SIM card for work permit holders in Canada
Order a Canadian SIM or eSIM before you fly so your employer has a working number from your first day, with hotspot for a work laptop, no credit check, and no payment due until 20 days after your line activates. Plans continue month to month, so a contract extension changes nothing.
- Hotspot for a work laptop
- No credit check
- Pay 20 days after activation
- No fixed term
Is this page for you?
- You hold a work permit, closed or open, and have a start date to be there for
- An employer, recruiter, or agency already needs a number that reaches you
- You may be placed outside a major city, on a site, or somewhere coverage is not a given
- You might need to tether a work laptop before home internet is connected
- Your contract could be extended, so you want a plan that does not expire on you
If this is not you: arriving as a permanent resident rather than on a time-limited permit? The settlement angle is covered on SIM cards for newcomers. Coming for a short assignment of under a month? A prepaid 30-day plan is cheaper, see plans for short stays.
Starting a job while unreachable is the expensive part
For a work permit holder the risk is not inconvenience, it is looking unreliable in the first week of a job you moved countries for. Almost everything that goes wrong traces back to a number nobody can call.
The pre-start calls
Shift confirmations, site addresses, a changed start time, kit collection. These come by phone, days before you begin, and an international number often does not get dialled twice.
Work systems lock you out
Payroll, benefits, and scheduling portals all verify by SMS to a local number. Without one, onboarding stalls at the account setup stage.
No connection at the site
Temporary accommodation rarely has usable internet on day one. If you need a laptop online before then, tethering off your phone is the only realistic option.
The best phone plan for a work permit holder
For workers the deciding feature is hotspot, and only one plan has it. Take the Unlimited Data Rogers plan at $40 a month if there is any realistic chance you will need a laptop online before home internet is installed, or from a site without wifi. That single capability is worth more to most workers than the $5 a month it costs, because the alternative is being unable to work at all.
Unlimited Data · 5G
Rogers · Postpaid
$40
Monthly · Postpaid, $80/mo if purchased in Canada
- Hotspot included, tether a work laptop from day one
- 100 GB at up to 1 Gbps, then unlimited at reduced speed
- Unlimited Canada-wide calling, caller ID and voicemail
- 1,000 minutes to Bangladesh, China, India, Mexico and the UK
- No fixed term, a contract extension changes nothing
75GB · 5G
Fido · Postpaid
$35
Monthly · Postpaid, $60/mo if purchased in Canada
- 75 GB on Fido 5G at $5/mo less
- No hotspot, cannot run a work laptop
- Unlimited Canada-wide calling and texts
- Same 1,000 international minutes
- Sensible only if your workplace and home both have wifi
Postpaid without a credit check, why that matters here
Prepaid means paying up front for a fixed 30 or 90-day block that stops when it runs out. Postpaid means using the plan and paying afterwards, month to month, with no end date. For a work contract of any real length, postpaid is the right shape, it will not expire in the middle of your placement, and it does not need re-buying if your contract is extended.
The usual obstacle for a new arrival is that Canadian postpaid normally involves a credit check, and you have no Canadian credit file yet, which is how people end up being asked for a deposit before their first paycheque. These postpaid plans require no credit check and no Canadian credit history, and payment is not due until 20 days after activation. There is no contract, so if the placement ends early, you contact support and stop.
We do not claim these plans build a Canadian credit history, because we have not confirmed whether payments are reported to Canadian credit bureaus.
Every Get Canada Sim plan, side by side
Here is the full catalogue, including the prepaid plans, so you can see exactly why a work placement needs a monthly one.
