Credit card

Starting over in a new country, a lot of the stuff that you took for granted before you don't have anymore, such as a credit card. When we got here, we were told that we couldn't get credit cards before we got our permanent residence. Without a credit card, you cannot buy anything online, book tickets or a hotel. I have my UK card, but sending money to England to pay it is expensive and a pain in the ass.

You can get a credit card in Canada without a credit history in the country if you pay for it. They call it a secured card. That's what I got, initially. You basically make a deposit of X dollars and then you can buy stuff for that amount (and they give you your deposit back when you cancel the card). I didn't want to part with too much of my money so I had a very small limit and because of that I couldn't buy my computer online, for instance, and had to pay more at a shop.

Now, after one year here and earning a bit more, Royal Bank of Canada thought I deserved a real credit card. These little things (like getting the Ontario G1 license) make us feel a bit more like we belong here and we are not about to be kicked out (although our passports still say that we need to leave by August 2010).

Now I can pack the fresh plastic and go to the Caesar's Palace in Windsor try my luck.