BMO
BMO credit card for newcomers
BMO says a newcomer can apply for an unsecured card up to $5,000 with no Canadian credit history, and for a secured card if that application is declined.
Last checked October 19, 2026
Scotiabank
Scotiabank StartRight credit card
StartRight participants can apply for an unsecured card without Canadian credit history. Scotiabank's published ceiling is $15,000, and it can change.
- Last checked
- October 19, 2026
- Source
- Scotiabank StartRight, credit cards for newcomers
- Audience
- Permanent residents, Temporary workers, International students
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What we could verify
- Up to a $15,000 limit on an unsecured card for StartRight participants. Canadian credit history is not required.
- Approval, income, and whatever credit history you do have still decide the limit. The $15,000 figure can change without notice.
- Nova Credit, where offered, lets Scotiabank look at a credit file from a list of other countries, including India, the Philippines, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- You must already be in the StartRight program, live in Canada, and be the age of majority.
This is the credit half of StartRight, not a separate bank. The useful part for a newcomer is the explicit statement that a Canadian file is not required. That is not the same as a guaranteed limit. Scotiabank says the limit is based on its criteria, including verifiable income.
Nova Credit is optional and only for selected countries. The page we checked lists Australia, Austria, the Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Ukraine, and says the list can change. If your country is not on it, you can still apply under the ordinary StartRight rules. We are not quoting an interest rate because the page is about eligibility across several cards, and each card has its own rate.
Who it is for
StartRight is for permanent residents in Canada up to five years, international students, and foreign workers. Foreign workers who want a card are asked for a letter from their Canadian employer confirming income.
How to act on it
Register for StartRight with your status documents, then apply for a card. The credit-card page is the one to re-read for the current Nova Credit country list.
Also in credit cards
Capital One Canada
Capital One Secured Mastercard
A secured Mastercard for building or repairing credit in Canada. You put up security funds. Capital One says approval is guaranteed if you meet four published conditions.
Last checked October 19, 2026
CIBC
CIBC card bundled with the newcomer account
CIBC's newcomer page points you at a Dividend Platinum Visa and a bundle bonus on top of the Smart Account. We are not stating an interest rate because that page does not print one.
Last checked October 19, 2026