Moving from Toronto to Connecticut: A Cross-Border Guide to Work Status, Taxes, Healthcare and Settling In

Moving from Toronto to Connecticut combines an international move with a change of tax system, health system and credit system. This page gives you the order of operations and the official source for each step. It is an orientation, not advice: rules change and individual circumstances matter. For the home purchase, we introduce readers to a licensed Connecticut agent.

1. Your right to work in the US

Everything else depends on this. Canadians moving for work commonly use one of these categories: TN status for certain professionals under the USMCA (CUSMA in Canada), L-1 for intracompany transfers, H-1B for specialty occupations or employment- or family-based green cards. USCIS publishes the requirements for each¹. Your employer’s immigration counsel or your own, should confirm which one fits before you sign a lease or a purchase contract.

2. Social Security Number

Most newcomers authorized to work need a Social Security Number for payroll, banking and credit. The Social Security Administration explains how to apply².

3. Building US credit

Your Canadian credit history does not automatically follow you. Plan for:

• A US bank account, ideally opened before you move through a bank with cross-border services.
• A secured credit card or a card from an issuer that accepts international credit history.
• Talking to lenders early. Some have mortgage programs for new arrivals; others need a US credit history or a larger down payment.

4. Health coverage

Ontario explains how OHIP applies while you are outside Canada and when coverage ends³. In the US, most people get coverage through an employer. If you need individual coverage, Access Health CT is Connecticut’s marketplace⁴, and moving to the state can qualify you for a special enrollment period⁵. Make sure there is no gap between plans.

5. Taxes on both sides

Canada. Becoming a non-resident has tax consequences, including a deemed disposition of certain property (often called departure tax). The CRA explains the rules for emigrants and how residency is determined⁶.

United States. Your US tax status (resident or non-resident alien) depends on tests such as the substantial presence test, and your first year can be split. The IRS publishes guidance for international taxpayers and the Canada-US tax treaty⁷.

Canadian accounts. US persons with foreign financial accounts above certain thresholds must report them, including on the FBAR filed with FinCEN⁸. RRSPs, RRIFs, TFSAs and RESPs are treated differently by the two countries.

Connecticut. In your arrival year you will likely file as a part-year resident. See Connecticut taxes for new residents and the CT Department of Revenue Services⁹.

6. Money and currency

Check the Bank of Canada’s daily exchange rate when you plan transfers¹⁰, and compare bank rates with currency transfer services. Large cash amounts carried across the border must be declared.

7. Shipping belongings, vehicles and pets

US Customs allows household and personal effects to enter duty-free under set conditions¹¹, usually declared on CBP Form 3299¹². Vehicles must meet US safety and emissions rules to be imported. Pets have their own entry rules. Check each before you book movers.

8. Driving in Connecticut

New residents must get a Connecticut licence and register their vehicle within the state’s deadlines; the CT DMV explains what applies to licences issued outside the US¹³. The new to Connecticut checklist lists the steps.

9. Choosing a Connecticut town from Toronto

If you are moving for a job, start with the commute; see where to live near Connecticut’s biggest employers. If you will work remotely, think about trips home: Bradley International Airport serves the Hartford area¹⁴, and the New York airports are reachable from southwestern Connecticut. The best towns for remote work page and the Stamford, New Haven and West Hartford guides are good starting points.

10. Your Ontario home

If you keep your Toronto home as a rental or sell it after you leave, non-resident rules apply to the rental income and the sale, including a CRA certificate process for non-resident sellers. Speak to an Ontario real estate lawyer and a cross-border accountant before you list.

A timeline

• Six months out: confirm work status; get cross-border tax advice; open a US bank account.
• Three months out: shortlist towns; talk to lenders about financing as a new arrival; plan health coverage.
• Moving month: ship belongings with the right customs paperwork; arrange temporary housing if needed.
• First 90 days: get your SSN, Connecticut licence and registration; start building credit; file any departure paperwork with the CRA.

When you are ready to look at homes, we can introduce you to one licensed Connecticut agent who has worked with relocating buyers.

Visiting before you move

If you can, make at least one trip to Connecticut before you commit to a town. Flights from Toronto to New York area airports and to Bradley International near Hartford make a short visit practical¹⁴.

Plan the trip around where you will work. If the job is in Stamford or New York City, stay along the New Haven Line and ride the train at commute hours. If the job is in Hartford or New Haven, drive the routes you would use each day.

Use the visit to open a conversation with a bank, look at a few rentals and get a feel for the town centers. It is much easier to make decisions once you have walked the streets.

Renting first

Many people moving from Canada rent for the first year. It gives time to build a US credit history, learn the towns and settle the tax position before taking on a mortgage.

Landlords will usually ask for credit history, which you may not have yet. Be ready to explain your situation, show proof of employment and income and offer references. Some landlords accept a larger deposit where the law allows it.

Rental supply is strongest in the cities: Stamford, Norwalk and New Haven. Smaller towns can have very few rentals.

Buying a home as a newcomer

When you are ready to buy, the process will feel different from Ontario. Connecticut purchases usually involve an attorney for each side and the timeline from accepted offer to closing has its own steps. Our buying a home in Connecticut guide walks through them.

Mortgage lenders will look at your US credit, income and immigration status. Talk to lenders early about what documents they need from someone new to the US.

Property tax works differently too. Connecticut towns tax property at a mill rate applied to 70 percent of market value and rates vary widely between neighboring towns. Read Connecticut property taxes by town and try a few towns in the cost of moving calculator.

Everyday differences to expect

Some changes are small but constant: measurements in miles and Fahrenheit, a different approach to tipping and health insurance tied to your employer or the marketplace rather than a provincial plan.

Others are larger. Heating oil is still common in older Connecticut homes, so ask about the heating system and its costs. Town services such as trash pickup can be private in some towns. The new to Connecticut checklist covers the first few weeks.

Staying connected to Toronto

Keep track of your Canadian accounts, investments and any property you keep. Cross-border tax rules can affect registered accounts and rental income. An accountant who works with both systems is worth the fee in the first year.

If you will travel back to Toronto often, factor in airport access. Towns closer to Hartford are convenient to Bradley; towns in Fairfield County are closer to the New York airports.

Choosing where to look

Start from your job location and your budget. Our relocating to Connecticut guide explains how the regions differ, and working in Connecticut maps the main job hubs to nearby towns.

If you will commute to New York, compare the train towns on the same terms with Stamford vs Norwalk and the best towns for NYC commuters. If you will work from home, see the remote work list.

When you know the area, get matched with a licensed Connecticut agent who works there. The introduction is free to you.

Your first month in Connecticut

The first weeks are about paperwork. Apply for your Social Security Number if you do not have one, open a US bank account and start on your Connecticut driver’s licence and vehicle registration within the state’s deadlines.

Set up utilities and internet, register with a doctor through your employer’s health plan and learn how trash and recycling work in your town. Some towns collect at the curb; others use a transfer station with a permit.

Keep a folder of every document you used to enter the US and start work. You will be asked for them again by lenders, landlords and the DMV.