After you arrive

In Canada, publicly funded health care is supported through provincial or territorial health care insurance plans. As such, postdocs relocating from another province or arriving internationally will need to apply for provincial coverage through the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). 

Postdocs who are not eligible for OHIP must instead enrol in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). If you are not eligible for OHIP, you can find information about UHIP on the Human Resources (HR) website. 

Are you new to the Canadian health care system? Learn more about accessing health care on our Coming to Canada web page. 

To receive your salary from the University, you will need a social insurance number (SIN). Learn more and apply for a SIN online or in person at a Service Canada Centre. 

To receive your pay from the University of Waterloo, you will need to open a Canadian bank account. The International Student Guide provides helpful information on major banks in Waterloo, to support you in choosing a bank and opening a bank account. 

If you have arrived in Waterloo with school-aged children, or children who will require childcare, explore our resources for families to learn about schools and childcare in the Region and how to enrol.

If you are appointed as a postdoctoral scholar associate, you will not receive automatic access to UWaterloo systems such as email or the library. Your supervisor will need to fill out a WatIAM sponsorship form, where they can specify what systems or services you will need access to, such as Library, VPN, email and Microsoft 365. 

Please contact your supervisor to ensure the WatIAM sponsorship form is completed prior to your start date to avoid delays in getting set up in the UWaterloo systems. Additionally, we recommend asking your supervisor to confirm which systems they have requested access to. If at any point during your postdoc, you require access to additional systems, your supervisor can submit an updated sponsorship form. 

After your appointment is processed by Human Resources (typically shortly before your appointment begins) or after your supervisor's WatIAM sponsorship form is processed (postdoctoral scholar associates only), you should receive a personalized “Invitation Email” from watiam@uwaterloo.ca. Follow the instructions to activate your Waterloo WatIAM credentials. If you are a former University of Waterloo student or employee, your WatIAM credentials will remain the same and you will not be required to complete this step. 

If there is a delay in your contract being processed by Human Resources, you may need to wait until your contract begins to complete this step.

If you are an alumnus but haven’t been accessing your WatIAM lately, don’t worry, the IST service desk can help you out! Visit the WatIAM login help page for alumni for the next steps to get logged back into your WatIAM account, as your WatIAM credentials will remain the same.

Hopefully, you have a bit of time to settle in before your contract officially begins! Consider taking some time to explore all the Region of Waterloo has to offer. 

Sustainable Transportation supports the campus community by offering multiple transportation and parking options. Access the Sustainable Transportation website to learn more about parking options, cycling, public transit, carpooling, and EV charging! 

Remember that Waterloo employees are eligible for a 15% discount on GRT transit fares by purchasing a monthly Corporate Pass or stored value!