Welcome Home: The Benefits of Car Insurance with Onlia for New Canadians

With Onlia Insurance by your side, you can embark on the journey with confidence, knowing that car insurance can be made easy.

Getting car insurance in Ontario

Onlia is one of the few insurers that consider out-of-country driving experience, as long as the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has your driving record registered.

You’ll also need a provincial driver’s licence within 60 days of arriving in Ontario. Getting a driver’s licence, if you have to start fresh, take a bit longer with graduated licensing – and all these new processes and changes can be exhausting for someone who is trying to find solid footing in new surroundings. But luckily there are options in place to simplify the transition if you have a driving history from another country.

For Caspar V. the move from his home in Breda, Netherlands to Canada was made easier by Onlia’s partnership with his employer, the Holland House. 

New Canadians and Onlia

Caspar connected with Onlia and took advantage of a 10% auto and home insurance discount offered to Holland House members through a group partnership.

“I was about to purchase a new car, and that’s always a good moment to see what my options for insurance are,” Caspar recalled. “Right at the same time, prior to delivery of the car … a partnership came to fruition where members of Holland House would get additional discounts.”

Following the link provided to Holland House members, he provided his details and saw his price in minutes.

“I was surprised how good the rate was,” Caspar said. “The key differentiator between Onlia versus other insurance companies, especially for car insurance, is that they take into your account your foreign driver’s history, which is a game changer.

“That is hundreds of dollars a month in savings, which I think for a lot of new immigrants like me, is a big hurdle when you first come to the country, right?”

Canada saw 437,180 new immigrants arrive in the country in 2022, according to Statistics Canada. It was a record-breaking year for permanent residency in Canada, and 42.3% of those new citizens settled in Ontario.

Keeping it simple

Any changes that he needed to make, whether adding coverages or adjusting his Third-party Liability were done quickly and without waiting on the phone. Caspar’s car is leased, so part of his agreement with the leasing company was to have a minimum of coverage of $2 million – he was able to increase his coverage from $1 million to $2 million on his own through My Account. 

“I increased the home insurance to a certain level. There are options there,” he said, of the additional coverages available. 

Additional coverage can be added to your policy for extra protection through the online portal My Account. Mandatory coverages you need to drive in Ontario are included in all standard car insurance policies from Onlia. These include: 

• Third-Party Liability
• Accident Benefit
• Uninsured Automobile Protection 

Comprehensive coverage, Direct Compensation — Property Damage (DCPD) and others can be added through My Account. Although they may result in a higher premium, they’ll offer you that extra peace of mind.

“It works really well,” Caspar added, about the how easy-to-use Onlia is. 

Once he finalized his policy, he accessed all his information through the My Account portal, and was even able to add his fiancée to his policy. By the end of it, he received his digital pink slip.

Extra money, and an attention to past driving experience

An added little bonus for Caspar was Onlia’s app, which allows him to keep track of just how effective his driving is on Ontario’s roads and allows him to earn up to $50 cashback. That’s $600 a year.

“It was very easy,” he said, of the cashback incentive. “To be honest (it’s) a nice bonus.”

But Caspar’s favourite part of the whole experience was Onlia’s ability to lift up newcomers to Canada.

“If you ask me what's the primary reason, it’s the foreign driver history. I haven't heard that anywhere else,” he admitted. “With a lot of new immigrants coming in, if you focus on that group, that's what sets it apart. I think it's amazing.”