Credit Cards
 

Arriving in October on a work permit, currently sorting out banking. Got myself set up with BMO intialliy to provide an account to transfer house funds into.

Looking into Credit Cards, BMO say that you can only get one if you are a permanent resident. IS that right, or can anyone else prove them wrong.

Would AMEX be an alternative option?

I could really do with a Canadian CC rather than having to rely on UK ones and shuffle money back and forward.

Any information gratefully received
Matt

Re: Credit Cards
 

We have found TD Bank very helpful and would give us a credit card if we wanted one!

Amex on the other hand are proving very difficult and want to do all sorts of checks with our bank and employer before they will give us a card.

As soon as we arrived we set up an account and got credit cards with Scotia Bank because they had an agreement with husband's employer - maybe your employer would have something similar?

Good Luck!

Re: Credit Cards
 

BMO does have that new policy. They used to offer a secured credit card, but no longer do, which I don't understand.

You need to find a bank that is willing to give you either a secured card (where you give them the amount of your credit line in cash), or an unsecured card with a small limit. CIBC was one that was willing to do either of these options when I first came. If you're in Alberta, ATB also do these options.

Thanks very much, the replies are really helpful!

No good news. When I was on a work permit (a few years ago now) I had absolutely no joy getting a CC. I managed a Zellers card, and some store credit and that was about it. TD pissed me off so much I vowed never to give them any of my business...long story short I went in and explained to the branch manager that I was on a work permit, she said, no problem, I'll put in a word, fill out the forms, provide this, provide that etc etc. So I jumped through the hoops and about a month later got a call from the TO credit office asking for more details, which I sent, then a few weeks after that I got a form letter from them expalining in that infuriatingly polite canadian way that they couldnt offer me a card as I was not a permanent resident! I was pretty pissed off, and told them so. As soon a Canada Trust merged with TD I closed my acocunts and told them why. I felt better, they couldnt care less of course.

AmEx used to send me those "you have been pre approved" letters, but of course when I tried to get a card it was PRs only, so much for my preapproval!. I think they charge fees anyway.

Your best bet as a non PR is probably a Canadian Tire Mastercard. Before CT became a mastercard rather than a store card they were none too fussy who got them. Could still be the same now? Like I said there is not much good news for those on work permits. Only bright spot is that once you get your PR (If you go that way) you have lots of good canadin credit history from store cards, furniture payment plans etc, and the bank sfall over themselves to give you cards, lines of credit etc. Stupid really as they arent there for you when you need them.

Iain

Re: Credit Cards
 

I was not allowed any credit cards for nearly three years without a whack of security being placed with the bank. I had the same type of problem with TD that iaink mentioned and also told them to shove their bank where the sun don't shine. BMO took my credit card away when I divorced - even though it was my income that qualified me for the card in the first place and I had never missed a payment. Ever. Van City gave me a credit card - which I have never had a problem with. My own bank, RBC only gave me one recently on the condition that I get rid of the (unused) Van City one. Duh.....
:(

On nothing but a student authorization I got $6,000 in credit cards. It was a piece of cake after I had talked CIBC into giving me a $500 limit.

Step 1) $500 limit unsecured from CIBC.
Step 2) $500 limit unsecured from ATB.
Step 3) $500 increased to $1,000 from CIBC.
Step 4) $2,000 limit unsecured from MBNA.
Step 5) $1,500 limit unsecured from Mosaik.
Step 6) $2,000 MBNA limit increased to $2,500.
Step 7) $1,500 Mosaik limit increased to $2,000.

I never gave my social insurance number. When they asked for it, I said it was private information. I am convinced that started the "we'll take a chance on you" $500 credit limit ball rolling.

Incidentally, Amex is the only one that never would issue me a card (I had started to regard it as something of a challenge).

Re: Credit Cards
 

We are still living in the UK but have bank accounts with Royal Bank of Canada. RBC offered us credit cards and we took them up on their offer so we managed to get them without any hassle. Easy-peasy through them.

This is the key. If you are on a work permit your SIN will begin with a 9, and this automatically trips the "no credit" alarms. Having no SIN is better than having one starting with a 9, so just dont tell them.

Iain

PS I think having property/mortgage in your name is good for getting cards, but not many people on a WP (EA) have that luxury.

We are moving to Canada this year and for my wife this means going home. However she left Canada late in 2000 and without thinking about it closed up her bank account and credit cards etc. Does anyone have any idea as to how her credit status will be once back in Canada? We are assuming that we'll both be starting from scratch but could she have any reason to be more hopeful than that?

Her credit rating should be based around her SIN, which won't have changed. So I would imagine she can start pretty much where she left off, albeit she may be asked about her disappearance off the radar for the last four years.

She could get her credit report online for a small fee: http://www.econsumer.equifax.ca/

Thanks for the info CalgaryAMC

That's a useful link. Cheers Simonhouse.