How to get a bank account without a green card

[tiberonsuave 0]

The Patriot Act requires the bank to set up a Customer Identification System. In their instructions on how to do this they clearly state that a valid foreign passport is acceptable. Now you might be subject to a 30% withholding but it is all temporary any way. I printed all 85 pages of the patriot act and brought it with me on the second trip. I got my wife added after I made the comment that it appeared they were hispanic discriminatory.

t

Hello,

I tried to open an account for my husband and they said they could not open an account without his greencard (US Patriot Act, blah blah blah). (Wachovia Bank). Please let me know what others experiences were. What banks did you use? What was required? Thanks.

[elgringo 0]

I added my wife to my bank account with no problems at Regions bank. She didnt have an SS# or anything. She was just on a tourist visa at the time. We were already married, but since her passport had her maiden name they wouldnt add her as her new married name with just the marriage cert. They said we would have to wait til she has an SS# under her new married name for that, so hopefully we'll be able to do that as soon as the EAD gets here.

[noviademexicano 0]

Bank of America will accept you, I added my hubby before he came. My hubby opened another account at Commerce Bank, well they cancelled him once his K-1 expired. It is okay, we will stick with BofA for now.

Edited March 13, 2007 by noviademexicano

[athena_ny 1]

We opened an acct together - he has a tax ID (on a tourist visa so no SSN yet) but they sent us mail telling us that they needed his SSN and a copy of his passport or his visa and the I-94 - obviously if the I94 has expired, they'll close it. And his passport is expired...I sent that in hoping they'll take it (the letter doesn't say valid =/) other than that, I guess I'll have to just add him to my acct that I already have. Funny thing is, the acct he's had for the last three years - they never asked for any SSN or ITIN on that. Weird.

Bank of America will accept you, I added my hubby before he came. My hubby opened another account at Commerce Bank, well they cancelled him once his K-1 expired. It is okay, we will stick with BofA for now.

[Silke 1]

I entered the US as a student in 2004 and didn't have any problems opening an account. All they wanted to see was my passport, and I-20. Since that day I have been with the Bank of America.

Edited March 13, 2007 by silke

[Nancy2015 2]

I entered the US as a student in 2004 and didn't have any problems opening an account. All they wanted to see was my passport, and I-20. Since that day I have been with the Bank of America.

Same here. Came as a student in 2005, showed them my passport and a credit card from my country. They didn't even want my I-94 or I-20. However, I had to fill out a ton of Patriot Act paperwork Not a big deal, really. When we got married, I closed my account and we added my name to hubby's account (same bank). I can't recall if I had a SSN back then, probably not. The bank is Wells Fargo

[kerewin21 2]

We had that problem at the nearest branch of our bank. We even returned 2 times attempting to provide the information they required (they wanted an ID other than his passport, but he couldn't get a state ID until we had his EAD or green card). Then we finally had the ID and they wanted proof of address (his name on a bill). Which he didn't have because our apartment is all-inclusive and under my name because it's through my employer. Aaarggh. One of my friends turned out to be dating a guy who worked at a different branch of the same bank and he told me that those are not the bank's requirements at all, despite them saying it was due to the Patriot Act. So we tried a different branch and no problem, no hassles. It doesn't make a newly arrived immigrant feel welcome though

[Mirlan 0]

I added Mirlan while he was still in Morocco, while we were still applying for his K-1. I use USAA Federal Savings Bank. I did have to have him sign a form to add him, but it was no big deal. I called them to give them his SSN once he was here and got one, but they never said I had to do that. They also sent me an ATM card for him.

Mirlana