National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • North America
OSFI
CanadaOffice of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada)
Source / Native Reference: 金融机构监管办公室
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-1
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 6
- Active / regulated
- 6
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada OSFI) (OSFI) is the Tier-1 statutory financial markets and securities supervisory authority in Canada. It grants and supervises financial services licences across broker-dealers, investment advisers, asset managers, and market operators, enforcing initial and ongoing prudential capital requirements, segregated client asset rules, market conduct standards, and public register disclosures.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-1Tier-1 national capital markets, securities, and derivatives supervisory authority in Canada, IOSCO member standards-aligned.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (OSFI)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by OSFI in Canada.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer | Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) | Dealing as principal or market maker in securities, FX, CFDs, futures, options, and underwriting. | USD $500,000 – $1,000,000+ (or EUR €750,000) minimum regulatory capital | Risk-weighted capital adequacy + minimum liquid capital buffer ≥ 25% of annual fixed overheads. |
| Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager | Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence | Order execution, reception and transmission of client orders, discretionary portfolio management, and investment advisory. | USD $150,000 – $250,000 (or EUR €150,000) minimum base capital | Strict client money segregation, best-execution monitoring, and quarterly regulatory financial returns. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under OSFI.
National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (Canada)
- Maximum coverage per client
- EUR €20,000 – USD $100,000+ equivalent per eligible retail investor
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.
OSFI Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories.
OSFI Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Securities and Capital Markets Act of Canada
- OSFI Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules
- Client Money & Custody Asset Segregation Regulations (Canada)
- IOSCO Principles of Securities Regulation & National AML/CFT Rulebook
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Quarterly capital adequacy returns and annual IFRS audited financial statements submitted to OSFIAnnual independent auditor attestation on Client Money and Safe Custody complianceTransaction reporting, market abuse surveillance (MAR), and AML/CFT suspicious activity reporting
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Operates under Canada national jurisdiction and IOSCO MMoU cross-border supervisory cooperation.
Supervised institutions & OSFI licence records in our database
6 licence records referencing OSFI (6 regulated/registered).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIBC(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | — | |
| Natixis(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Natixis | — | |
| RBC(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Royal Bank of Canada | — | |
| ScotiaBank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Bank of Nova Scotia | — | |
| National Bank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | National Bank of Canada | — | |
| TD BANK(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Toronto-Dominion Bank | — |
OSFI (Canada): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under OSFI (Canada)?
OSFI (Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (Canada)) supervises financial institutions in Canada under Securities and Capital Markets Act of Canada and OSFI Licensing, Prudential Capital Adequacy & Conduct of Business Rules. Key statutory authorisation classes include: Category 1 / Principal Broker-Dealer (Full-Scope Securities & Derivatives Dealer (Market Maker / Principal) — min. capital: USD $500,000 – $1,000,000+ (or EUR €750,000) minimum regulatory capital); Category 2 / Agency Broker & Asset Manager (Securities Brokerage (Agency / STP) & Discretionary Portfolio Management Licence — min. capital: USD $150,000 – $250,000 (or EUR €150,000) minimum base capital). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does OSFI provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under OSFI's framework, investor protection is governed by National Investor Protection / Compensation Scheme (Canada) with maximum coverage of EUR €20,000 – USD $100,000+ equivalent per eligible retail investor (Retail clients of licensed securities and investment brokerage firms.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with OSFI Client Money & Safe Custody Segregation Rules, performing daily reconciliation of segregated client trust bank accounts against client trading ledger balances. with client funds and securities must be held in bankruptcy-remote statutory trust accounts at licensed commercial banks or central securities depositories..
How does OSFI regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
OSFI's digital-asset regime is structured around OSFI Digital Asset / Tokenized Securities & VASP Regulatory Framework (Regulates security tokens, crypto derivatives, and licensed digital asset intermediaries in Canada.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule enforcement and institutional qualified custody standards.
How can I verify an institution's OSFI licence number and check our 6 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 6 licence records referencing OSFI (6 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open OSFI's official public register (https://www.osfi-bsif.gc.ca/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
Research and compliance analysis from FXMacro Wire relevant to OSFI and Canada.
Central Bank Policy & G10 Rates
USD/CAD & Bank of Canada CORRA Overnight Repo Rate Spread: Policy Rate Differential & OIS Forward Curve Breakdown (3.00% BOC Policy Rate Benchmark)
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G10 FX Liquidity & Sovereign Reserves
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Cross-Currency Basis & Swap Flows
USD/CAD & Bank of Canada CORRA Overnight Repo Rate Spread: Quarter-End Cross-Currency Basis Swap Turn & USD Funding (3.00% BOC Policy Rate Benchmark)
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EM & Commodity FX Macro
USD/CAD & Bank of Canada CORRA Overnight Repo Rate Spread: Sovereign Central Bank Reserve Manager Rebalancing Flows (3.00% BOC Policy Rate Benchmark)
USD/CAD & Bank of Canada CORRA Overnight Repo Rate Spread (USDCAD-CORRA-BOC) stands at 3.00% (BOC Policy Rate) (Source: Bank of Canada, 2026-10-20), governing IMF COFER quarterly currency share shifts and supranational b
Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for OSFI (Canada) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on OSFI’s official public register.