Dominion Lending CentresPart of the DLCG, Canada's #1 mortgage originator · $84.5B in 2025.
Residential · New to Canada

New-to-Canada mortgages.

Your credit file is younger than your career — newcomer programs bridge the gap. BC and Alberta, in English and Farsi.

Canadian underwriting has one blind spot: it reads history, and newcomers arrive without any. A surgeon lands with twenty years of flawless finances and a credit file three months old — the computer sees the three months. Newcomer programs exist to correct exactly this: rent and utility records, international credit reports, and profession stand in while the Canadian file builds. The gap between 'the bank said wait two years' and 'approved' is usually just knowing which lender reads which documents.

Who this is for

Every stage of arriving.

Permanent residents

Newcomer programs built for PRs whose credit history is younger than their careers.

Work-permit holders

Buying on a valid work permit — placed with the lenders whose policies actually allow it.

Thin or no Canadian credit

Alternative proof of payment discipline — rent, utilities, international records — standing in for a young credit file.

New Canadian employment

Recent job starts read sensibly — profession and history counted, not just months at the current desk.

Foreign income & assets

Down payments and savings arriving from abroad, documented the way lenders and FINTRAC rules require.

Family co-purchases

Parents and family joining the file — gifted down payments and co-signing structured properly.

Newcomer self-employed

Brought the business with you — read through the B-side lens until Canadian tax history builds.

Service in Farsi & English

Fully fluent service for Iranian and Persian-speaking newcomers — the whole file, in your language.

Lender comparison

Three lanes into a Canadian mortgage.

The right lane depends on your status, your income's age, and your paper trail. We size all three before recommending one.

Insured newcomer programs (A-side)
Best for: Permanent residents and qualifying work-permit holders with income in place
Leverage: Down-payment tiers apply as for any buyer: 5% on the first $500,000, 10% to $1.5M — home under $1.5M
Rate: Insured pricing — the best available
Term: Standard terms; 30-year amortization available to first-time buyers and on new builds
Qualifying: Fully stress-tested — the greater of contract + 2% or 5.25%; GDS/TDS 39% / 44%

The mainstream lane most newcomers don't realize exists: major insurers run dedicated newcomer programs that accept alternative proof of credit — rent, utilities, international history — in place of a seasoned Canadian file.

Alternative / B-Side
Best for: Newer arrivals, newer jobs, self-employment, or files the newcomer programs can't stretch to
Leverage: Typically up to 80% LTV
Rate: Roughly 1–3% above A-side, plus about a 1% lender fee
Term: Often 1–3 years while Canadian history builds, then graduate to prime
Qualifying: Expanded ratios; commonly qualified at the contract rate

The patience lane: two or three years of Canadian credit and tax history later, the same file refinances at bank pricing. We set the graduation date at funding, not as an afterthought.

Private (equity-first)
Best for: Strong down payments with documentation still in transit — or timelines that can't wait
Leverage: Up to ~75–80% LTV
Rate: Firsts roughly 4.5%–10% depending on equity and file; interest-only
Term: 6–24 months, open after a short closed period
Qualifying: Equity- and exit-based

For the family that landed with capital but not yet the paper trail Canadian underwriting wants. A short bridge while the file matures — never the permanent plan.

Rates, ratios, and program rules are typical ranges for illustration — last reviewed July 2026 — and newcomer policies vary sharply by lender and status; we confirm the current rules for your exact situation before you commit. Start with the affordability calculator.

Case Studies

Files like yours.

Case studies for this category are being added — check back soon. In the meantime, see how we structure real files on our case studies page.
New-to-Canada FAQ

Common newcomer questions.

Can I get a mortgage as a newcomer with no Canadian credit history?+

Yes. Dedicated newcomer programs accept alternative proof of payment discipline — twelve months of rent and utilities, or an international credit report — in place of a seasoned Canadian file. Limited history is a documentation problem, not a character problem, and the programs are built exactly for it.

How much down payment do newcomers need?+

The same tiers as any buyer: 5% on the first $500,000 of the price, 10% on the portion between $500,000 and $1.5 million, and 20% at $1.5 million or above. Some lender policies ask newcomers on certain programs for more — placement determines which rulebook you get.

Can I buy on a work permit, before permanent residency?+

Often, yes — several lenders finance work-permit holders with valid status and Canadian employment income. Policies differ on permit length remaining and down payment, which makes this a placement file: the identical application passes at one lender and fails at another.

Does my foreign income or job history count?+

History travels better than income: your profession and career abroad help lenders read a short Canadian tenure sensibly, but qualifying income generally needs to be Canadian-source for mainstream programs. Foreign income files shift toward Alternative lanes until Canadian earnings are established.

My down payment is coming from overseas — is that a problem?+

Not if it's documented: lenders and anti-money-laundering rules want the paper trail showing where funds originated and how they travelled. Start moving money early and keep every statement — the transfer usually takes longer than the approval.

What is the non-resident speculation situation in BC?+

Buyers who are neither citizens nor permanent residents can face additional property transfer taxes in parts of BC, and federal rules have at times restricted non-resident purchases outright — while typically exempting or accommodating PRs, and carving out certain work-permit holders. The rules shift; we confirm the current state for your exact status before you write an offer.

Do you work in Farsi?+

کاملاً — fluently. Ramin serves Iranian and Persian-speaking newcomers in Farsi across the whole file: documents, lender conversations, and the explanations in between. You shouldn't have to negotiate your largest purchase in your second language.

File preparation

New to Canada and buying? Have these ready.

The paper trail for overseas funds takes the longest — start it first, keep everything.

Talk to a specialist

New country, old rules — we translate both.

Tell us your status, your income, and where the down payment lives — in English or Farsi — and we'll tell you which programs your file fits today.