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NEWCOMERS 

Enjoy $300 cashback to help you get settled

Get a helping hand to cover the cost of your CELPIP or CAEL language tests.*

Open an account

*Offer available until May 5, 2026, to those who open an account for newcomers and sign up for certain eligible services. To claim the $300 cashback, you must apply to open an account directly from this page.

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Even more benefits with National Bank of Canada

National Bank of Canada is proud to stand by your side as you get settled in your new country. In partnership with CELPIP and CAEL, we’re offering $300 cashback that you could use to cover the cost of your English proficiency test. All you need to do is open a bank account and sign up for certain eligible services.*

Our offer for newcomers 1 doesn’t stop there. National Bank of Canada also offers the following benefits:

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Bank account

Open an account with no fixed monthly fee for up to 3 years.

Save up to $574.20**

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mycredit™ Mastercard® credit card

Build your credit score with an eligible National Bank Mastercard® credit card. No credit history needed.2,3

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International transfers

Send international transfers online to India, the United States, and 19 countries in the European Union. 

$5.95 per transfer4

Intermediary bank or beneficiary fees may apply.

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Legal support service

Get answers to all your questions regarding getting a Canadian work visa, health services, housing, and more.5

No fees for the first year

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Statements via mail

Get your bank statements by mail with no charge for the first year.

$42 in savings

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Ordering cheques

Get your first order of cheques free.

You’ll save $67.10

Just 2 simple steps to open your bank account

Make the most of our offer and get a bank account with no fixed monthly fee for 3 years as well as other benefits. Find out if you’re eligible by checking the criteria and following the steps below.

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Open an account online

Fill out an online application form. You’ll need the following:

  • A Canadian phone number
  • One of the following documents
    • A valid and eligible foreign passport
    • A Canadian permanent resident card
    • A Canadian driver’s license
    • A provincial or federal ID (except Quebec)
    • A valid Quebec Health Insurance Card
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Receive a confirmation email

Within a couple of days of your request, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your account information. Your debit card will then be mailed to you.  

Open an account online


Up to 3 years of no fixed month fees**

More than just a bank account

Discover our offer for newcomers

Découvrez notre offre pour les nouveaux arrivants 

2 min 16    Transcript

Our industry awards 

2025

National Bank of Canada received the award for "Best Bank Account" for newcomers to Quebec by Milesopedia in 2025.

2024

National Bank of Canada has been named the Best Bank for Newcomers to Canada for 2024 by MoneySense.

2023

The National Bank® of Canada mycreditTM Mastercard® credit card was named the best credit card for newcomers by Milesopedia in 2023.

Who’s the newcomer offer for?

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Permanent residents

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Temporary workers

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International students

Open an account online

Talk to us about your projects in Canada 

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Contact us by email

Write to us with all the details of your request. We’ll get back to you as quickly as possible.

Send us an email

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Chat with us

Get quick help when you contact us through Facebook Messenger.

Send us a message

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We’re hiring!

Are you a qualified worker immigrating to Canada? Join the National Bank of Canada team!

See our job openings

Legal disclaimers

  • Be a newcomer and at least 18 years of age or older
  • Apply to open an account from your home country up to 90 days before you arrive in Canada, or within 5 years of your arrival
  • Be the only account user
  • The offer for newcomers is open to permanent residents, temporary workers and international students

Promotion period:

November 5, 2025, to May 5, 2026

Description of the promotion

Up to $300 cashback after opening a chequing account and adding certain products or services, or carrying out certain transactions in the new account listed in the following section:

Eligibility conditions

PRODUCTS, SERVICES OR TRANSACTIONS CONDITIONS CASHBACK

New National Bank chequing account with an eligible package/offer, online services and activation of an automatic deposit

During the promotion period, open a first chequing account as the main account holder using the redirection link on CELPIP site and sign up for the offer for newcomers.

Within 120 days of opening the chequing account and signing up for the eligible package/offer, complete the following 3 steps: 

1) Sign up for online banking

2) Carry out 20 eligible transactions, including:

  • Debit card purchases
  • Bill payments using your online banking or the National Bank mobile app.

