Things to do before coming to UBC permanently

If you are not a Canadian citizen...
If you are a Canadian coming from another province... Housing
Daycare and/or school for your child
Moving and lab setup expenses

If not a Canadian citizen -

a) Arrange for Work Permit or Landed Immigrant papers. http://www.cic.gc.ca/

b) Go to employment Canada and fill out paperwork for a social insurance number SIN #.

c) Call Canadian customs to get the latest info on moving your possessions into Canada. Pay special attention if trying to move an automobile, pets or large amounts of alcohol into the country http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/menu-e.html

d) make sure spouse and family have appropriate papers so they can work or go to school easily, without hassle (Immunization papers for instance for school age children).

If you are coming from outside BC arrange for medical coverage. Start the paperwork asap so you can get BC medical coverage. Call Human Resources or the representative for Faculty benefits: A to G (Tammy Foo 822-8127), H to O (Leslie Chan 822-3142), P to Z (Kent Matthewson 822-8978). It is also important to arrange for separate health insurance to cover the time you will remain uncovered before you receive your medical coverage (a maximum of 3 months).

Housing: Find a place to live in Vancouver---check out "faculty housing" on the UBC campus as a temporary place to live. Note: you may only live in faculty housing for a limited amount of time. The Faculty and Family Housing web page is: http://www.housing.ubc.ca/housing/

Other Housing issues-

There is a university "housing assistance" program that comes and goes in and out of existence. When it is in place you have a choice of a $10,000 gift (pay taxes on it too) or a $25,000 loan (5 years to repay). There is usually a 3 year time limit on the use of this program so make sure you ask about it so you don"t lose an opportunity.

Daycare and/or School for your child. The Vancouver School Board Web page is: http://www.vsb.bc.ca/, which provides enrollment details and deadlines. UBC has an excellent day care system as well as afterschool care and summer care for school age children. Early enrollment is key as these services are in high demand. The UBC Child care web page is: http://www.childcare.ubc.ca/.

Moving and Lab Setup: One option is to write grants ahead of time so there will be money available for you to set up your lab. Alternatively, use your startup money to survive initially and write grants as soon as you arrive. Please note that three years can go by very quickly and if you don"t get your lab up and running immediately you may not have sufficient progress to get your first grant renewal. Some web sites of federal granting agencies are: http://www.cihr.ca and http://www.nserc.ca. A good resource for grant information is the UBC Research services web page at: http://www.orsil.ubc.ca/.

If convenient, arrange to send important lab reagents to someone at UBC ahead of time. Make sure there is ­80 degree and ­20 degree freezer space to spare. Make sure there is liquid nitrogen space available for storage of tissue culture cells (if applicable).

Order major pieces of equipment so your lab will be functional as soon as possible after you arrive.

Discuss moving expenses with Dept. Head. Moving expenses are tax deductible so keep all receipts.