Everything You Need to Know About Immigration on Prince Edward Island, Canada

With mesmerizing views of rolling mountains surrounded by dense forests and fresh streams flowing through the valley, immigration on Canada’s Prince Edward Island offers the opportunity to experience living close to nature like never before.

In addition, with a warm and friendly local community, settling in Canada’s Prince Edward Island (PEI) also offers the opportunity to enjoy a sustainable and peaceful life. In the following article, ImmiPath will show you everything about how to immigrate to Canada’s Prince Edward Island. See now!

1. What Are the Benefits of Settling In Canada’s Prince Edward Island?

Newcomers to Canada who choose to settle in PEI can expect to experience tremendous advantages in their quality of life, as PEI is renowned throughout Canada as one of the best places to raise a family. This is largely thanks to the province’s quaint and intimate communities, as well as its highly rated safety and simplicity of travel.

As the province with the least population in Canada, PEI is an area where newcomers can largely avoid the busy nature of Canada’s more urban cities.

However, in PEI, this luxury extends beyond most individual cities, as most provinces share this “small” lifestyle quality. With many quieter and more intimate communities, the province of PEI is an ideal place to settle for new Canadians who want to live away from the busy lifestyle of generally urban provinces such as most of Ontario or British Columbia.

Newcomers to the province will also benefit from its low crime rate, which is another reason why PEI is a great place to raise a family.

All parents want their children to be able to grow and develop in a safe environment where they do not need to worry whether their child will get home safely after spending time outdoors with friends. 

PEI’s close-knit lifestyle and low crime rate will make this less stressful for newcomers to Canada who choose to move to the province.

Finally, for a more personal lifestyle, another quality of life benefit of living in PEI is the short commute and “non-existent rush hour”. Newcomers to Canada often come to this country for many reasons, one of which is the opportunity to earn more money and have a better life than what they could have in their home country.

To do this, newcomers must find jobs in Canada and often commute. This is much easier in PEI because the province’s small size affords newcomers (and all residents) a simple and easy way to get to work every day.

2. Housing on Prince Edward Island

Because PEI’s population is just over 170,000 people, the housing market in this province is quite small. In fact, there are just over 64,000 total homes across the region.

Note: Since newcomers to Canada often focus on renting residential property rather than purchasing property when they first move to the country, it is important to emphasize that each newcomer to PEI will have different types of real estate. This is because the type of property as well as its price will largely depend on the community you settle in and the number of people you live with.

This Rentals.ca National Rental Report, updated monthly, provides average rental costs for one- and two-bedroom apartments in various cities across the country.

In PEI, like Canada in general, most newcomers will settle in the two or three largest Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in the region. However, PEI is unique because the Government of Canada does not list any CMAs for the province. Instead, PEI has 2 Censuses (CA). These areas are the capital Charlottetown (population over 86,000) and Summerside (population over 18,000).

3. Travel on Prince Edward Island

Before you worry about getting around your daily life as a newcomer to PEI, it’s important to understand the initial airport arrival process to the province. For more information to help you through this process, please visit this Canada Visa page called Coming to Canada.

Note: Statistics Canada (StatsCan) does not provide data on the distance of PEI residents to local public transportation

StatsCan data indicates that more than 90% of residents in both CAs of PEI use a car, minivan, or van as their primary means of transportation. In Charlottetown, more than 29,000 residents mainly use one of these vehicles to get around the province. In Summerside, that number is more than 6,000 people.

The ratio of travel by car, van, and van explains why PEI residents do not have as many public transportation options as people in other provinces, but it is important to know that the provincial government still provides public transportation options to their community.

4. Settlement Jobs on Prince Edward Island

In PEI, the 3 industries that employ the most workers are:

• The Trade sector employs more than 12,000 residents of PEI
• The Public Administration sector employs more than 9,000 people
• The Health and Social Assistance sector also employs more than 9,000 people

The Trade industry, within the larger category of service manufacturing employment sectors, includes jobs in retail trade and wholesale trade. In both of these occupations, the worker’s primary job responsibility is to purchase large quantities of goods and resell them in smaller quantities to other businesses/wholesalers (wholesale trade) or directly to consumers (retail trade).

