Landing in Calgary in 5 days.... checklist?

Durag

I will finally be arriving in Calgary soon and was thinking of doing up a checklist of document i need but i think i am forgetting some so i was wondering if people here could help out?

POE letter
Proof of insurance
Proof of funds

I know those 3 are the main ones for getting the work permit.

Landlord reference letter - Do people get one of these? I moved out of my rental property a few months ago and forgot to get one and i am not sure i have the landlords number.

Driving history - I hope at some stage to drive in Calgary, is this document required for car insurance purposes?

Is there any document that i am forgetting that is important to have? Apart from passport obviously.

Also, do people generally close their Irish bank accounts and move everything to their Canadian one? Or do you leave them open?

montreal2011

Landlord reference letter - Do people get one of these? I moved out of my rental property a few months ago and forgot to get one and i am not sure i have the landlords number.

I'm not sure how much value is in this. Unless you rented from an agency where a contact is easier to verify as a legit business, you could just make one up and give a friend's number. Still, because it's a different country I'm not sure they will give it much credence. I never needed one, due to knowing landlords via others.

Driving history - I hope at some stage to drive in Calgary, is this document required for car insurance purposes?

Insurance won't ask for proof of much at all. If you ever make a claim, that's when they will want to see proof. You're more likely to need it if you want to get a local license and want credit for your driving experience.

Is there any document that i am forgetting that is important to have? Apart from passport obviously.

Can't think of one. Birth cert maybe, but then again I think it's needed for Garda certs if you ever need that, so maybe it's best left at home. If possible, keep such docs with someone trustworthy at home and they can mail them to you if ever you need.

Also, do people generally close their Irish bank accounts and move everything to their Canadian one? Or do you leave them open?

Each to their own. I kept mine as it's handy to have when I go home, and I still have an Irish CC. It depends on your fees etc. and if you feel you'll need it again. Not sure how much of a pain it is to open an account there, and if having a long history as a customer will help you in future if you need to do business with your bank again.

Durag

Got the working holiday visa no problem anyways, in Calgary two days now. Very clean city with incredibly friendly people. Going to take it easy for a few days and explore the area before looking for work.

Thanks for your reply