Credit
A Canadian credit file starts when you first borrow or apply.
Educational only, not financial or tax advice. Not affiliated with CRA.
How the file is created
FCAC's credit basics page says a credit bureau creates your report when you first borrow money or apply for credit. Lenders send information about the accounts. The two main bureaus are Equifax and TransUnion, and they collect information about credit activity in Canada.
The same page says some lenders may look at credit history from another country, and that you may need to provide a foreign report and meet a bank officer. It does not describe a program that copies a foreign score into a Canadian file.
A score is a three-digit number from the report. FCAC says scores usually range from 300 to 900, and that a higher score is better. Bureaus and lenders use different formulas and do not publish the exact weights. Payment history, how long accounts have been open, how close you are to a limit, and how often you apply all show up in the factors FCAC lists. Checking your own report does not change the score.
Free reports from Equifax and TransUnion
FCAC's ordering page says you can get your credit report online for free from both Equifax and TransUnion, download or print it, and see information updated every month. TransUnion's free report is called a Consumer Disclosure. You can also ask either bureau to mail a free copy. By phone, FCAC lists Equifax Canada at 1-800-465-7166 and TransUnion Canada at 1-800-663-9980. In some provinces or territories you can request the free report in person with two pieces of identification.
The credit report and the credit score are not the same product. FCAC says an Equifax score is free in every province and territory. A TransUnion score is free if you live in Quebec or Ontario, as part of the Consumer Disclosure. A non-electronic Equifax score can also be requested for free. Other companies may offer a score and then ask you to pay. FCAC warns that people pretend to offer free reports in order to collect personal information.
Secured cards, without a brand
A secured card is a credit card backed by money you deposit. The Office of Consumer Affairs mentions using one, and paying at least the minimum each month, among the things that can rebuild a score. FCAC's page on improving a score says paying on time is the most important part of the history, and that applying for new credit creates inquiries.
Some institutions market cards and accounts to people who are new to Canada. This page does not name them, compare them, or link to an application. If you look at one, the contract is the document that matters: the limit, the deposit, the interest rate, the annual fee, and whether the lender reports the account to a bureau. None of that is a recommendation to open an account.
The first-year checklist covers the bank account and the SIN that usually come before any of this.
Questions
Does credit history from another country transfer?
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says the two main bureaus collect information about credit activity in Canada. Some lenders may look at history from another country, and you may need to provide that foreign report yourself. A Canadian file is a separate record.
Will ordering my own report hurt the score?
No. FCAC says checking your own credit report or score does not affect your credit score. A lender's check is different: it can be recorded as an inquiry.
Is a secured card required?
No. The Office of Consumer Affairs mentions a secured credit card as one way people rebuild or start a payment history, alongside paying at least the minimum on time. This page does not name a card, a bank, or a newcomer package.