What you can get as a Tourist in Canada

[Pummelchen]

I live with my Canadian wife more than 1 year now in Alberta as a Tourist with Visa Extension via Visitor Record. No work permit. During this time we tried to get a couple of things organized, here is what we got so far:

• Alberta Driver Licence - Traded in my German Licence, to get the AB licence was possible only due my marriage and not due to the fact that I stay here one year or more. By Alberta law I should be able to change it after 3 months but the Registries refused. Only the marriage certificate made it possible. It was easy to get an International Driving Permit from AMA in case I have to go back to Europe for a while.

• AHS Cover - Same as above, with the marriage certificate I got my AHS card while still being a "Tourist".
• Great West Life Cover - over my wife's employer, they don't check my status. Covers most stuff which AHS doesn't.

• Bank Account and Unsecured Credit Card - The $1000 unsecured credit card from AMA was possible due to the fact I hold an AB Driver licence. So you can get this without a SIN number. BMO is easy for bank account and secured credit card.

• Credit Score - Based on the Credit Card you automatically start your Equifax Credit Score. After a couple of months mine was "Excellent". This works without a SIN number which even some bankers were not aware of.

• New Car - For fun I went to a Ford dealer in Edmonton and checked if I can buy a new car on credit worth $30.000, they approved lol (But I didnt bought one, of course). Ford has it's own Bank so they are more relaxed to finance cars to push for quick sale.

• Car Insurance - As my driver record from Europe is useless here I get treated like a new driver. My car insurance would cost $2500 in the first year. At least its possible to get it with Intact. To reduce my costs I simple got added on my wife's insurance as a second driver. Now I start to collect accident free time which will reduce my own insurance costs one day.

• iPhone on Contract - I singed a 3 year contract with Telus due to the fact that my credit score is great.

• Life Insurance - Again BMO made it possible to sign a life insurance contract in case I pass out so my wife can at least pay for the costs (and Telus bills).

So basically being a tourist I got everything besides SIN number and PR card ;D

 

[mc1234]

Amazing the kind of stuff you can get away with as a tourist in Alberta, which must be a different country than Ontario where you can't really get much as such. No driver's license without immigration status, no medical insurance if you don't have PR status, no bank account and certainly no unsecured credit card without the same... 3 month waiting period for OHIP but only with status as well... No wonder Alberta is the best province in Canada.
But you are married to a canadian, so it's not just any tourist I suspect.

My SO holds a multiple entry visa and we are in ontario. He has a valid ontario drivers license and we have a joint bank account with RBC.. not sure who told you you couldn't get either of those.

Heres the info on how to get a drivers license in ontario as a visitor: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/visiting.shtml

 

[mc1234]

But being a visitor is having status, no?

 

[mc1234]

I dont know where you are in ontario (Im assuming Toronto) but in Brampton they issued my spouses drivers license without problems. He had to translate his previous Mexican drivers License and they were willing to give him his G right away.

 

[scylla]

We are in Ontario too (Toronto) and my husband set up his own TD Bank account without any problems while he still had tourist status.

 

[mc1234]

I wonder what else we could get done while he has visitor status as we wait for his PR?

 

[Pummelchen]

In AB RBC gives only a bank account but no secured credit card. TD blocks everything but allowed a joint account after marriage. BMO is still the best, no issues from day 1. Just cant get a savings account without a (temporary) SIN, but I still fight with Service Canada about that ..

 

[Pummelchen]

Guess most of us know, but you can buy a car with cash and register it as a tourist.

 

[mc1234]

@ pummelchen and everyone here with a spouse on a tourist visa while waiting for PR

I am curious, what are some daily things you do while waiting for PR?

 

[Pummelchen]

Improve my job skills doing online courses, meet other immigrants and write lots of complaint letters Oh, and I have to do the dishes washup .. o_0

 

[mc1234]

haha, any website reccomendations?

 

[Pummelchen]

If you have an iPhone check the app store for "iTunes U". Thousands of university courses to choose from for study on your iPhone.

 

[mc1234]

If you have an iPhone check the app store for "iTunes U". Thousands of university courses to choose from for study on your iPhone.

Great, thanks!

 

[YorkFactory]

TD blocks everything but allowed a joint account after marriage.

You must've gone to the wrong TD. I opened a savings and checking account with them as a tourist, three years before applying for PR.

 

[bbiery]

Great, thanks!

Make sure you are on wifi and not using data. I am not sure if you have been here long enough to learn that the big 3 (rogers, telus, bell) will literally steal from you with their outrageous billing. I've called Rogers for bill corrections more times in the 2 years I've lived here than I have called any other company in my life.