‘Having enough will be enough’

Just like every newcomer’s decision to come to Canada is unique and personal, so too are their dreams once they arrive. In this series, Landed, we highlight how CIBC is helping to make a difference in the lives of four newcomers, assisting them to attain their goal of succeeding in their new home. This time, we meet Swin and Louis, a couple from Hong Kong who suddenly discovered they would need to change financial institutions and found CIBC was a bank they could grow with in Canada.
“We lived in Hong Kong for more than 40 years and have two kids, four and seven years old.
We heard the Canadian government has a program for Hong Kong residents to immigrate here and we applied to come. It was a big decision. We studied there and lived there and knew there were things we would need to sacrifice if we left. But we were committed to coming to Canada so we could start a new page for our kids — start writing a new chapter for the rest of our lives.” — Swin
“We arrived in Canada on May 29. We had planned to have all our assets with the same bank we used in Hong Kong — so it would be a smooth change — but when we landed in Canada, we discovered the locations here had closed. It was frustrating and a big surprise.
“One day we were out and decided it was time to find a bank. For newcomers, it is important to open a bank account here and to also get a credit card to build a credit history. We heard about CIBC from people and also saw social media ads and content about it. We also remembered seeing their logo when we arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport.” — Louis
“Some people from Hong Kong also told us that CIBC was very user friendly and that the bank had several promotions just for newcomers. That was really important to us because we had no credit — nothing in Canada. Banking here was a new experience for us, totally different than in Hong Kong. To find a bank and Eugene, our CIBC advisor, that understood what we were going through, and what our experience would be as newcomers was tailored to our needs.
“For newcomers, the first two or three years can be difficult — especially with work, finding a home and the cost of living. CIBC is a bank that can grow with us. We can now start to build credit, maybe save for a house, and plan for our future. Our hope is that our children will have a wonderful place to grow in Canada. A place where they will have bright opportunities and futures. This is the main reason why we came to Canada. We are not hoping to be rich. Having enough will be enough.” — Swin