Applying for credit card from USA

1

Hello,

I completed my soft landing in August 2019 last year. I was not able to open a credit card account due to lack of time. I was planning to move to Canada in April 2020 but had to cancel those plans due to the pandemic. Planning to move in early 2021 now.

I asked RBC this week and they said that they cannot issue the newcomer credit card to me since it has already been more than 1 year since soft landing. And for any other credit card I need atleast 2 paystubs in Canada along with presence in Canada.

  1. Is there a way I can apply for a canadian credit card from USA so that I have some credit history when I arrive in Canada in 2021 ?

  2. If there is no credit history, is it possible to get apartments for rent? Does US credit history work for rentals?

  3. I have a very good credit history in USA. Can it be transferred?

I have a small baby who will be moving to Canada. So need to make sure the transition is smooth, especially for getting good rental apartments.

Please let me know your opinion.

2

Not that I know of.

Yes. We got ours by sharing bank balance and US credit reports with a realtor for renting a condo.

No.

One option is to apply (if you don’t have one) for an Amex card.

With this, once you move to Canada, use their global transfer option to get a Canadian Amex. You’ll get a significantly higher limit (but Amex is not widely accepted in Canada).

I got a 11k credit limit in Canada this way. For comparison, non Amex Canadian credit card started at $1K credit limit.

2 Likes
3

Thanks a lot @ntn for the info.
I will read more about the Amex global transfer.

4

also for rentals you don’t need a credit history - you need to show employment letter and sometimes they ask for reference from previous landlord.

5
  1. That is not correct if somebody tells you newcomer programme is within 1 year of soft landing.

Usually banks here need you to open a package which includes checking account + credit card in new comer programme and most of the banks offer that… The problem is that you can not do it online like USA… even if you submit application online still they ask to come to branch to verify and to collect card…

  1. Apartment rent is not a problem with no credit history… There are many options to get …

  2. Credit history are totally independent in USA and Canada… There is no possibility to do that… But when you do amex global transfer then amex gives you card based on US credit history… Again even amex does not transfer US history to Canada… they just use US credit history for the global transfer…

6

Thanks @srhere and @deepac

7

Hi it’s been more than 2 years since we did soft landing. Finally we moved to Canada few days ago.
Will we not get any new comer offers?
Which bank offers if it’s more than 2 years?

8

You will still get new comer offers at any bank. Tell them you moved here recently and that should work. They consider your date of permanent move not the soft landing date.

9

Thank you