I’m a PR but I can’t live like a PR!!!!

[Idrissrafd]

Hi,

I’m really upset! I’m waiting for my Pr card and I thought that my confirmation of PR has the same value as a PR card…but no! Except for servicecanada or serviceOntario.

I wanted to get a credit card from Walmart, but they requested a PR card !! They didn’t accept my confirmation PR. I’m stuck !
How am I supposed to live as a PR if those private companies/banks don’t recognise our PR confirmation !

Another point that is triggering me: in Canada, according to Canada.ca, a health card is a valid ID…so who can explain me why most of stores or whatever don’t accept the health card as an ID, but a driver’s license is the must have. Why driver’s license > heath card ?! I can’t understand.

Thanks.

 

[scylla]

Hi,

I’m really upset! I’m waiting for my Pr card and I thought that my confirmation of PR has the same value as a PR card…but no! Except for servicecanada or serviceOntario.

I wanted to get a credit card from Walmart, but they requested a PR card !! They didn’t accept my confirmation PR. I’m stuck !
How am I supposed to live as a PR if those private companies/banks don’t recognise our PR confirmation !

Another point that is triggering me: in Canada, according to Canada.ca, a health card is a valid ID…so who can explain me why most of stores or whatever don’t accept the health card as an ID, but a driver’s license is the must have. Why driver’s license > heath card ?! I can’t understand.

Thanks.

You immigrated through spousal sponsorship, right? If so, get yourself added to your spouse's bank account and credit card. That's the easiest way to get started. You actually could have done that as soon as you arrived in Canada and before you became a PR. You should be able to do that with your passport. Once you have the joint credit card and have built a bit of a credit rating, it becomes much easier to get your own (and you'll have your PR card by then).

A driver's license or Ontario ID card both show your address. Health card does not. This is why the health card cannot be used as a piece of ID universally in the same way as a driver's license or Ontario ID card.

 

[scylla]

Hi,

I’m really upset! I’m waiting for my Pr card and I thought that my confirmation of PR has the same value as a PR card…but no! Except for servicecanada or serviceOntario.

I wanted to get a credit card from Walmart, but they requested a PR card !! They didn’t accept my confirmation PR. I’m stuck !
How am I supposed to live as a PR if those private companies/banks don’t recognise our PR confirmation !

Another point that is triggering me: in Canada, according to Canada.ca, a health card is a valid ID…so who can explain me why most of stores or whatever don’t accept the health card as an ID, but a driver’s license is the must have. Why driver’s license > heath card ?! I can’t understand.

Thanks.

Just to add something else about the health card, it is not supposed to be used as a primary form of ID. I believe there may actually be a law around this that states it can only be used primarily for health care reasons or as a supporting / secondary form of ID. But not primary. I would need to find that law. It's around privacy / appropriate use.

 

[Idrissrafd]

You immigrated through spousal sponsorship, right? If so, get yourself added to your spouse's bank account and credit card. That's the easiest way to get started. You actually could have done that as soon as you arrived in Canada and before you became a PR. You should be able to do that with your passport. Once you have the joint credit card and have built a bit of a credit rating, it becomes much easier to get your own (and you'll have your PR card by then).

A driver's license or Ontario ID card both show your address. Health card does not. This is why the health card cannot be used as a piece of ID universally in the same way as a driver's license or Ontario ID card.

Thank you so much for your reply and clarification.

I actually have a joint account with my wife with TD way before my sponsorship application, in 2018. I don’t know if that helps

I’ve an appointment with TD tomorrow in order to open my own cheq. account, let’s see if they are going to make things harder.

I’m wondering how new comers are supposed to have a credit card at the beginning?!

 

[scylla]

Here's the law (it's in section 34). Basically businesses (including banks, restaurants, etc.) are not allowed to use the health card as a form of ID or for any other purpose since they aren't delivering a health care services. That's my very non-legal explanation of it. They have no right to see or have access to your health care number. So they are following the law by refusing to accept it.

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/04p03#BK45

 

[scylla]

Thank you so much for your reply and clarification.

I actually have a joint account with my wife with TD way before my sponsorship application, in 2018. I don’t know if that helps

I’ve an appointment with TD tomorrow in order to open my own cheq. account, let’s see if they are going to make things harder.

