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Make the Most of Your Experience in the United States

Our Canadian team members compiled the below list to help make your experience in the United States easier and more enjoyable.

Social Security

  • You will need a Social Security number (SSN) to report your U.S. wages to the government. (Note: This is different from your Social Insurance Number.)
  • You also need an SSN to collect Social Security benefits and receive some other government services.
    Applying for you Social Security card

Banking and Discounts

  • As a Canadian resident working for a U.S. employer and getting paid in U.S. dollars (USDs), you will need a USD account in the States, where your paycheck will be deposited.
  • It may be easiest for Windsor residents to use a major Canadian bank that has an established relationship with a U.S. bank. This allows you to easily transfer from your U.S. account to a USD-based Canadian account, and then use the ATM and other services at a branch in Windsor.
    How to open a U.S. bank account
  • For your convenience, and to avoid foreign transaction fees when shopping in the States, you may want to apply for a U.S. credit card. The Royal Bank of Canada offers a Visa Signature Black card with no foreign transaction fees on U.S. purchases. It also offers BBC Rewards points for dollars you spend.
    U.S. credit cards for Canadians
  • USD exchange 
    • Our Canadian team members say the Windsor Train Station has a good exchange rate, and transactions close the same day. You will first need to set up an account.
      Setting up a USD exchange account
    • If you are able to wait a few days for the transaction to close, you may find an even better exchange rate at Knightsbridge Foreign Exchange.

Taxes

Easier Commuting

  • Our team members who cross from Ontario to Detroit may use either the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Both offer toll discounts and expedited travel programs for frequent users. The Bridge also offers gasoline discount options.
  • Team members who cross into the United States from the Sarnia/Port Huron area use the Blue Water Bridge, which also has a discount program.
    Blue Water Bridge Info
  • In late 2024, the new six-lane Gordie Howe International Bridge will open with 22 primary inspection lanes, 16 toll booths and a walking/cycling path.
    Gordie Howe Bridge Project

Leisure and Shopping

Detroit and Michigan offer abundant options for entertainment and recreation, including family fun; sports arenas; music venues; parks and gardens; city tours; art, science and history museums—and shopping.

“This is not the Detroit of the past. I can’t believe how beautiful it is now, with new homes and businesses. I feel safe walking around the hospital campus on my lunch break. My favorite thing is taking my family to Comerica Park to watch the Tigers—and shopping downtown with my kids.” –Jacintha Primus, BSN, RN


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