If you arrived in Canada during 2025 — as a permanent resident, work permit holder, study permit holder, or protected person — you are likely eligible for the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) starting July 5, 2026. This guide walks you through exactly what to do, even if you have zero Canadian income for 2025.

Why Newcomers Should Care About CGEB

For a single newcomer with low or no first-year income, the CGEB pays up to $496/year tax-free. A couple with two children can receive up to $910/year. These amounts replace the old GST/HST credit and arrive automatically in quarterly deposits — but only if you file a tax return. Skipping the 2025 return is the single biggest mistake newcomers make in their first year.

Eligibility in Year One

You qualify for CGEB in your first year if all of these are true:

• You became a Canadian resident for tax purposes at some point in 2025 (usually the day you arrived to live, study, or work).
• You are 19+ on the first day of the payment month, OR you have a spouse/common-law partner, OR you are a parent.
• You have a valid SIN (or an Individual Tax Number — ITN — for some specific cases).
• You file a 2025 personal tax return, even if your Canadian income was zero.

How Pro-Rated Amounts Work

If you arrived partway through 2025, the CRA pro-rates your CGEB based on how many months you were a Canadian resident. The simplified rule:

• Resident for the full year → 100% of your calculated benefit.
• Resident for 6 months → roughly 50%.
• Resident for 1 month (e.g. arrived Dec 2025) → roughly 8%.

You don't have to calculate this. The CRA does it automatically based on the date of entry you report on your tax return.

Worked Example: Family of Four Arriving August 2025

A couple with two children lands as PRs on August 15, 2025. Their combined Canadian income for 2025 is $14,000 (one spouse worked the last four months). They file a joint 2025 return reporting:

• Date of entry: August 15, 2025
• Worldwide income before arrival (informational; not taxed): ~$45,000
• Canadian income after arrival: $14,000

For the July 2026 – June 2027 benefit year, their CGEB is calculated on their full 2025 worldwide income ($59,000), but the actual quarterly payments are pro-rated for the months they were residents during the qualifying period. Practically, they'll receive close to the full family CGEB ($910/year) starting July 2026, plus retroactive amounts for 2025 quarters they qualified for as residents.

Step-by-Step: Filing Your First Tax Return to Trigger CGEB

1. Get a SIN. Apply at a Service Canada office in person — most are processed same-day. Without a SIN you cannot file a normal return.
2. Gather documents: date of entry to Canada, T4 slips from any Canadian employer, foreign income summary for 2025, spouse's information.
3. Use NETFILE-certified software. Free options include Wealthsimple Tax and TurboTax Free for simple returns.
4. On the return, mark "newcomer to Canada" and enter your date of entry. This is what unlocks pro-rated CGEB and the other benefits.
5. Report worldwide income before arrival in the designated box — informational only, used only to calculate your benefit phase-outs.
6. Set up direct deposit in CRA My Account (or via your bank). Without it, payments arrive as paper cheques and take 2–4 extra weeks.
7. File by April 30, 2026. File later and your July CGEB payment will be delayed.

Other Benefits Newcomers Get From the Same Filing

Filing the 2025 return doesn't just trigger CGEB — it also enrols you for:

• Canada Child Benefit (CCB) — up to ~$7,800/child/year for under-6s.
• Provincial credits (Ontario Trillium Benefit, BC Climate Action Tax Credit, etc.).
• Notice of Assessment — proof of income often needed to rent or apply for credit cards.
• RRSP contribution room based on 2025 Canadian income.

Common Newcomer Mistakes

• Not filing because income is zero. File anyway — that's how you get CGEB and CCB.
• Forgetting to mark "newcomer" on the return. This costs you the pro-rated benefit.
• Skipping direct deposit. Cheques to a new address are the most common cause of "missing" CGEB payments.
• Filing as single when you have a spouse abroad. CRA can reassess and claw back benefits.
• Using a tax preparer who doesn't know newcomer rules. Ask specifically if they've handled date-of-entry returns before.

Action Steps

1. Apply for your SIN immediately if you don't have one.
2. File your 2025 return by April 30, 2026.
3. Open a CRA My Account and set up direct deposit.
4. Use our Benefits Finder to confirm every program you qualify for.
5. Mark July 5, 2026 — your first CGEB deposit lands.

Source: Canada Revenue Agency — Benefits for newcomers (canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/international-non-residents/individuals-leaving-entering-canada-non-residents/newcomers-canada-immigrants).