I’m wondering how new comers are supposed to have a credit card at the beginning?!

You have to build a credit record. A bank or other institution is not going to give you a credit card (this is lending you money) without a credit record. Often the easiest way to do this at the start is to get one of those pre-paid cards / visa. Banks are willing to issue these to newcomers without them having a credit history. And then once someone has a prepaid card for a few months and gets a bit of a credit history, they can migrate to a better card. Many banks also have newcomer programs with product specifically targeted to people like you. The other option in your case is to be a secondary card holder on your wife's credit card.

 

[Sam421]

It varies province by province.

In BC we have services card, BCID and DL. Any of these which mention address and photo is acceptable.

Also don't apply for credit card right away. Even if you get approved limit will be low and each time you cross 40-50% of limit you credit score will take a hit.

Instead build a credit history for at least one year with phone bills, have the bill on your own name. Always pay bills on time.

 

[hyong1991]

It varies province by province.

In BC we have services card, BCID and DL. Any of these which mention address and photo is acceptable.

Also don't apply for credit card right away. Even if you get approved limit will be low and each time you cross 40-50% of limit you credit score will take a hit.

Instead build a credit history for at least one year with phone bills, have the bill on your own name. Always pay bills on time.

each time we cross 40-50%? , omg !! , my credit limit is only 1,000 and every month i use that to pay my expenses, i do pay my bills on time tho
now i'm afaird of checking my credit score , lol

 

[armoured]

Another point that is triggering me: in Canada, according to Canada.ca, a health card is a valid ID…so who can explain me why most of stores or whatever don’t accept the health card as an ID, but a driver’s license is the must have. Why driver’s license > heath card ?! I can’t understand

If you can't get the driver's license, Ontario issues a photo card (very similar to driver's license in content, except for the driving part):
https://www.ontario.ca/page/ontario-photo-card

They will take almost exaclty the same information etc that's needed to get the health card. I think only took about 3-4 weeks to get the photo card version. Since it has address, almost everyone will accept. Also much, much easier to get replaced than a PR card, so we only take the PR cards out for travel or specific purposes.

As discussed, no-one is supposed to use Health Card for non-health purposes; lots of places will look at it for photo id purposes if they're not recording the info, but then that's a case where it's your choice to show it or not.

 

[armoured]

I wanted to get a credit card from Walmart, but they requested a PR card !! They didn’t accept my confirmation PR. I’m stuck !
How am I supposed to live as a PR if those private companies/banks don’t recognise our PR confirmation !

Keep in mind BTW - private companies can decide for themselves what they'll take as identification (except where forbidden by law).

In my experience: banks try much harder to work things out like this, and they have senior people who can make decisions. (This does not mean dealing with a bank is easy - but they can decide for themselves. Go to a bank and ask.

Walmart and other stores and the like are a different story: their staff aren't experts, they have simple rules, and their business models are different (and a lot of the time the financial services are provided by some other company - probably a bank behind it eventually - and the Store Brand Credit Card involves the store taking no credit risk themselves, probably). And so their lists of acceptable ID will be simpler and more limited and no flexibility.

(As a simple rule of thumb, Store Branded Credit Cards are probably 99% of the time issued to people who already have a credit card anyway, so the credit check is easy, it always gets a hit).

 

[Idrissrafd]

Ok, two updates :

1) I contacted the headquarters of Walmart and they’re following now my case lol

2) I’m pissed off one more time with the bank. So my appointment was for today and they gave me a credit card with 1k limit while itwas specifically written in their website that for newcomers it can go up to 5k! So I would like to know who are those that can get 5k at the beginning! I’m an owner, I’ve an excellent job, ok I’m new, but why is it written “up to 5k” ?Is it for those who have 3 houses and 500k/yearly ?!

My wife has 15k credit limit and she’s younger than me!

I’m tired of being treated like a teenager, I’m feeling so humiliated. After few weeks if they don’t increase my credit limit, I’ll see with another bank and transfer all my funds and money ! Tired of being treated like kids.

 

[armoured]

Respectfully, chill a bit. All new places seem a pain at first, you're going to have an aneurysm if you don't chill out.

