Hi Folks....

I contacted several banks in Canada with the question:

'Can I open a bank account before I emigrate to Canada?'

I contacted the following banks:

Scotiabank
CIBC
HSBC
TD Canada Trust

...to name a few

All came back (which I sort of half expected) with 'Sorry sir you can't open an account until you land in Canada'.....

Apart from one.....

RBC!!!

RBC have emailed me details for OH and myself to open a non-resident account. This will only be a deposit account, but an account nevertheless.......

Don't know if the other banks I have mentioned offer better rates, better deals, but I can certainly recommend RBC so far, so their customer service (very fast at getting back to me...about 1/2 hour via email!!)...and not just once, as I have contacted them several times via email and everytime they have been very fast....

Thanks

Brian

Hi there! I have opened up a full cheque and savings account with HSBC. Had to deposit at least $1.5k but they were reallyy good and I have full internet access. I don't know if it makes a difference that I was already with them here, so maybe that makesa difference.

But you can follow a link from the main HSBC website.

We did the same with HSBC (and I was with them in the UK already)...they've been good.

Is this true, havent heard anything about this, do you have a link to this story ?

Sorry no, they sent us a letter though telling us that it will be happening I think, from October.

OH had a complete nightmare with HSBC, with UK saying one thing and the Canadian branch saying something else, and basically being really messed around.

It does seem the same as so many other things over here, inlcuding Canadian Immigration - that the only guarentee is that there are no guarentees!

If the HSBC thing does work then it sounds good.

HSBC Account in Uk - opened earlier this year with specific idea of building banking history to take to Canada - useless beyond belief & trying top open account with them in Canada despite several mails & conversation - useless.

Think you may get the good service if you have large deposits with them - I had about 10k and still cr**

RBC are fantastic - fantastic customer service which makes a change & havent even put any money with them yet !

I think it may depend with HSBC on how you arrange the account. I was able to use a local branch that spent time going through it all with me. I'm actually a firstdirect customer and I just rang them up, they put me through to foreign and I got the paperwork in the post within a week or so. Fille dit all out, got a CAD bankers draft, popped across to a local branch and filled in the forms with them. They stamped and signed, sent it off and about 8 weeks later I had an email from Toronto Main saying my cards etc were there, how did I want them? Paid for them to be couriered across and can access phone and internet banking with HSBC.CA no probs. We had one blip when they spelt my partners name wrong, but got that changed via email! perhaps I was just really lucky.

Has anyone tried opening an account before getting there SIN, or even an address!?

I'm with LloydsTSB in the UK and they have assured me that there is no real issue running my account from Canada. But it would be nice to start that credit history rolling in BC as soon as possible.

Cheers
Chris

I've just opened an account with RBC online and while still in the UK - no problems . I was advised to do this as it will be a lot easier and quicker changing £ to CAD when I arrive in Canada.

As I said above, HSBC were good and set up my accounts with UK address and everrything. My statements are posted here and I had my ABM cards sent here. I've even registered the account with PayPal!

I tried talking to HSBC and, effectively, if you are not already with them in the UK, they don't make it that easy.
The lady in the bank concluded I'd be better off going direct to a Canadian bank.

I'm just going to check out the RBC site now - thanks kb33.

Cheers
Chris

If you're not already a HSBC customer, it might be worth you contacting/emailing HSBC Canada direct to open an account.

A UK branch would then sign off on your ID during the account opening process.

Regards
Sunil

Be VERY wary of HSBC. My OH was left high and dry by them when he came over here. He was a customer for years in the UK and they said that it would all be sorted for him in Canada (Not too sure of exact details) and yet one here, the Canadian HSBC denied all knowledge and refused to contact his branch in the UK etc.

It took him a long time to get all his money untangled from them, and then finally several hundreds of pounds in compensation.

Some people on here have had excellent service from them - maybe they've learnt from their mistakes!

We're with TD Canada Trust. Open an account when arrived in Canada but before our SINs came through or had address. Just used a friends address, but all paperless banking so no statements to post.

mrmcgoo - becareful. Having a chequing account in Canada doesn't build you a credit history, and there is the 'Catch 22' of not being able to get credit without a credit history.

I could transfer over my UK American Express to Canada AMEX no trouble, which is building my Credit History. OH put a $500 bond done at TD and got a TD VISA with a $500 credit limit.