Mortgage services · 06
New to Canada, ready for keys
You can arrive with savings, a profession, and years of paying rent on time — and still look like a stranger to a Canadian credit bureau. Lenders built newcomer programs for exactly this gap. مشاوره به زبان فارسی هم در دسترس است.
The gap
Canada usually wants 2 years of credit history — newcomers can't have it yet.
The fix
Newcomer programs accept rent, utility bills, and reports from your home country.
Languages
Every conversation available in English or Farsi — فارسی.
The basics
No Canadian credit history? There's a program for that.
Canadian lenders normally check two years of credit history — a record of how you have repaid loans and bills in Canada. It is the one thing no newcomer can have on day one.
Newcomer programs solve this with other proof instead:
- Twelve months of rent paid on time,
- Utility and phone bills in your name,
- A credit report from your home country, where one exists,
- Reference letters from your previous banks.
Two or three clean sources are usually enough. The same file that gets refused at one bank counter gets approved at a lender whose program was designed for it. The difference is not you — it is the desk.
What this means for you — start today
From your first week in Canada: get a secured credit card, put a phone bill in your name, and pay both on time, every time. Your Canadian credit history starts the day you start it — and at your first mortgage renewal, it will pay for itself.
Down payments & taxes
Money from home, and the tax to know about
Gifts from family abroad are routine. Lenders just need the paper trail:
- A signed gift letter from your family member,
- The transfer record into your Canadian account,
- Ideally, the money sitting in Canada 30+ days before closing.
If your home country limits money transfers, start early — before you start house hunting.
One tax to check: Ontario's NRST (non-resident speculation tax), currently 25% of the price. Permanent residents and citizens do not pay it. Work-permit and study-permit holders may — though exemptions and rebates exist, and becoming a permanent resident within the set window has historically been the main one. This is a big-money question, so we confirm your exact position against current rules before any offer.
The path
From arrival to keys
-
A 15-minute status call — English or Farsi
Your status, income, savings, and timeline. You leave knowing your down payment floor and your program options.
-
We build the alternative-credit file
Rent records, bills, international reports — assembled the way insurers want to see them. This is where newcomer files are won.
-
Pre-approval with a rate hold
Your file goes to lenders whose newcomer programs fit it. You shop with a held rate and a number your offer can stand on.
-
Offer, close, keys
With the tax and status questions answered before they can surprise anyone at closing.
Mortgage contracts are hard enough in your first language. Every conversation, every document walkthrough, and every negotiation is available in English or Farsi — nothing important gets left to a translation app.
Start now
Build your Canadian credit from week one
Your Canadian credit history starts the day you start it. These four steps cost almost nothing and pay for themselves at your first renewal.
-
Get a secured credit card
You place a deposit, and the card reports to the credit bureaus like any other card. Approval does not depend on Canadian history.
-
Put a bill in your own name
A phone or hydro bill in your name creates a payment record that newcomer programs accept as proof.
-
Pay everything on time, every time
Payment history matters more than the amount. One missed payment undoes months of progress.
-
Keep balances low
Try to use less than a third of your card limit. Lenders read a maxed-out card as financial stress, even when you pay it off.
What this means for you
You do not have to wait two years to buy. Newcomer programs exist so you can buy sooner — but the habits above make your next mortgage cheaper.
Start them in your first month here, even if buying is years away.
Common questions
Questions people ask
Short answers in plain English. Your situation may be different — ask me anything on a free call.
Does my credit history from my home country count here?
Not directly — Canadian credit scores start from zero. But under newcomer programs, an international credit report or a bank reference letter counts as real evidence, and strong credit from home genuinely strengthens your file. More countries have usable reports than people expect — bring what you have.
How soon after arriving can I buy?
With permanent resident status, Canadian job income, and a documented down payment, some clients buy within months of landing. The newcomer programs exist precisely so you don't need two years of Canadian history. The usual delay is not time — it is paperwork. Start collecting it now.
Can my down payment come from family overseas?
Yes, routinely — with a signed gift letter, the transfer trail, and ideally 30+ days of the funds in your Canadian account before closing. Countries with currency controls need extra lead time.
Will I pay Ontario's 25% non-resident tax?
Permanent residents and citizens: no. Work and study permit holders: possibly — but exemptions and rebates exist. This is a closing-cost-sized question, so we check your exact situation against the current rules before you make any offer.
Do I need permanent residency to get a mortgage?
No. Permanent residents and citizens have the most options, but work permit holders can absolutely get a mortgage — usually with a larger down payment, often 20% or more, and sometimes with Ontario's non-resident tax to consider. Your exact status changes the program, not whether a mortgage is possible.
New country. Real savings. Your own front door.
Fifteen minutes, in English or Farsi, and you will know your options — including the ones the bank counter never mentioned.