A credit card for newcomers to Canada does not require a Canadian credit history: the big banks run newcomer card programs, secured cards approve almost anyone who can put down a deposit, and credit-builder products report to a bureau from the first month. The same routes work for new immigrants, international students and anyone else starting with an empty credit file. This guide compares them so you can decide which one fits your status and budget, and how to turn it into a real credit score. It is general education, not financial advice.
Credit cards for newcomers at a glance
| Option | Credit history needed | Deposit | Credit check | Reports to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big-bank newcomer card (RBC, TD, Scotiabank, BMO) | None in Canada; limits up to $15,000 | None (unsecured) | Credit approval; an application is a hard inquiry | Canadian credit bureaus |
| Secured Neo Mastercard | Any credit history | $50 minimum security funds | Pre-approval with no hard credit check | Equifax and TransUnion |
| KOHO Credit Building | None | None | No hard credit check | Equifax and TransUnion |
| Standard unsecured card | An existing file | None | Hard inquiry | Canadian credit bureaus |
YieldMaple checked the RBC, TD and Scotiabank newcomer pages, Neo’s Neo Mastercard page and KOHO’s Credit Building page on October 7, 2026. Approval criteria and fees change, so confirm the current details on each provider’s site before you apply. The approval odds checker for Canadian credit cards gives a rough estimate from income and credit score before an application.
Can newcomers get a credit card in Canada with no credit history?
Yes: RBC, TD and Scotiabank each advertise newcomer credit cards with limits up to $15,000 and no Canadian credit history required. Each is still subject to credit approval, and the limit you get depends on your verifiable income.
The eligibility windows differ by bank:
- RBC: up to $15,000, no credit history required. The offer covers permanent residents who arrived in the last 12 months, or temporary resident workers who arrived in the last 48 months. Higher limits need higher income.
- Scotiabank StartRight: credit limits up to $15,000 on an unsecured card, and a Canadian credit history is not required. The program covers permanent residents in their first 5 years in Canada, international students and foreign workers.
- TD: up to $15,000 for Canadian permanent residents, even with no credit history, with higher limits subject to a full credit review.
- BMO: its page of credit cards for newcomers says no credit history required.
- CIBC also lists credit cards for newcomers and lets you apply for a CIBC Smart Account and a credit card together.
These programs are the main route to an unsecured card with an empty Canadian file. The trade-off is that approval is not guaranteed and a card application counts as a hard inquiry. For the chequing side of these packages, the best bank accounts for newcomers to Canada guide compares the fee waivers.
Is no credit history the same as bad credit?
No: bad credit means you have a track record and it is poor, while no credit history means there is nothing on file for a lender to read yet. A blank file is far easier to fix than a damaged one.
Canada’s two major credit bureaus are Equifax and TransUnion, as Scotiabank’s newcomer page notes. Lenders cannot see a credit file from your home country, although Scotiabank says Nova Credit lets StartRight clients use their credit history from back home to get a higher limit on a Scotiabank card. For everyone else, the score is built from scratch, mainly from two things you control: paying on time every month, and keeping your balance low compared with your limit.
What is the easiest credit card to get approved for in Canada?
A secured credit card is the easiest credit card to get approved for in Canada, because your own deposit backs the limit. Neo says approval for the Secured Neo Mastercard is guaranteed (conditions apply), because your own security funds back the limit.
Neo’s conditions are short: you must be the age of majority, a Canadian resident, provide security funds and be eligible for credit under Neo's policies. The page also says you can apply with open to any credit history or income, and you can check what you are pre-approved for with no hard credit check first. Two other options come close:
- KOHO Credit Building is not a card, but KOHO describes it as guaranteed approval, with no deposit, no hard credit check and no application.
- Big-bank newcomer cards skip the credit-history requirement but are not guaranteed; the bank still assesses your income.
Easy approval is not the same as low cost. A secured card still charges interest on any balance you carry, and Neo’s purchase rate is 19.99% to 29.99%, depending on Neo's assessment of your application.
How does a secured credit card work?
A secured credit card works like a normal credit card, except that you put down a refundable deposit that sets your credit limit. With the Secured Neo Mastercard, the limit is set by the security funds you put aside, so you choose the limit, starting at $50.
You use it anywhere Mastercard is accepted, and Neo reports your payments to Equifax and TransUnion. Neo returns the security funds when you close the account with the balance paid off in full, and says you can be eligible for higher limits in as little as 3 months. Neo Financial's secured Mastercard is a sensible fit if you want a deposit-backed card and a path toward an unsecured product with the same provider later. The Neo Financial review covers its fees and memberships.
How does KOHO Credit Building work without a hard pull?
KOHO Credit Building works without a hard pull because KOHO offers guaranteed approval, with no deposit, no hard credit check and no application; KOHO reports your Credit Building payment activity to both Equifax and TransUnion. It is a $225 line of credit at 0% (a no-fee, no-interest line of credit), not a spending card.
KOHO Credit Building costs $10 a month before plan discounts, which works out to $120 a year. Paid KOHO plans cut that price: 30% off on Extra and 50% off on Everything (no discount on Essential). KOHO’s regular prepaid card doesn't build credit on its own, so the Credit Building subscription is the part doing the reporting. KOHO also sells a Secured Credit Building product with a $50 to $500 deposit; that deposit is not insured by CDIC, and its interest is kept by KOHO, so the deposit earns you nothing. The KOHO Credit Building review goes through the details.
How to build a credit score from zero
- Pick one starter product: a newcomer card, a secured card or a credit builder. Several applications at once add several hard inquiries, which the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says can make lenders think you urgently need credit.
- Set up automatic full payment so you never miss a due date. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada calls payment history the most important part of your credit score.
- Keep your reported balance low. The agency’s guideline is less than 30% of your total credit limit. On a secured card with $300 in security funds, that means owing under $90 when the statement is issued. On KOHO’s $225 line, KOHO suggests keeping utilization under 10%, which is under $22.50.
- Give it time. Scores reward a longer, steady history, and Neo says secured cardholders can be eligible for higher limits in as little as 3 months.
- Move to a no-fee rewards card once your score is established. The Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card has a $0 annual fee and asks for $12,000 or more in gross annual income. MBNA’s Rewards Platinum Plus Mastercard has no annual fee, and MBNA’s page for it publishes no minimum income; the premium MBNA Rewards World Elite Mastercard asks for a personal annual income over $80,000, or a household annual income of $150,000 or more. The best no-fee credit cards in Canada guide compares more options.
Mistakes that quietly cost you
- Applying for several cards at once. Each application is a hard inquiry, and a stack of them on a thin file looks worse than one.
- Running a low limit close to full. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says high credit use can make you look riskier even when you pay the balance in full every month.
- Closing your first card the moment you get a better one. Closing an older account shortens your history and cuts your available credit, per the same agency; keeping a no-fee first card open protects both.
- Carrying a balance to “build credit.” Paying interest does not build a score. On-time payments and low balances do.
Which route fits which newcomer?
The right route depends on your status and whether you have income to show a bank:
- A big-bank newcomer card fits if you are a recent permanent resident, foreign worker or international student inside the bank’s window and want an unsecured card with a higher limit from day one.
- A Secured Neo Mastercard fits if a bank turns you down, you have no income history yet, or you want approval that Neo describes as guaranteed (conditions apply) and are fine tying up a deposit.
- KOHO Credit Building fits if you want credit bureau reporting with no deposit and no hard inquiry, and do not need a card to spend on.
Students have their own options too; the best student credit cards in Canada guide covers them.
Bottom line
If your Canadian credit file is empty, the fastest honest ways in are a big-bank newcomer card (limits up to $15,000 with no Canadian history), a Secured Neo Mastercard from $50, or KOHO Credit Building at $10 a month. Pick one, automate the payment, keep the balance low, and let time do the rest.
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