bâtir son historique de crédit

Building credit from zero

A flawless record in Lagos, Manila or Lyon counts for nothing at a Canadian credit bureau. Without a history, a phone contract, an apartment and a car loan all become harder, and the first years cost more than they should.

What your membership does

We arrange secured cards and newcomer accounts that report to both credit bureaus from the first month.
We bring rent reporting to members, so that the largest payment you make each month finally counts.
We set out a clear path from a first card to a first loan, on terms negotiated for the whole group.

With your member cardBanking and credit programs

Des compétences reconnues

Credentials that count

Canada welcomes internationally trained engineers, nurses, teachers and electricians, and then asks each of them to qualify again, profession by profession and province by province. Years are lost to forms and waiting.

What your membership does

We guide you through credential assessment, with the route mapped step by step for each regulated profession.
We secure places in bridging programs that turn international experience into a Canadian licence.
We arrange workplace English and French, and mentors who have made the same journey.

With your member cardJobs and credentials programs

A group of young people sitting in a circle on the grass in a park, facing one another

Associations join free

For community leaders: join free, and stand together

Hometown associations, cultural and faith groups, student unions and professional networks join at no cost. You keep your name, your independence and your voice.

Twelve areas of benefit, for every one of your members.
A seat in the Canadian network of associations, from coast to coast to coast.
The Mutual Aid Compact, so that no community stands alone in its worst week.

When a member dies far from home

Too often a community hears of a death in the morning and passes the hat the same evening. Under the Mutual Aid Compact, member associations stand together so that a family can bring a loved one home, or hold a dignified burial here, without carrying it alone.

The Compact is mutual aid between associations. It is not insurance and creates no right to payment.

Information for community leaders

Three ways in

Join alone, join as a household, or bring your whole association. Each way leads to the same card and the same twelve areas of benefit.

Individual

For one adult, wherever you live.

A digital member card on your phone
All twelve areas of benefit
Recognition by every regional house of the family
TAS Foundation support in hardship and family emergencies

Join as an individual

Built for families

Household

For the adults under one roof, and every child under 18.

A card for each adult; children under 18 are included
Family programs: visits, elder care and schooling across borders
One household account for member news
Everything in the individual membership

Join as a household

Association

For hometown, cultural, faith, student and professional groups.

Associations join at no cost
Twelve areas of benefit for your members
A seat in the Canadian network
The Mutual Aid Compact

Membership is free.One membership per adult; children under 18 are included on a parent’s membership.

TAS CanadaTogether and Stronger Canada

Member · Membre

NameYour name

HouseCanada

Recognized by every Together and Stronger house

The card lives on your phone

No plastic, no waiting for the mail. Your member card is issued in English and French and carries a code that program providers scan.

Show it wherever a member program applies, in Canada or abroad.
Move to another region and it moves with you: Europe, India, China, Africa, East Asia and West Asia recognize the same card.
One card for each adult. Children under 18 are included on a parent’s membership.

Free to everyone, card or no card

Some help should never depend on membership. These four are for anyone, today, without joining.

GuidesPlain-language guides to the first 90 days, credit, credentials, renting, winter and taxes. Scam WatchThe frauds aimed at newcomers: calls that claim to be the tax agency, deposits for apartments that do not exist, job offers that ask for a fee. How to recognize each one and stop it. Consular DeskHow to reach your country’s consulate in Canada, or Canadian consular services abroad: documents, appointments and emergencies. Information only. Free help near youWhere to find settlement agencies, community legal clinics, language classes and food programs in your city, at no cost.

Our guides are general information. We do not give legal, immigration, tax or financial advice.

A canoe resting beside a wooden dock on a still lake at sunset

What we believe

Stronger communities.A country is built street by street, by the people who chose it.
Always stronger together.One household bargains alone. A membership bargains as one.
Together we stay strong.Through the first winter, the first refusal, and the first loss far from home.
Together we stand.Beside every member, whatever passport they carry and whatever papers they hold.
Together, we get things done — beautifully.With care for the detail, because dignity lives in the detail.

Join us — or serve with us

Membership is free, and it is yours for the asking. For those who wish to give their time as well, there is a second invitation: to serve the community you belong to.

Become a member Serve with us

Community ambassador
Association liaison
Interpreter or translator
Guide writer
Welcome volunteer
Professional mentor

One family, on every continent

TAS stands for Together and Stronger. TAS Canada is one of seven regional houses, and your card is recognized by all of them.

Together and StrongerThe member organization where the family began, serving the United States and the Americas.togetherandstronger.org TAS Member ServicesNegotiates and runs the benefit programs on behalf of every member, in every region.tasmemberservices.org TAS FoundationFree first help for everyone; hardship, family-emergency and life-milestone support for members.tas-foundation.org TAS WorldThe map of every region, and the way from one house to the next.tasworld.org

The other regional houses

Questions, answered plainly

What does TAS stand for?

TAS stands for Together and Stronger. TAS Canada, in full Together and Stronger Canada, is the Canadian house of a worldwide membership family.

Who can join?

Anyone who came to Canada from another country, whatever their status; Canadians living abroad; and their families, relatives and friends. The Canadian-born children of newcomers are as welcome as their parents.

Does membership cost anything?

No. Membership is free. There is one membership per adult, and children under 18 are included on a parent’s membership. Associations join free as well.

Do you ask about my status?

Never. We do not collect immigration or residence status: not on the form, not for the card, not for any benefit. Permanent resident, citizen, student, worker or visitor, you join with a name and an e-mail address.

Is this insurance?

No. Membership is not insurance. Insurance programs are offered through licensed providers, who issue the policies. The Mutual Aid Compact is mutual aid between associations; it is not insurance and creates no right to payment.

What does a member receive?

A digital member card on your phone, twelve areas of benefit, recognition by every regional house of the family, and the support of the TAS Foundation in hardship and family emergencies. See the twelve areas of benefit.

I lead an association. How do we join?

Associations join at no cost and keep their name and independence. Read the page for community leaders and register your association there. We write back to welcome your group to the Canadian network.

Do you serve members in French?

Yes. This site, the member card and our correspondence are in English and in French, and both are equal here. Join on the English or the French site and we write to you in that language.

How is my information protected?

Your information is protected under Canadian privacy law, including PIPEDA and Québec’s Law 25. It is never sold. We send member news only with your consent, as Canada’s anti-spam rules require, and you can withdraw that consent at any time. Read the privacy notice.

Can I do more than join?

Yes. Members serve as community ambassadors, association liaisons, interpreters, guide writers, welcome volunteers and professional mentors. It is an honour offered to those who wish to give their time. See Serve with us.

How is this site related to the other Together and Stronger sites?

Together and Stronger is one family: the member organization in the Americas, TAS Member Services, TAS Foundation, TAS World, and seven regional houses for Europe, Canada, India, China, Africa, East Asia and West Asia. One membership and one card are recognized by all of them.

Become a member

Membership is free. Joining takes about a minute, and your membership goes with you wherever you live.

What happens next

We confirm your membership by e-mail.
Your digital member card arrives on your phone.
Your association, if you belong to one, is linked to your card.

We never ask about immigration or residence status.