Those working in both the wholesale and retail trade can expect to find employment in a variety of industries, including grocery, electronics, and household goods.

Employees in the public administration employment sector tend to work in jobs that require them to participate in activities of a governmental nature.

In other words, people who do these types of jobs play a role in a government function, either at the federal, provincial/territorial level or within local, municipal, or regional government. Public relations managers, policy managers, and education directors are just some examples of job titles that employees in this field hold.

The health care and social assistance industry in PEI employs doctors, nurses, personal care workers, mental health professionals, and many other types of mental and physical health professionals.

The core responsibilities of those working in health care and social assistance include tasks related to maintaining the well-being of those they serve, both from a physical health perspective (fractures, illnesses, etc.) and mental health (managing depression, anxiety, stress, and more).

5. Health Care when Settling on Prince Edward Island Canada

Starting when a newcomer to PEI completes 3 months of residence in the province, any newcomer to the area can receive free health care if they have a valid provincial health card, as the service health care across Canada is funded through the country’s universal health care model using public taxes.

The process to apply for a health card in PEI as a newcomer involves using this online form or submitting all required documents along with a completed PEI Health Card application to PEI Medicare or any Access PEI center.

Please note that application and documentation requirements for a PEI health card may vary depending on your status in Canada (whether you are a permanent resident, student, temporary foreign worker, etc.)

Please review the “What do I need to complete the online form?” on this PEI Government page for more details.

A valid provincial health card entitles Canadians living in any province or territory to access free public health services in their area of ​​residence at the use time.

Note: Some drugs (e.g., prescription drugs) and treatments will require the person receiving the treatments/medications to pay for the item/service themselves.

It is important to note that each provincial government decides which medical services to provide in the public health insurance package for people with health cards. PEI’s public health programs include the following:

• Doctor and hospital services
• Drug Program*
• Home care, palliative care, long-term care; mental health and addiction services and drug programs**
• Dental public health service
• Prevention and management of chronic disease
• Community health nursing
• Diabetes programs, community nutrition, cancer screening programs, speech-language pathology services, and more.

Ambulance service***

* – Drug program insurance depends on individual income level

** – For these services, a portion (up to the full cost of the service) may be covered

*** – Ambulance services are not normally covered by public health authorities, but island residents in certain cases may have these costs subsidized

Please click on any of the following hyperlinks for additional information related to one of the following topics about health cards in PEI.

Note: The Government of Canada strongly recommends that all PEI residents seek out and purchase private health insurance to supplement the public health insurance provided by the province/territory in which they live. This is because public health care programs do not cover all medical needs and because new arrivals will still need health insurance while waiting to qualify for a health card. 

For our comprehensive guide to health care in the country, including information about private healthcare options, visit Getting Health Care in Canada: A Guide for Newcomers.

6. Education in Prince Edward Island

In PEI, children enter the mandatory program of the Canadian education system at around age 6 when they start kindergarten.

6.1 K-12 Education in Prince Edward Island

Starting in kindergarten, there are two main paths that newcomers to Canada can explore when introducing their children to the Canadian education system.

For general information about the education system in this country, including important information about enrolling your child in school and what you can do to stay involved in your child’s education as parents, please visit our page called Education Guide for Newcomers to Canada.

The first (and more popular) option involves sending your children to school for free by enrolling them in the public school system.

Note: Parents of school-age children in Canada can take advantage of this public school system from the time their child enters kindergarten until high school graduation.

A second option for parents in Canada is to send their children to private schools or independent boarding schools, although these options would require tuition to be paid out of pocket rather than being funded collectively through Canadian taxes (same as in public schools).

PEI’s expected learning outcomes, curriculum, and programs vary at the primary and secondary levels. For that reason, the provincial government has made this online resource available to the public, which breaks down the province’s curriculum for students from kindergarten to grade 12.

Important: The hyperlinked resource above analyzes PEI’s preschool curriculum, then provides a grade-level curriculum for grades 1 to 9 and concludes with a resource for grades 10 to 12.

For parents of children in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, grade 6, and grades 7-9, the PEI Government also provides a framework for specific curriculum outcomes, which can be viewed at the appropriate websites and hyperlinks.

Finally, from Arts and Business Education to Health, Science, and Career/Technical Education, the provincial government also provides subject-specific guidance across the PEI curriculum.

6.2 Post-secondary education in Prince Edward Island

Despite being Canada’s smallest province, PEI is home to more than 20 Designated Learning Institutions (DLIs) for newcomers to Canada. These DLIs operate in 13 different cities across the province, from the capital Charlottetown to Wellington (population of approximately 400).

Most DLIs in PEI also offer programs that help newcomers to Canada qualify for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP). The value of this type of permit is enormous for non-permanent Canadians as it allows the permit holder to gain work experience in Canada, which will eventually qualify them to become a permanent resident in Canada.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) provides a complete list of DLIs in Canada, filtered by province, available at this link.

7. Weather on Prince Edward Island

PEI has the same four-season pattern as the rest of Canada – winter begins the new year, followed by spring, then summer and fall, before the year ends with winter returning.

For an overview of the weather in Canada, ImmiPath has created a separate section called How to Dress for the Weather in Canada.

The annual start (and in fact the end, as winter begins in late December and ends in mid-March) brings winter to PEI. This time of year typically sees a lot of snow in the area, as PEI is seen with an average of over 100 inches of snow each winter.

In this province, snow usually falls from November to April (tell more later). Winters in PEI also tend to be cold and windy. Winter often requires residents of this province to do their best when it comes to wearing layers of clothing, as this is a great way to stay warm during the coldest time of the calendar year.

When winter ends in mid-March, although snow on PEI can fall into April, the province will transition into spring. From mid-March to mid-June, snow that has accumulated across the province will melt and residents will begin to see milder temperatures. At the same time, the natural beauty of the province will begin to reappear as the flowers bloom and the trees bloom again as the weather gets warmer.

It’s worth noting that, although the weather has improved compared to winter, PEI still gets a lot of rain during this time of year. This means that people across the province will generally need to prioritize wearing clothing that keeps them dry and comfortable in wet conditions, including items like raincoats and waterproof shoes.

The end of spring marks the beginning of summer in PEI. This season officially kicks off around the second half of June and runs until mid-September. This is the time of year when most PEI residents will take advantage of PEI’s beaches, as the province is known to have the warmest waters in North Carolina in the United States.

Summer is the perfect time to wear t-shirts, sandals, and shorts most of the day. However, it is important to mention the importance of prioritizing breathable fabrics that keep you dry as well as clothing that protects you from the sun (hats, etc.) and comfortable footwear. 

The last new season PEI enters is fall (or autumn), which officially runs from mid-September to late December. This season is often the exact opposite of spring, as temperatures are warm most of the day shifting to cooler mornings.

In general, the fall/autumn season in PEI is typically when the province has its windiest weather, which means this time of year is when you should start layering your clothes again and adding extra windproof items like jackets and waterproof shoes to your outfit.

See more: Everything about types of Canadian immigration visas

8. Emergency Services in Prince Edward Island

To take advantage of emergency services in PEI, including fire, police, and ambulance, residents of the province can dial 9-1-1. For non-emergency health information and advice from a registered nurse, PEI residents can dial 8-1-1 for Telehealth or 7-1-1 if they are hearing impaired.

You can find a list of other emergency numbers, including mental health crises and child protective services, on this PEI Government page.

Services for newcomers to PEI may be provided through the province’s Immigrant and Refugee Services Association (IRSA).