The following transactions are excluded:

  • Refund of purchases (Interac®)
  • Reimbursement of fees
  • Flat monthly fee
  • Account handling charges

3) Receive 3 eligible automatic deposits of at least $100 each, according to the following schedule:

  • 1st deposit: within the first 60 days after opening the chequing account.
  • 2nd deposit: between 60 and 89 days after opening the chequing account.
  • 3rd deposit: between 90 and 120 days after opening the chequing account.

Eligible automated direct deposits (Transaction codes from Payments Canada):

  • Payroll Deposit (200) 
  • Special Payroll (201) 
  • Vacation Payroll (202) 
  • Overtime Payroll (203) 
  • Advance Pay (204) 
  • Commission Payroll (205) 
  • Bonus Payroll (206) 
  • Adjustment Payroll (207) 
  • Pension (230) 
  • Federal Pension (231) 
  • Provincial Pension (232)
  • Private Pension (233) 
  • Retirement Income Fund (272) 
  • Canada Child Benefit (308) 
  • CPP (Canada Pension Plan) (310) 
  • Old Age Security (311) 
  • War Veterans' Allowance (312) 
  • VAC (Veterans Affairs Canada) (313) 
  • Public Service superannuation (315) 
  • Canadian Forces Superannuation (316) 
  • Employment Insurance (318) 
  • Canada Disability Benefit (328)
  • Family Support Plan (provincial programs in Canada that offer financial aid to families with children) (601) 
  • Income Security Benefits (603) 
  • CNESST (605) 
  • Employment Assistance Allowance (607)  
  • Disability Payment (611) 
  • Parental Insurance (612) 
  • Children Assistance (616)  
  • Miscellaneous Payments (450) 
  • Accounts Payable (460)

Maintain this package or offer for at least 120 days after opening the new chequing account.

Must not have a chequing account, CAD Progress Account, Crescendo Account®, The Strategist Account®, The Natcan Strategist AccountTM, Special Project Savings Account, Superior Flex Line Program®, Home Improvement Line of Credit, Personal line of credit, All-In-One Line of Credit®, or must not have had a National Bank High Interest Savings Account, alone or jointly in the past 36 months.

All these conditions must be met to receive the following additional amounts.

$300
  Total cashback if all conditions are met $300

When will the cashback be paid to your chequing account?

Consult the following table for the cashback payment date, if you meet the eligibility criteria. This is based on the date the chequing account was opened.

Opening date of the new chequing account: Date of deposit of the cashback into the new chequing account:
Between November 5 and November 30, 2025 Cashback deposited to the account by May 15, 2026
Between December 1 and December 31, 2025 Cashback deposited to the account by June 15, 2026
Between January 1 and January 31, 2026 Cashback deposited to the account by July 15, 2026
Between February 1 and February 28, 2026 Cashback deposited to the account by August 15, 2026
Between March 1 and March 31, 2026 Cashback deposited to the account by September 15, 2026
Between April 1 and April 30, 2026 Cashback deposited to the account by October 15, 2026
Between May 1 and May 5, 2026 Cashback deposited to the account by November 15, 2026

Other conditions: 

  • You can receive only one cashback for this chequing account.
  • You must be at least 18 years old when you open the new chequing account through our digital solutions.
  • You need to keep the new chequing account for at least 12 months starting when the chequing account is opened. If you don’t meet this condition, you’ll have to reimburse a portion of the cashback for the product you didn’t maintain corresponding to the period still remaining. 
  • You must keep your National Bank chequing account in good standing until the cashback is deposited into the new chequing account. For the purpose of this promotion, a chequing account is not in good standing if:
    • It is overdrawn, meaning it has an unauthorized negative balance.
    • It has been used in an inappropriate, unauthorized, illegal or abusive manner, as described in section 8.7 of the National Bank Deposit Account Agreement.
  • You must not be employed by National Bank, CWB® or one of its subsidiaries. Spouses of employees are also not eligible. 
  • This promotion may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice.
  • This promotion cannot be combined with any other National Bank cashback promotion applicable to chequing accounts or banking packages. However, it can be combined with another eligible National Bank credit card, mortgage loan, mortgage insurance, or investment promotion.

