Herein, a new and efficient approach towards the oxidative cross-coupling of benzylalcohol and various aromatic amines to form corresponding imines with high degree conversion (>80 %) and chemo-selectivity using lanthanide salts as pre-catalysts is presented. The catalyzed oxidative cross-coupling reaction using La(NO3)3·6H2O as pre-catalyst displayed a broad substrate scope. The reaction afforded various substituted imines from the reaction of benzylalcohol with ample variety of amines in good yields. Copyright © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim