BMO
BMO NewStart
BMO NewStart is the bank's program for permanent residents and foreign workers in their first five years. The chequing offer is two years without the Performance Plan monthly fee.
Last checked October 19, 2026
Desjardins
Desjardins newcomer welcome offer
Desjardins offers eligible newcomers an everyday account on the Unlimited plan with no monthly plan fee, plus two years of legal phone assistance. The banking offer is built around caisses, which are concentrated in Quebec.
- Last checked
- October 19, 2026
- Source
- Desjardins, offers for newcomers to Canada
- Audience
- Permanent residents, Temporary workers, International students
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What we could verify
- Unlimited plan at no monthly fee for two years if you are 25 or older and meet the newcomer rules.
- Unlimited regular transactions, including Interac e-Transfer, online statements, and access to the AccuLink ATM network.
- Legal phone assistance with lawyers and notaries for two years after you open the account.
- A separate youth offer covers ages 18 to 24, and full-time students ages 25 to 30, for as long as they stay eligible.
- From abroad you need a valid passport and a future Canadian address or an employer's address. The application is valid for 12 months.
Desjardins is a cooperative, and day-to-day banking happens through a caisse. The newcomer page does not quote a dollar monthly fee for the period after the offer ends. It says the Unlimited plan fee then in force will apply unless you keep the minimum balance that waives it. Check that number at the caisse before you assume the second year is free forever.
The 25-and-over offer lasts two years if you are a permanent resident, or a temporary resident with a work permit valid for more than eight months, you have lived in Canada for three years or less, and you are not yet a member or have been one for under a year. International students 25 to 30 in full-time studies are sent to the youth offer instead. Opening fully online requires a Canadian phone number. From outside Canada, Desjardins says you can make one incoming transfer for a fee before you travel, then finish the account at an appointment.
Who it is for
Age 25 or older, permanent resident or temporary resident with a work permit longer than eight months, in Canada three years or less, and not a long-standing Desjardins member. Younger newcomers and many students use the youth offer. Services depend on whether a caisse operates where you live. We list Quebec and Ontario because that is where Desjardins caisses are established. Confirm a caisse before you apply.
How to act on it
Open online if you already have a Canadian phone number, or use the from-abroad form and book a caisse appointment about two weeks before you leave.
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Last checked October 19, 2026
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Last checked October 19, 2026