Before you start

Passport
Immigration document (PR card, COPR or work permit)
Canadian address
SIN, for interest reporting and for most credit products

Step-by-step

1
Pre-open the account from abroad if your bank allows it
Several major banks accept newcomer applications before arrival, letting you transfer funds ahead of the move and walk into a branch with the account already created.
OnlineWho: You
2
Visit a branch with your documents
Bring your passport and immigration document. Newcomer packages typically waive monthly fees for the first year, so ask for the newcomer program explicitly rather than opening a standard account.
In personWho: YouAbout 45 minutes
3
Apply for a credit card in the same appointment
This is the step to insist on. Newcomer credit cards are approved on immigration status and income rather than Canadian credit history; if you're declined, ask for a secured card, where a deposit backs the limit.
In personWho: You
4
Use the card small and pay it in full monthly
Put a recurring small charge on it and clear the balance every month. Keeping utilisation low and payments perfect is what actually builds the score.
Mobile appWho: YouA usable score generally emerges over 6–12 months
5
Ask to convert a secured card to unsecured
After 6–12 months of clean history many banks will upgrade the account and return the deposit. Banks rarely offer this unprompted — you have to ask.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport
PR card, Confirmation of Permanent Residence, or work permit
Canadian address
SIN
Proof of income or employment letter, for higher credit limits

Things most newcomers don’t know

Your foreign credit history does not transfer, and the gap costs you real money.

Twenty years of flawless repayment abroad counts for nothing on arrival. Landlords, phone carriers and insurers all check Canadian credit, so the first months are the moment to start the file — not later, when you're already being refused an apartment.

Source: Multiple bank newcomer programs in agreement

Ask for the newcomer card before accepting a secured one.

Several major banks issue unsecured newcomer cards on the strength of immigration status and income. Branch staff sometimes default to offering the secured product, which ties up a deposit unnecessarily.

Source: Bank newcomer program pages

Some banks will consider your foreign credit report if you bring it.

It won't build a Canadian score, but it can support a higher initial limit. Pull your home-country credit report before you leave — it's straightforward there and awkward from abroad.

Source: community-reported, corroborated by newcomer lending guides

The SIN and the bank account interlock.

The bank needs your SIN for interest reporting and most credit products, and the SIN is same-day at a Service Canada centre. Doing SIN first, then bank, then credit card in one week removes the sequencing friction entirely.

Source: Service Canada and bank onboarding requirements

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting months to get a credit card and arriving at an apartment application with an empty credit file.
Opening a standard account instead of asking for the newcomer package and its fee waiver.
Accepting a secured card without first asking whether you qualify for an unsecured newcomer card.
Carrying a balance in the belief that it builds credit faster — it doesn't, it just costs interest.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.