opening bank account in the US

[Rissa92 1]

Yea just wait til u have ur green card ?.. Ur husband applying online, or just on the phone?

Edited May 22, 2015 by Rissa92

[Heaven0317 0]

I also suggest that you change banks. I opened up a joint account with Chinook at Wells Fargo before Chinook even arrived in the U.S. No Social Security number was required. They only wanted two pieces of ID. Chinook scanned two pieces of her ID and emailed them to me.

Like Greenbaum, Chinook uses Wells Fargo for her remittances.

Thank you tahoma, we will go to the bank tomorrow to inquire. I would like to know if this bank account needed when i file my aos? Or just for the interview? Thank u again

Yea just wait til u have ur green card ?.. Ur husband applying online, or just on the phone?

Over the phone .. His bank is located in texas. Do I need this joint acct to present when I file for my aos? Or not really?

Edited May 22, 2015 by Heaven0317

[Rissa92 1]

Oh I'm sorry but I don't know about filing aos, I don't file aos I'm a cr1 visa and still using my family name.

[Heaven0317 0]

Yeah, depends on the bank. With Navy Fed, all I had to show was my SSN and combo card. They would've accepted my Philippine passport but I didn't have my SSN yet back then.

do i need bank account/joint acct when i file for my aos or not really? thank you so much!

Oh I'm sorry but I don't know about filing aos, I don't file aos I'm a cr1 visa and still using my family name.

that's ok thank you so much for the info...appreciate it

[Rissa92 1]

??

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

W-8BEN should be used if the applicant does not have GC yet:

The form establishes that one is a non-resident alien or foreign corporation, to avoid or reduce tax withholding from U.S. source income, such as rents from U.S. property, interest on U.S. bank deposits or dividends paid by U.S. corporations.

There are several things you can use to open your own bank account, or be added to someone's account. This site explains them fairly well:

http://www.ilgrp.com/can-i-open-up-a-bank-account/

Bear in mind, the bank's rules matter to THEM. They are not making the laws, but setting rules in place to stay in line with the Patriot Act. So yes, it depends on the bank.

If they tell you you must have a GC, they are wrong. You can use GC or W8BEN. If they tell you you must have SSN, they are wrong, either SSN or ITIN will work. However... it's THEIR rules, so the burden of getting them to understand the rules in the link above is on you. If your bank won't budge, don't stress, just open an account with another bank that will take what you have. Nothing wrong with having multiple bank accounts; we have 4 in the US and 2 in the PI!

[Tahoma 2,291]

It's good to have a joint bank account. It serves as one example of showing the USCIS that you and your hubby are co-mingling your lives together.

I can't remember if Chinook included a couple of bank statements with her AOS packet. She probably did. However, I do remember that we took a few bank statements to the AOS interview in order to submit them as further evidence of of our bona fide marriage.

We bank online, so we just printed out a few recent statements to take to the interview.

The AOS interview took about 15-20 minutes. The USCIS guy was nice. He talked to me as much as he talked to Chinook. Chinook received her green card a couple of weeks later.

By the way, not all couples have to interview. Some just get their green card in the mail.

[sevenrider860 9]

Thank you! They emailed my husband that form w-8ben my husband's bank is USAA..

There is a good chance USAA will ask for an identity document also. A picture of your SSN Card will work and that can be done with the USAA App or scanned and uploaded online.

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

There is a good chance USAA will ask for an identity document also. A picture of your SSN Card will work and that can be done with the USAA App or scanned and uploaded online.

A SSN is not an identity document. A state- or federal-issued ID card or passport or BC is.

A SSN or ITIN (plus W8BEN if not a resident alien) is just a tax number for the IRS.

[sevenrider860 9]

A SSN is not an identity document. A state- or federal-issued ID card or passport or BC is.

A SSN or ITIN (plus W8BEN if not a resident alien) is just a tax number for the IRS.

Regardless of the exact definition, the SSN card is uploaded under the category "Identity Document". The exact wording from USAA is below... The OP said the account in question is through USAA and my accounts are also. So this is something I am familiar with...this was after the W8BEN was sent.

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We're writing about an urgent matter concerning your USAA account(s). When you open an account and in certain other circumstances, federal law requires that USAA obtain, verify and record your name, address, date of birth, social security or taxpayer identification number and other information that allows us to identify you. At this time, we're missing and/or unable to verify some information. Please provide the following to us by June 11, 2015

A copy of your Social Security card

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

Regardless of the exact definition, the SSN card is uploaded under the category "Identity Document". The exact wording from USAA is below... The OP said the account in question is through USAA and my accounts are also. So this is something I am familiar with...this was after the W8BEN was sent.

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We're writing about an urgent matter concerning your USAA account(s). When you open an account and in certain other circumstances, federal law requires that USAA obtain, verify and record your name, address, date of birth, social security or taxpayer identification number and other information that allows us to identify you. At this time, we're missing and/or unable to verify some information. Please provide the following to us by June 11, 2015

A copy of your Social Security card

Yes, I am a bit familiar with USAA also. Been using them for 21+ years now. And a SSN or ITIN is required for tax purposes, as I stated. But it still does not prove identity. It is just required by law for a bank to have one or the other (or EIN, technically) for the purpose of reporting interest income to the IRS.

When we added my wife to my account, she did not have a SSN yet due to a SNAFU, so she got an ITIN and used it until she got her SSN.

Edited May 23, 2015 by DavenRoxy

[sweet01 39]

Hi Sweet01 thank you so much for the info, i appreciate it ...

will tell husband about your experience and maybe we try to visit any wells fargo branch nearest to us, thanks and God bless

You're welcome Heaven0317 You too God Bless to your journey! By the way, the one that I also talked to when my husband and I opened a joint acocunt at Wells Fargo is also a Filipina manager that's why she told me all about Wells Fargo and what's needed so I think WF is a good bank especially on remittances in the Philippines. I already did that as well and it's fast

Posted Yesterday, 12:56 PM

iammrsregie, on 21 May 2015 - 7:34 PM, said:

do i need bank account/joint acct when i file for my aos or not really? thank you so much!

-- With regard to AOS filing, I added it up to mine when I submitted my papers for added evidence of our co-mingling lives but it's okay if not yet. I will bring it on our interview

[SennaBrigante 92]

My husband uses USAA and he gave me a card with a USAA number for me though I haven't done any business with them personally. I wonder if that's all I need to open a bank account with them?

[Greenbaum 12,258]

Thank you tahoma, we will go to the bank tomorrow to inquire. I would like to know if this bank account needed when i file my aos? Or just for the interview? Thank u again

Over the phone .. His bank is located in texas. Do I need this joint acct to present when I file for my aos? Or not really?

No need to be on his bank account when you file. It's good that you can show that you are comingling his "accounts" with your name. You will need this to prove your relationship later on in the AOS process and removal of conditions, so you have time.