® NATIONAL BANK, CWB, CRESCENDO, THE STRATEGIST, THE CONNECTED, THE TOTAL, SUPERIOR FLEX LINE, ALL-IN-ONE, MY CREDIT, ALLURE and ECHO are registered trademarks of National Bank of Canada.

® Interac is a registered trademark of Interac Corp. Used under licence.

Three levels of savings possible on your newcomer bank account

1. Baseline savings of $334.92 over three years for the account 

You’ll save if you meet the following conditions: 

  • Open a bank account online before arriving with our secure form or visit a branch upon arrival. 
  • Sign up for our offer for newcomers.

Savings are based on:

  • First year: no flat monthly fee (savings of $15.95/month for 12 months) 

  • Second year: flat monthly fee of $7.98 instead of $15.95 (savings of $7.97/month for 12 months) 

  • Third year: flat monthly fee of $11.96 instead of $15.95 (savings of $3.99/month for 12 months)

2. Maximum savings on the account: $574.20 over 3 years

In addition to the basic savings conditions, you must:

  • Maintain a minimum daily balance of $4,500

OR

  • Sign up for the following three products and services before the end of the first year and maintain them until the end of the special offer:
    • A Mastercard® personal credit card
    • Electronic bank statements
    • Payroll deposit to your bank account at one of our branches at least once a month or payment of at least two bills per month electronically from this bank account

3. Maximum total savings of the offer: $683.30 over 3 years

To reach these savings, you must meet all the conditions for maximum savings on the account (above) and take advantage of the following services:

  • First check order free ($67.10/order)
  • Free paper bank statements for the first year ($42)

Please note:

  • The savings depend on meeting all the requirements for the entire duration of the offer (3 years).
  • If you do not meet all the conditions in a given month, your savings will be reduced. 
  • If you no longer have the bank account or the Newcomer Package, the savings will no longer apply.

At the end of the third year, the Newcomer Package will automatically be migrated to The Connected® package, along with any applicable benefits. No action is required on your part. You can also browse all our packages to find the one that best suits your needs.

You must first open a National Bank Direct Brokerage account. Certain conditions apply. 

Options commission is $0 + $1.25/contract. A minimum fee of $6.25/trade applies. The maximum fee is $19.95 when the transaction value is less than $2,000. An option contract gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a given position in an underlying security at a given exercise price. Contracts are for 100 shares.

National Bank Direct Brokerage, as a division of a Canadian bank subsidiary, is the first broker in Canada to offer a commission-free online brokerage solution for Canadian and U.S. stocks.

  • Trades must have been made through our electronic solutions.
  • Management and other fees may apply to ETF investments. Please read the prospectus before investment. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. 

Regular pricing on equities trade applies if the $0 commission conditions on ETFs are not met.

For more details, consult our page for exclusive National Bank Direct Brokerage offers.

National Bank Direct Brokerage (NBDB) is a division of National Bank Financial Inc. (NBF) and a trademark of National Bank of Canada (NBC), used under licence by NBF. NBF is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and a wholly-owned subsidiary of NBC, which is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA) NBDB provides order execution only services and makes no investment recommendations. Clients are solely responsible for the financial and tax consequences of their investment decisions.

TM National Bank Assistance Network is a trademark of National Bank of Canada, used under licence by authorized third parties.

® Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Authorized user: National Bank.

®THE EXCHANGE and Accel are registered trademarks of Fiserv Inc.

®CIRRUS is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated. Authorized user: National Bank. 

®Allpoint is a registered trademark of ATM National LLC.

PARAGON, CELPIP, CELPIT, CELTOP, CELL, LPI, CANADIAN ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY INDEX TEST, LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY INDEX, CANADIAN ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY INDEX PROGRAM, CAEL, CANADIAN ACADEMIC ENGLISH LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT and related logos are registered or unregistered trademarks and service marks owned or licensed by Paragon. Any unauthorized use of those trademarks is strictly prohibited, and nothing on a Website or in these General Terms of Services or any Service Terms will be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any licence or right to use any of those trademarks and service marks.

National Bank of Canada is not a licensed bank in France or other countries outside of Canada.

National Bank of Canada was named the best bank for newcomers to Canada by MoneySense in 2024. MoneySense establishes its annual rankings by selecting some of the largest financial institutions and comparing them for fees, access to credit and services offered to newcomers.

National Bank's mycredit® Mastercard® credit card has won the Milesopedia best credit card for newcomers in 2023. Each year, Milesopedia examines the credit card offers of the largest financial institutions and establishes its ranking according to more than 150 criteria such as fees, welcome offers, minimum income required, number of points per category, account credits, insurance, airport lounge access, etc.

  1. Our banking offer is available to newcomers from their home countries up to 90 days before arriving in Canada or at any point during your first 5 years in Canada. See the above terms and conditions of the offer for no fixed monthly fee for 3 years. The offer may be modified, extended or withdrawn, without prior notice, at any time. The offer may not be combined or used with any other National Bank offer, promotion or benefit. Fees may apply for transactions not included in the banking offer for newcomers. For more information on transaction fees, see our Guide to Personal Banking Solutions [PDF].
  2. Financing is subject to credit approval by National Bank. Certain conditions apply. Eligible credit cards: mycredit, MC1, Allure, Syncro, Platinum, ECHO Cashback, World and World Elite.
  3. Guarantee may be required under certain circumstances. Financing is subject to credit approval by National Bank. Certain conditions apply.
  4. International Transfer by Mastercard® and Interac® are available at a cost of $5.95 per transaction, no matter which account you hold. The amount received by the beneficiary may differ from the amount sent considering that the intermediary bank or the beneficiary’s bank will apply their fees to the original transfer’s amount. This service allows you to transfer funds to the United States, India, Philippines, United Kingdom and the following 19 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
  5. Telephone assistance service offered by FBA Solutions, valid for 12 months from your account opening date. The content of the packages and terms described are subject to change.
  6. National Bank ABMs or ABMs in THE EXCHANGEᴹᴰ network. Use all our ABM features in six languages (French, English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, and Arabic).
  7. Locate CIRRUS, Maestro® and NYCE® ABMs and payment terminals with the logos on the back of your card. You can then use your debit card at these ABMs in the United States and around the world, including our network of partners Accel®, Cirrus® and Allpoint®. Administrative or exchange rate fees may apply.

At National Bank of Canada, we are committed to guiding you as you settle in your new country.

Did you know? National Bank of Canada is one of the 6 largest banks in the country. It counts more than 360 branches all over Canada and more than 940 automated banking machines offering services in 6 different languages.

Our objective? To make banking easier when you arrive in Canada.

We support you before and after your arrival. 

Before your arrival: first, open your account online in just a few clicks! Then, we’ll schedule an appointment to complete the process together at a branch when you arrive. 

Need to transfer money? You can do it from your home country to your new bank account before you leave. 

Already in Canada? Open your bank account in a few minutes entirely online! Or visit a branch and speak with an advisor.

Take advantage of a great offer for newcomers that includes up to 3 years of no fixed monthly fees. The offer is valid up to 5 years after your arrival.

In Canada, it’s important to build your credit history and we can help you achieve this by giving you access to a credit card.

Need to make an international transfer? Several options are available to you depending on the destination. Take advantage of our rates starting at $5.95 for certain countries.

Do you need to talk to a lawyer? 

Get answers to your questions regarding immigration, housing, or employment with our legal assistance service, free of charge through our Assistance Network. This service is available 7 days a week for the first year. 

Manage your finances with confidence in Canada. 

In addition to our legal assistance service, a banking advisor will assist you as soon as you arrive to help you realize the projects you care about. Buying a car, buying a property, saving for retirement, saving for your children, and much more. 

Our National Bank of Canada family wishes to give you real peace of mind by helping you manage your finances and build a life in Canada.

We are here to answer your questions.