Moving to Canada

Maximum CAD 679.75/month per child under 6 and CAD 573.58/month per child aged 6–17, before the income-based reduction; payment period is July 2026–June 2027.

CRA states that the applicant must be a resident of Canada for tax purposes and that the applicant or spouse/common-law partner must be one of the following source-defined categories: ‘Permanent resident’; ‘Protected person (received a positive Notice of Decision from the Immigration and Refugee Board)’; or ‘Temporary resident’ who lived in Canada throughout the previous 18 months and has a valid permit in the 19th month. Resident In Canada For Ccb, protected Person In Canada With Positive Notice Of Decision For Ccb and temporary Resident In Canada With 18 Month Stay And Valid Permit For Ccb; it excludes the citizen-only alternative and does not generalize to every tax resident or temporary visitor.

The CRA RC4210 guide for the July 2026–June 2027 payment period gives annual maximums of CAD 679 for a single individual, CAD 890 for a couple and CAD 234 for each child under 19; the actual amount is calculated from adjusted family net income, marital status and eligible children.

The current CRA CGEB guide states that a claimant must be a resident of Canada for income-tax purposes at the relevant payment dates. The current CRA newcomer page states: ‘The CRA considers you a newcomer to Canada for the first year you are a resident of Canada for income tax purposes.’ It also states: ‘New residents of Canada must apply for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB), formerly the GST/HST credit.’ Resident Of Canada For Income Tax Purposes Applying For Cgeb; the claimant must also meet the current age, income, residential-ties and other CGEB conditions.

The current Canada.ca page describes an in-kind housing benefit: community housing is subsidized by the government, placement occurs when housing becomes available in waiting-list order, and the local, provincial or territorial offer varies by programme and location. No unsupported national cash amount is asserted.

The current Canada.ca ‘Other forms of housing’ page has a ‘Community housing’ section. It says that a person with a low income that makes it hard to afford a home may qualify for community housing and that this housing is subsidized by the government. It then states: ‘As a new immigrant or refugee, you can add your name to a waiting list for subsidized housing’; after arrival, a person with low income is directed to a newcomer services provider about local, provincial or territorial subsidized housing. Immigrant Or Refugee In Canada With Low Income For Community Housing and does not imply a cash allowance, immediate placement or eligibility for every newcomer.

Basic rate is 55% of average insurable weekly earnings; maximum weekly benefit is CAD 729 for 2026.

Canada’s official EI digest states: ‘Foreign workers employed in insurable employment are required to pay EI premiums’; and ‘Foreign workers, as with any other worker, can receive regular benefits, provided they meet eligibility and entitlement conditions, while in Canada.’ The regular-benefit page separately requires that the claimant was employed in insurable employment, lost the job through no fault of their own, had the required insurable hours, is ready and capable of working and is actively looking for work. Worker In Canada In Insurable Employment For Ei Regular Benefits and retains those contribution, job-loss, hours and availability conditions; it does not infer entitlement from foreign status alone.

The current IRCC RAP Terms state that eligible RAP clients may receive income support for up to 12 months when income is insufficient. Basic needs include food, shelter, clothing, basic furniture and incidentals; the contribution amount is based on prevailing provincial social-assistance rates and applicable national allowances, is normally paid monthly and varies by province and household. No unsupported single national CAD amount is asserted.

The current Canada.ca Government-Assisted Refugees program page identifies Government-Assisted Refugees (GARs) referred by UNHCR or another referral organization and says a person cannot apply to resettle as a GAR. The current Canada.ca financial-help page says the RAP supports Convention Refugees Abroad and, in some cases, Country of Asylum Class refugees with special needs admitted to Canada as government-assisted refugees. The current IRCC RAP Terms define eligible recipients as RAP clients admitted as permanent residents or temporary residents with a section 24 permit who were determined or initially applied as Convention refugees abroad class or humanitarian protected persons abroad class and selected for government resettlement assistance or the Joint Assistance Sponsorship program, plus the other source-defined classes in Part A section 4A. Assisted Refugee In Canada Under Rap Income Support; it does not broaden RAP to inside-Canada refugee claimants, privately sponsored refugees generally or every foreign resident.