| Unlimited Data 120 GB (Rogers) | Unlimited Data (Rogers) | 75 GB (Fido) | 90 GB (chatr) | 50 GB (chatr) | 75 GB, 90 days (chatr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data | 120 GB up to 1 Gbps, then reduced speed | 100 GB at up to 1 Gbps, then unlimited at reduced speed | 75 GB | 90 GB, then reduced speed | 50 GB, then reduced speed | 75 GB, then reduced speed |
| Network | Rogers 5G | Rogers 5G | Fido 5G | chatr 4G LTE | chatr 4G LTE | chatr 4G LTE |
| Hotspot for a work laptop | Included | Included | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Calls | Unlimited USA & Canada-wide | Unlimited Canada-wide | Unlimited Canada-wide | Unlimited Canada and US | Unlimited Canada and US | Unlimited Canada-wide |
| Texts | Unlimited local and international SMS | Unlimited local and international SMS | Unlimited local and international SMS | Unlimited Canada, US and international | Unlimited Canada, US and international | Unlimited Canada, US and international |
| International minutes | 1,000 min to 5 countries | 1,000 min to 5 countries | 1,000 min to 5 countries | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Caller ID and voicemail | Included | Included | Included | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Term | Monthly, no contract | Monthly, no contract | Monthly, no contract | 30 days, then re-buy | 30 days, then re-buy | 90 days, then re-buy |
| Billing | Postpaid, payment due 20 days after activation | Postpaid, payment due 20 days after activation | Postpaid, payment due 20 days after activation | Prepaid, paid up front | Prepaid, paid up front | Prepaid, paid up front |
| Credit check | None | None | None | None | None | None |
| Price | $50/mo | $40/mo | $35/mo | $40 per 30 days | $35 per 30 days | $75 per 90 days |
Why the Unlimited Data Rogers plan beats the rest for a work permit holder:
- Vs. the Rogers 120 GB plan ($50/mo): $10/mo more for USA roaming and extra data most placements inside Canada will not use. Worth it only if your job has you crossing into the US.
- Vs. Fido ($35/mo): $5/mo cheaper, but no hotspot. Only sensible if your workplace and home both have wifi from day one, see the alternative card above.
- Vs. all three chatr prepaid plans: none include hotspot, and all three expire after 30 or 90 days and have to be re-bought, which is the wrong shape for a work contract that could run for months or be extended without warning.
Your four options, compared fairly
Ordering before you fly
GoodYour employer has a working Canadian number before your first shift, and there is no credit check or deposit at a point where you have not been paid yet.
CatchYou need a carrier-unlocked phone and a few days of lead time.
Roaming on your home plan
GoodNothing to arrange, and it works the moment you land.
CatchYour employer is dialling an international number, which looks temporary and often does not connect. Roaming is also priced by the day, which adds up fast over a contract.
Sorting it out after you arrive
GoodYou can walk into a store and see the whole Canadian market.
CatchIt costs you the first days of a new job, and postpaid signup in-country commonly involves a credit check or deposit for someone with no Canadian credit file.
A data-only travel eSIM
GoodCheap, and fine for messaging apps and maps while you settle in.
CatchNo Canadian number, so payroll, benefits, and scheduling systems cannot send you SMS codes and nobody at work can phone you.
How it works
Pick a monthly plan
A work contract runs in months, so take a monthly postpaid plan rather than a prepaid block that expires mid-contract. Both monthly plans are contract-free, so you can move between them later.
Order before your flight
Fill in your contact details, arrival date, and visa type. No SIN, no Canadian address, and no credit history are required, and no payment is taken when you submit the order.
Choose eSIM or a posted SIM
An eSIM arrives by email as a QR code once your documents are checked, the safer choice if your Canadian address is not settled yet. A physical SIM is posted to a Canadian address with tracking.
Be reachable from your start date
Your line activates up to 24 hours before the arrival date you gave us, so the number is generally live before your first day. Payment is not due until 20 days after activation, which for most people is after a first paycheque.
The timing rule: activation is scheduled against the arrival date you enter at checkout, not the day you order. If your start date or flight moves, message support before the original date passes.
Will my phone work?
Your phone must be carrier unlocked. Phones bought outright generally are; phones still on a contract or instalment plan often are not, and only the carrier that sold it can release it. Deal with this before you fly, it is a support call at home and a serious problem once you have started a job abroad.
For an eSIM, the phone also needs eSIM support. On iPhone, check Settings → General → About for an EID; on Android, look for an option to add or download a SIM in mobile network settings. The eSIM Canada guide covers installation in detail.
If your employer issues a company phone, you may still want your own Canadian number on a dual-SIM handset, company devices are usually locked down and are not somewhere you want your personal banking codes arriving.
Reachability for work
This is the part that separates a work permit holder from any other arrival: someone is depending on being able to reach you, from before you land until your contract ends. Here is how to make that hold up.
Give the number out before you fly
As soon as you order, you have the number. Send it to your employer, your recruiter, and anyone handling your relocation while you are still at home, so the first thing they try actually works.
Check coverage for where you will actually be
Not for the city you fly into. If you are placed on a site, in a rural area, or somewhere in the north, look up that specific location on the operator coverage map before you rely on it. A plan that is excellent downtown can be thin at a work site an hour out.