IRSA provides settlement services to newcomers from when immigrants are in the pre-arrival phase (after being approved to move to Canada) until they are ready to take the Canadian citizenship test. PEI’s IRSA also offers payment services in French.

In addition to settlement service providers available through resources from provincial governments, IRCC also provides residents with nationwide government-sponsored settlement services across Canada.

Whether you need help finding a job, learning English or French, or enrolling your children in school (among other assistance), this online resource from IRCC provides a list of all the service providers in Canada (can be filtered by service type and location).

Note: IRCC also provides specific services tailored to women, seniors, youth, and members of the 2SLGBTQi+ community. Those services can also be found through the resource linked above from IRCC.

9. Taxes on Prince Edward Island

Newcomers to PEI need to pay special attention to 2 types of taxes – sales tax and income tax.

In PEI, the sales tax on consumer goods and services is 15%. This is the Provincial Harmonized Sales Tax (HST), which combines the PEI Provincial Sales Tax (PST, 10%) with the Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5%.

Like every other province or territory in Canada, income tax in PEI depends on how much an individual earns in a tax year. Typically, people with higher annual incomes pay more taxes to the government during tax season. For more information about income tax in PEI, visit this link from the Government of Canada.

Use this Canada visa page to learn about filing your personal income tax return in Canada.

10. Things to Do When Settling on Prince Edward Island

Beyond simply working hard to build a better life in Canada, newcomers to PEI also want to enjoy many opportunities to experience fun and relaxation at the new home.

Luckily, PEI does not lack fun and exciting experiences for those new to the area. A great example of this is the famous Ann of Green Gables Heritage. Centered around the world-famous story of PEI’s own LM Montgomery, this 19th-century farmhouse and museum is a great place to visit and discover the history behind this iconic work of Canadian literature.

In addition to the attractions above, PEI also celebrates Canada’s history and multicultural background in its annual Cities of Diversity Festival, celebrating the fusion of cultures, heritage, and foundations of the land water with a full day of music, cuisine, and dancing.

A Google search for multicultural holidays in your community will show you many events and activities across PEI that newcomers of the province can participate in to stay in touch with their culture throughout the year, even when you may no longer be in your hometown.

This Canadian visa application to immigrate to Prince Edward Island will begin by outlining some unique benefits newcomers will receive when settling in this province, which is famous for its beaches, agriculture, and quiet lifestyle.

Most of these benefits revolve around the quality of life advantages available to residents of the province, including the province’s safety, making PEI an ideal place to raise a family.

From the benefits of settling in PEI, this guide will explore the key subject areas you need to understand before moving to any part of Canada.

More specifically, this page will provide an overview of housing, travel, jobs, healthcare, education, weather, emergency services and newcomers, taxes and fun activities, and entertainment in PEI when you prepare to arrive in Canada as a newcomer.

11. Should We Settle Down on Canada’s Prince Edward Island?

Deciding whether to settle on Canada’s Prince Edward Island is a decision that depends on many different factors, including personal priorities, economic situation, family, and preparation for the future. However, after considering the benefits and challenges of settling here, the following conclusions can be drawn:

Settling on Canada’s Prince Edward Island can be an attractive option for those who want to be away from the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy living close to nature. With beautiful natural scenery and fresh air, this island provides an ideal living environment for those who want to live a sustainable and peaceful life.

In addition, the warm and friendly local community is also an important factor when evaluating settling on Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Community support and connection can facilitate integration and well-being in daily life.

However, it is also important to note that settling on an island can bring challenges, including isolation and difficulty accessing services and amenities. Adapting to life in a remote place like Canada’s Prince Edward Island can be difficult if no careful preparation.

Therefore, settling on Canada’s Prince Edward Island is a decision that depends on careful consideration and personal assessment of priorities and life goals. For those who want to enjoy living close to nature and seek a friendly local community, this can be a great choice.

If you want to settle on Canada’s Prince Edward Island but do not know how to prepare the documents and the steps, you can comment below the article, ImmiPath’s team of consultants will enthusiastically support and answer questions.