FAQs for New Applicants

What documents do I need to have ready for the application?

• a copy of your immigration status document (ie PR card, COPR, notice of decision about your refugee status, etc.)
• a government-issued photo ID, if your immigration status document doesn’t have a photo
• proof of your address, if your government-issued photo ID does not have it
• your resume
• your diplomas, translated to English or French, or your credential evaluation from WES, ICAS, IQAS, MIFI etc.
• your letter of acceptance into your program, if applicable, or other documents that explain your Career Success Plan
• proof of your financial situation (pay stubs, letter confirming social assistance, etc)
• your void cheque or Direct Deposit Form, which you can likely download from your online bank account

Can I include costs that I’ve already paid for in my application?

We can approve funds to cover costs incurred within the past 6 months maximum, so please be prepared to provide receipts if you are requesting funds for expenses already incurred.

How do I calculate my monthly income and expenses for the budget section of the application?

On the application, you will only be asked for your total monthly household expenses (including rent/mortgage payments), your monthly rent/mortgage expense, your total monthly household income, and your monthly employment income. If you’re unfamiliar with budgeting, please use our monthly budget template to help you.

When considering your expenses, please include your rent/mortgage, utilities, phone, food, household and personal care supplies, childcare, prescriptions, clothing, transportation, money sent back home to family or for debt repayment, home and life insurance, credit card payments if you have a balance owing, loan payments, investments, and any other miscellaneous costs.

When calculating your household income, please include all of the following that apply to you: your gross income (before deductions) from your full-time and/or part-time work as well as your spouse’s or any other member of your household, student finance loans or grants, business income, income support or social assistance from the government, any Child Tax Benefits, Employment Insurance or CERB, Worker’s Compensation Benefits, and any other sources of income in your household.

Learn more about budgeting and the cost of living in Canada. Read our Skilled Immigrant Career Success Guide.

Why do I need to provide my void cheque or Direct Deposit Form at the time of application?

We ask you to provide your void cheque or Direct Deposit Form as part of the application just to speed things up if your microloan is approved. We need your bank account details in order to send you your loan agreement to sign, so asking for it right away helps to remove one potential delay. Please note that this does not guarantee that your loan will be approved. If your loan is not approved, we will remove your bank form from our system.

What are all the steps in the application process?

• The application process starts with the eligibility quiz, found here. If the quiz tells you that you are not eligible, you may want to speak to one of our staff to determine whether you may become eligible in the future.
• Once you’ve confirmed your eligibility, you can create your account on our online application portal, found here. If you have all of your supporting documents ready, it should only take you 30-45 minutes to complete the application. For a detailed list of the supporting documents that you’ll need, see here.
• Upon receipt of your completed application, we will review it and reach out by phone or email if we have any questions or require any more information. Otherwise, the next time you hear from us will be with an email to complete our online Client Success Assessment, which we use to help determine the resources that will help you find work more quickly. If you have not heard from us a few days after submitting your application, please check your junk mail folder to see if the next steps email went there.
• Once you have completed the employability assessment, we will invite you to book your coaching session, which can be done online. We recommend that you book your coaching session as soon as you receive the booking email, as spots can fill up fast.
• Your coaching session will last about an hour and you will review your employability assessment, your Career Success Plan, and financial situation, and your Success Coach will explain the Windmill payment terms and conditions.
• Your Success Coach will then write a summary of your application and send it to our Loan Review Committee for consideration. You will receive a decision on your loan within seven business days from the date of your coaching session.
• If your loan is approved, your Success Coach will introduce you to the Loan Management Team, who will ask you to sign your Loan Documents online using AdobeSign and then arrange the disbursement of funds. You should see the funds in your bank account a few business days afterwards.

Why do I have to complete the Client Success Assessment?

Windmill created its Client Success Assessment tool to help identify what kinds of assistance will help you find work as quickly as possible. It’s quick, easy and interesting to take. It will also help us better understand your skills, your re-training needs, and your job hunting tools and strategies.

The results of your assessment have no effect on your eligibility for a loan from Windmill, so please answer as honestly as possible. This tool has been a valuable source of information for many newcomers as it provides a snapshot of your current strengths and challenges. It also helps Windmill staff understand how to best support your educational and employment goals.

The results of your assessment are confidential, and the report is not shared with anyone outside of Windmill.

You need to complete this assessment before you meet with a Windmill Client Success Coach to discuss your application. Your Success Coach will discuss the report with you and help you create an action plan tailored to your needs.

Does applying for a Windmill loan affect my credit?

Windmill is registered with Equifax, a credit bureau, and as part of your application for a loan, we do pull your credit report in order to assess your financial suitability for a Windmill loan. By pulling your credit report, Windmill will show up on our credit history as a hard inquiry. A single ‘hit’ or hard inquiry has a minimal impact on your overall credit score.

Once your loan is approved, paying it back will help to build your credit in Canada. Find out more here.

How much will my payments be?

Every client’s situation is different, so our loans are not one-size-fits-all. Read our loan terms and conditions to learn more about the factors that affect your loan repayment plan. If you’d like to discuss your particular situation and potential repayment schedule in order to decide if a Windmill loan is right for you, please contact our Intake Team at info@teamwindmill.org.

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Still have questions? Our team would be happy to answer your questions and help you get started in your application. Contact us here.