Go out and use your card, get close to limit, pay it off right away. Then call the bank and say it's awfully inconvenient, I need to make a big purchase or we are travelling for a few days, could I prepay for this purchase? If your spouse at same bank, mention that. Anytime you have to do pay it off because of the limit, call again.

I guarantee before three months are out, probably sooner, they'll have raised your limit, and possibly on your first call.

 

[Copingwithlife]

Ok, two updates :

1) I contacted the headquarters of Walmart and they’re following now my case lol

2) I’m pissed off one more time with the bank. So my appointment was for today and they gave me a credit card with 1k limit while itwas specifically written in their website that for newcomers it can go up to 5k! So I would like to know who are those that can get 5k at the beginning! I’m an owner, I’ve an excellent job, ok I’m new, but why is it written “up to 5k” ?Is it for those who have 3 houses and 500k/yearly ?!

My wife has 15k credit limit and she’s younger than me!

I’m tired of being treated like a teenager, I’m feeling so humiliated. After few weeks if they don’t increase my credit limit, I’ll see with another bank and transfer all my funds and money ! Tired of being treated like kids.

See how that goes . Go into your bank and start demanding a higher credit limit with a non existent credit score .
Good luck

BTW, your bank won’t care
And grow up

 

[YVR123]

Ok, two updates :

1) I contacted the headquarters of Walmart and they’re following now my case lol

2) I’m pissed off one more time with the bank. So my appointment was for today and they gave me a credit card with 1k limit while itwas specifically written in their website that for newcomers it can go up to 5k! So I would like to know who are those that can get 5k at the beginning! I’m an owner, I’ve an excellent job, ok I’m new, but why is it written “up to 5k” ?Is it for those who have 3 houses and 500k/yearly ?!

My wife has 15k credit limit and she’s younger than me!

I’m tired of being treated like a teenager, I’m feeling so humiliated. After few weeks if they don’t increase my credit limit, I’ll see with another bank and transfer all my funds and money ! Tired of being treated like kids.

As others said, chill.

You are a new comer, so you need to start from the very beginning. Were you sponsorsed by your wife? If so, she likely has been living in Canada as a PR for a bit longer than you. It doesn't matter for gender or age, she just has longer and likely good credit history to get 15k credit limit.

As other has suggested, be patient and in a short time if you keep your credit in a good shape, they will raise your credit limit very soon. Some times, the "go up to" wording is just marketing terms and it rarely happens. Same thing for posting how cheap a condo can cost by posting the price of the worst unit in the development. So work with your credit limit for now. Good thing is if you guys need a bigger purchase, you can put that on your wife's card.

 

[canuck78]

Ok, two updates :

1) I contacted the headquarters of Walmart and they’re following now my case lol

2) I’m pissed off one more time with the bank. So my appointment was for today and they gave me a credit card with 1k limit while itwas specifically written in their website that for newcomers it can go up to 5k! So I would like to know who are those that can get 5k at the beginning! I’m an owner, I’ve an excellent job, ok I’m new, but why is it written “up to 5k” ?Is it for those who have 3 houses and 500k/yearly ?!

My wife has 15k credit limit and she’s younger than me!

I’m tired of being treated like a teenager, I’m feeling so humiliated. After few weeks if they don’t increase my credit limit, I’ll see with another bank and transfer all my funds and money ! Tired of being treated like kids.

Not sure why you are taking this so personally. This is very standard procedure and you will face similar issues at all the banks. You are new to the country, have new employment, etc. It is very reasonable not to give a newcomer in new employment and without a credit history a credit card with a large balance. Many newcomers don’t even qualify for a normal credit card and have to start with prepaid credit cards first. Your wife qualifying for a credit card is nothing personal or not intended to insult you it is good business practice. Any person with more time in Canada, longer employment and with a credit history will qualify for a higher balance. If your spouse has a credit card with a higher limit you can use her credit card for larger purchases as a family force time being. Within 6 months of you using your credit card and paying i5 off you should be able to ask for a credit limit increase and you’ll likely get one. After a year you will likely be able to get another increase. Would also suggest going with a larger credit card operator and nota Walmart credit card.