Document dossier
Documents needed for a Canadian mortgage pre-approval.
The dossier you build before any lender pulls credit. Pick your income type and down-payment source — the list adjusts to your file.
Interactive document map
Choose your income type and down-payment source. The dossier rebuilds live.
Income type
Down payment source
Your dossier · 10 items
- 01Government-issued photo ID (driver's licence or passport)
- 02Two most recent pay stubs
- 03Employment letter dated within 30 days (role, start date, salary, status)
- 04Most recent 2 years of T4s and Notices of Assessment (NOAs)
- 05Property tax statement if currently owning
- 06Void cheque or direct-deposit form
- 07Confirmation of any bonus/commission (3-year history if relied upon)
- 08Continuing-employment letter if probationary
- 0990 days of statements for every account contributing to down payment
- 10Source of any deposit greater than $1,500 outside regular pay
Core dossier — every file, no exceptions
These six items are the table stakes. Without them, no Canadian A-lender will move past the qualifying stage.
- Government-issued photo ID (driver's licence or passport)
- Two most recent pay stubs
- Employment letter dated within 30 days (role, start date, salary, status)
- Most recent 2 years of T4s and Notices of Assessment (NOAs)
- Property tax statement if currently owning
- Void cheque or direct-deposit form
By income type
Self-employed, commission-heavy, and contract files are not weaker — they are different. The dossier expands to demonstrate two years of pattern, not one snapshot.
salaried
- Confirmation of any bonus/commission (3-year history if relied upon)
- Continuing-employment letter if probationary
self employed
- 2 years T1 Generals — full version with Statement of Business Activities
- Most recent business financial statements (or YTD P&L if recent)
- Articles of incorporation and business licence if incorporated
- GST/HST registration confirmation if registered
commission
- 2-year T4 history showing commission income breakdown
- Commission statement or YTD pay summary from employer
- Letter from employer explaining base + commission structure
contract
- Signed contract showing term, rate, and renewal language
- T4A history and most recent invoice if independent contractor
- Letter from end client confirming engagement and rate
By down-payment source
Lenders trace every dollar of the down payment. Gifted, borrowed, and combined sources each have their own paper trail.
savings
- 90 days of statements for every account contributing to down payment
- Source of any deposit greater than $1,500 outside regular pay
gift
- Signed immediate-family gift letter (no repayment expected, named donor and donee)
- Proof gifted funds have landed in your account at least 15 days before closing
- Donor identification on file with the lender
sale proceeds
- Firm (unconditional) sale agreement on existing property
- Most recent mortgage statement showing outstanding balance
- Estimated net-proceeds statement from your real-estate lawyer
rrsp fhsa
- RRSP/FHSA statement showing funds and 90-day balance history
- Home Buyers' Plan withdrawal eligibility confirmation (RRSP only)
- Proof of first-time-buyer status if using FHSA
Format & delivery standards
- Single PDF per category — not 14 individual photos.
- Full bank statement pages — not screenshots, not transaction lists.
- Employment letter on company letterhead with HR contact.
- All pages legible, no redactions on income or balance fields.
What we never ask for
- SIN — never required for a pre-approval review.
- Banking login credentials — never required, ever.
- Document uploads through this site — we are not a document portal.
- Credit-card or payment information at the diagnostic stage.
Written and reviewed by the Canadian Mortgage Compass Editorial Desk. This page is general information for Canadian readers and is not mortgage, legal, tax, or financial advice, and not an offer of credit. Rules, rates, and lender policies change; confirm your own situation with a licensed mortgage professional in your province. Editorial policy · Corrections