New to Canada? Your file deserves a lender who reads it properly.
A short Canadian credit history is not a bad credit history, and income earned abroad is still income. Some lenders know that. We have been newcomers ourselves, and we know which ones.
- You are on a work permit and were told to wait until you have PR.
- You have PR or citizenship but only a year or two of Canadian credit.
- Part of your down payment is coming from outside Canada.
- You would rather go through this in Spanish.
Check whether you are ready
Five questions about status, income, savings and timing, ending in a clear next step.
Open the calculatorWork permit or new PR: what lenders accept- Your status: work permit, permanent residency or citizenship, and how long remains on a permit.
- Canadian income history, even a short one, and an employment letter.
- Credit: a Canadian report if you have one, and for some lenders an international credit report or alternative proof such as rent and utilities paid on time.
- Down payment and where it came from, including foreign accounts and the paper trail for transfers.
- Time in Canada: several newcomer programs require you to have arrived within the last five years.
- We match your status and time in Canada to the lenders and insurer programs that actually accept them, instead of trying one bank and hoping.
- We tell you what an international credit report or a letter from your previous bank can do for your file, and help you get it.
- We prepare the down payment paper trail the way Canadian compliance rules require, so a transfer from abroad does not stall the approval.
- Meetings, documents and calls in English or Spanish. Cristina and Juan both speak Spanish.
An engineer arrived 14 months ago on a work permit, earns $92,000, has one Canadian credit card and a $60,000 down payment, $40,000 of it transferred from home. A bank declined the file for thin credit.
Under a newcomer program a lender accepted twelve months of on-time rent and utility payments in place of a long credit history, and the transfer records satisfied the down-payment rules. Approved for a $360,000 purchase with 5% down insured.
Illustrative only. Programs and their conditions change; we confirm the current rules for your file. Constants verified 2026-09-16.
Have these ready and the first meeting does the work of three.
Send them through our secure application, never by regular email.
- Passport and your permit, PR card or citizenship document
- Employment letter and recent pay stubs
- Canadian bank statements, ninety days
- Records of any transfers from abroad, with the source account
- International credit report or bank reference letter, if your Canadian history is short
- Proof of rent and utility payments, for some programs
Can I get a mortgage on a work permit?
Often, yes. Several lenders and both mortgage insurers have newcomer programs that accept work permit holders, usually with conditions on how long you have been in Canada and how much time remains on the permit.
How much down payment do newcomers need?
The same minimums as everyone else, starting at 5% under an insured program. Some lenders ask for more when the credit history is very short. Money from abroad is fine if the paper trail is complete.
I have no Canadian credit history. Is that the end?
No. Some programs accept alternative proof: twelve months of rent, utilities or phone bills paid on time, or a credit report from your home country. We tell you which applies.
Do you work in Spanish?
Yes. Cristina and Juan work in Spanish and English. Documents are still in English for the lender, and we explain every one of them.
Talk to Cristina or Juan about your situation.
A first conversation costs nothing. Bring the questions; we bring the numbers.
Cristina
Newcomers on work permits or PR, first-time buyers, renewals and refinances.
English · Español
Juan
First-time buyers, self-employed income, and files a bank has already declined.
English · Español
Sheryl
First-time buyers, self-employed professionals, refinancing and home equity.
English
First-time buyers
Down payment, programs, pre-approval and what happens after your offer is accepted.
See the stepsSelf-employed
Your tax return is not your income. We show lenders the business behind it.
See the stepsRenewal and switch
Your renewal letter is an offer. We check it against the market before you sign.
See the steps