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The short answer
Yes, if you qualify for the Canada Child Benefit. Ontario does not take a separate application: when the CRA assesses you for the CCB it also assesses you for the Ontario Child Benefit, which pays up to $146.66 a month per child under 18 for July 2026 to June 2027, in the same monthly payment as the CCB. Newcomers start with Form RC66 and must then file a tax return every year.
How the Ontario Child Benefit works
The Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) is a provincial payment for low- to moderate-income families with children under 18. Ontario's own page (updated 30 June 2026) puts it at up to $1,760 per child a year, paid monthly. The CRA's Ontario programmes page (modified 30 July 2026) gives the monthly figure for the current benefit year: up to $146.66 a month for each child under 18 for payments from July 2026 to June 2027.
The OCB is not a separate cheque. The CRA pays it together with the Canada Child Benefit in a single monthly deposit, and works out the amount from your adjusted family net income on your tax return and the number of children in your care. Partial amounts apply once adjusted family net income is above $26,865, according to the CRA page. Neither page publishes the rate at which the benefit reduces above that line, so use the CRA's child and family benefits calculator for your own figure.
Why newcomers get it only through the CCB
Ontario's page is clear that there is no separate application. You apply for the Canada Child Benefit, and you are then assessed for the OCB at the same time. That means the OCB rests on the same eligibility rules as the CCB. The CRA's CCB page (modified 22 October 2026) requires that you:
- live with a child under 18 and are primarily responsible for the child's care and upbringing;
- are a resident of Canada for tax purposes; and
- you or your spouse or common-law partner is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a protected person, or a temporary resident who has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months and holds a valid permit in the 19th month (or is registered, or entitled to be, under the Indian Act).
For many Nigerian families arriving on work or study permits, the 18-month rule is the one that bites. A family where neither parent has permanent residence may not qualify for the CCB, and therefore not for the OCB, until the 19th month in Canada. Families arriving as permanent residents can usually apply soon after they settle.
What newcomers need to file
The CRA's newcomers page (dated 3 August 2026) sets out the order of steps. You do not have to wait for your first tax return to apply.
- Apply for the CCB with Form RC66, Canada Child Benefits Application. The same form also determines eligibility for the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, the new name for the GST/HST credit.
- Report your income for the period before you arrived. The CRA asks newcomers to report income earned outside Canada for up to two years before becoming resident, converted to Canadian dollars. If you have already applied, you can send this as a statement of income through My Account, by mail or by phone.
- File your first Canadian return by 30 April of the year after you arrive. Someone who arrived in 2025 files the 2025 return by 30 April 2026.
- File every year after that, even with no income. Ontario's page says the return is needed every year to keep receiving the OCB.
For the detail on RC66 and the documents the CRA asks for, see applying for the Canada Child Benefit as a newcomer, and for how prior-year income is counted, world income in your first CCB year.
A worked example
Example only, with invented details. Tolu and her husband land in Mississauga as permanent residents in March 2026 with two children aged 4 and 9. They apply with RC66 in April and report their Nigerian income for 2024 and 2025. Their adjusted family net income, as the CRA calculates it, is below $26,865.
| Item | Monthly | Over a full benefit year |
|---|---|---|
| OCB, child aged 4 | $146.66 | $1,759.92 |
| OCB, child aged 9 | $146.66 | $1,759.92 |
| OCB total | $293.32 | $3,519.84 |
The OCB would arrive inside the same monthly deposit as their CCB. Above the $26,865 line the OCB is reduced, and a family with two working parents on typical Ontario salaries may receive a partial amount or none. The calculator, or the notice the CRA sends, gives the real figure.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for an Ontario form. There is none; the CCB application is the route.
- Skipping a tax return in a low-income year. No return means no reassessment for the next July, and the payments can stop.
- Not telling the CRA when a child leaves. If a child goes to live with grandparents in Nigeria, the conditions above may no longer be met. See the CCB when a child lives in Nigeria.
- Trusting texts about the benefit. Ontario says it will not text or message you asking for personal details or payment for its benefits.
Where Pryme fits
The OCB is paid in Canadian dollars into your Canadian account. If part of the family budget also covers relatives at home, a Pryme account holds naira alongside USD, GBP and EUR, and Send pays a Nigerian account from abroad, with the rate and fee shown before you approve. More on the account: multicurrency accounts.
Questions people ask
Do I need to apply separately for the Ontario Child Benefit?
No. Ontario says you apply for the Canada Child Benefit and are then assessed for the OCB automatically. There is no separate Ontario form.
How much is the Ontario Child Benefit in 2026?
The CRA lists up to $146.66 a month per child under 18 for July 2026 to June 2027. Ontario's page gives up to $1,760 per child a year. Families above $26,865 adjusted family net income get a reduced amount.
Can I get the OCB on a work permit?
Only if you qualify for the CCB. If neither you nor your spouse is a citizen, permanent resident or protected person, the CRA requires that one of you has lived in Canada for the previous 18 months and holds a valid permit in the 19th month.
Is the Ontario Child Benefit paid with the CCB?
Yes. The CRA pays the OCB together with the Canada Child Benefit in a single monthly payment.
Sources
- Government of Ontario: Ontario Child Benefit (updated 30 June 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: Ontario provincial programmes (modified 30 July 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: Canada child benefit, who can apply (modified 22 October 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CRA: Newcomers to Canada (dated 3 August 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.