Recommended credit card combo for international students

Combo 1 RBC:
ION plus + Avion Platinum
Welcome bonus: up to 16,000 + 55,000, enough to redeem a round-trip ticket from Asia to North America
Annual fee: 48 + 120, student account can waive the 48 and the first year's 120
Spending: use ION plus for purchases, 3x points, use Avion Platinum to convert ION points to Avion points for flight redemption. For example: spend $800 CAD per month, if all on groceries and dining, annual points are 800*3*12=28,800, convert Avion points to Cathay Pacific points, basically can also redeem a one-way ticket from Asia to Canada.
Card application strategy: first get Avion Platinum to get the highest welcome bonus, after 3 months of spending apply for ION+ to hold both with a study permit.

Combo 2 Amex:
Amex Cobalt
Welcome bonus: first year, spend $750 CAD per month to get 1,250 points, 15,000 points for the full year
Annual fee: $12.99/month
Spending: 5x points on daily dining, 3x points on streaming subscriptions, 2x points on transit and gas. Also, Amex points are more versatile than RBC points, 1:1 transfer to Aeroplan, 1:0.75 to Cathay Pacific, 1:1.2 to Marriott. 5x points on gift card purchases, counting the point value, netizens calculate it's equivalent to a 30% discount on gift cards.
Card application strategy: get a supplementary card from a friend or build up some credit history before applying.