BMO Newcomer Banking: NewStart Eligibility & Student Options
BMO NewStart covers permanent residents and foreign workers in their first five years, while international students use the student route; all three can use the qualifying-country pre-arrival process.
Quick answer: BMO currently separates its newcomer pathways by status: NewStart for eligible permanent residents and foreign workers, a student route for international students, and a pre-arrival process for qualifying applicants before landing.
| Status | Program | Current pathway |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent resident | BMO NewStart Performance Plan | Yes, within the published five-year arrival window. |
| Foreign worker | BMO NewStart Performance Plan | Yes, within the published five-year arrival window. |
| International student | BMO Student Chequing Account | Student banking route rather than the PR/worker NewStart Performance offer. |
Detailed eligibility pages
BMO for permanent residents
BMO currently states that its NewStart Performance Plan offer is open to permanent residents who arrived in Canada within the last 5 years. The published plan-fee rebate is 24 months.
Open status guide →BMO for foreign workers
BMO currently states that NewStart is open to foreign workers who arrived in Canada within the last 5 years. The published plan-fee rebate is 24 months.
Open status guide →BMO for international students
BMO currently offers no-monthly-fee student banking for qualifying full-time students for the length of the school program, with an additional year after graduation when eligibility is confirmed.
Open status guide →Can you open BMO before arriving?
BMO currently allows eligible permanent residents, foreign workers and international students from qualifying countries to open a pre-arrival chequing account when coming to Canada within 12 months. The pre-arrival account is activated in Canada after arrival.
See the BMO pre-arrival guide →
Documents matter
The exact document list depends on status and application route. Use the status-specific pages above, then verify the current bank application page before submitting documents.
Special offer eligibility is not the same as basic account access
FCAC states that a person may be able to open a bank account with proper identification even if they are not a Canadian citizen or live in another country. Special newcomer promotions have narrower bank-specific eligibility than the underlying right to seek a basic account.
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada — Opening a bank account →
Primary bank source
Compare costs after eligibility
BMO newcomer account fee calculator →
Compare major-bank fees →
2026 eligibility reference →
Research snapshot: September 13, 2026. Bank offers and approval criteria can change; the bank makes the final eligibility and approval decision.