Sort work two-factor early
Payroll portals, benefits accounts, and scheduling apps all send verification codes by SMS. Register the Canadian number with them in your first week, while you still have your home SIM as a backup.
Plan the calls home around the time difference
Both monthly plans include 1,000 minutes to Bangladesh, China including Hong Kong, India, Mexico, and the UK. If your family is somewhere else, those minutes do not apply and you will be using data for video calls, which is an argument for the larger plan.
Checking coverage properly
Coverage is a property of the network and the location, not of the plan, and it is the one thing on this page we genuinely cannot promise for your specific work site. Check it yourself before you rely on it, search the actual postcode or town, not the nearest city, and look at what the map says for indoor coverage rather than just the coloured area.
The operator coverage maps are the authoritative source: Rogers coverage for the Unlimited Data plan and Fido coverage for the 75 GB plan. If you are unsure how to read them for your placement, send us the location and we will look with you.
On tethering: a work laptop over hotspot is fine for email, documents, and most video calls, but it is your phone doing the work. Plug in while tethering, and remember the 100 GB allowance is shared between phone and laptop, a few days of full-time laptop use makes a noticeable dent, which is another reason the smaller plan does not suit anyone tethering regularly.
On extensions: because neither monthly plan has a fixed term, an extended contract needs no action at all. Your number, plan, and price carry on. Your rights as a wireless customer in Canada are set out in the CRTC Wireless Code, which is worth a read if you are new to the Canadian market.
Help when your start date is fixed
If you are starting work within days of landing, the time to raise a problem is while you are still at home. Install the eSIM before you fly, confirm your phone is unlocked, and tell us your arrival date if anything has moved.
Canada office
+1 778-682-3771
Surrey, British Columbia
Email reaches the same team as either phone line. Include your order number, your arrival date, and the town you will be working in if coverage is your question.
Work permit SIM questions
Will it work outside major cities?
Coverage depends on the operator network and the exact location, not on the plan you buy, so we will not promise it works everywhere. Before you commit, look up the place you will actually be working on the operator coverage map. If you are heading somewhere remote or to a work site rather than an office, that check is worth doing properly rather than assuming city coverage extends.
Can I use it as a hotspot for my work laptop?
Only on the Unlimited Data Rogers plan, which includes hotspot. The 75 GB Fido plan does not include hotspot, so it cannot tether a laptop. If there is any chance you will need to work before home internet is installed, or from a site with no wifi, that difference is the main reason to take the Rogers plan.
How do I call home?
Both monthly plans include 1,000 international long distance minutes from Canada to Bangladesh, China including Hong Kong, India, Mexico, and the United Kingdom only. Calls to any other country are not covered by those minutes, so if your family is elsewhere, plan on data-based video calls and choose your data allowance with that in mind.
What happens if my contract is extended?
Nothing needs to change. Both monthly plans are postpaid with no fixed term, so they continue month to month for as long as you keep them, an extension does not require a new plan, a new number, or a renewal. This is the practical advantage over a prepaid plan, which would expire and need re-buying partway through.
Can I get an invoice or receipt for my employer to reimburse?
Contact support and ask what documentation can be issued for your plan before you assume a reimbursement claim will be straightforward. We would rather you check than submit an expense claim on the strength of a promise this page did not verify.
Can I get a plan without Canadian credit history?
Yes. No credit check is run and no Canadian credit history is needed, including on the monthly postpaid plans. That matters most in the gap between landing and your first paycheque, which is exactly when a Canadian carrier is most likely to ask a new arrival for a deposit.
Will the number work for payroll and benefits verification codes?
It is an ordinary Canadian mobile number, so it receives SMS from Canadian services in the normal way, including verification codes. Register it with work systems in your first week rather than leaving your home number on the account, or you will be locked out once you stop using that SIM.
Can I switch to a bigger plan once I start working?
Yes, at any time, because there is no contract on either plan. Workers commonly start on the 75 GB plan and move up after discovering their site has no wifi, or move down once home internet is installed. Contact support before your next billing month so the change lines up cleanly.
What if my start date moves?
Tell support the new arrival date before the original one passes. Activation is scheduled against the date you entered at checkout, so a delayed flight or a pushed start date is worth a quick message, otherwise your line goes live while you are still at home.
Do I need to pay anything when I order?
No. The order form takes your details only, with no payment at that stage. Regular online orders do not require document upload. On the monthly postpaid plans, payment is not due until 20 days after your line activates, so you will have landed and started work before anything is owed.