Open joint bank account

[Ariel Pierini 2]

Hello,

I was wondering how can I open a joint bank account with my wife. She is US Citizen, I'm not, and we are about to start filing all the forms for AOS, and we noticed that a strong proof of comingling is to have a joint bank account, but I have no SSN and no ITIN. Today we went to BOA and they told us that I should go with my passport, some other kind of ID (credit card, or some of the sort?) and proof of residence (like an utility bill with my name on it). We are currently living together with my wife. The thing is I can't put my name on our power bill (Cobb EMC) because, again, I don't have SSN. Same with the lease, credit cards, you name it, I can't open anything on my name.

Is there any other way to verify my residence?? Or do you guys know any other way to open a joint bank account?

 

Thank you to yall in advance!

[Lil bear 4,695]

38 minutes ago, Ariel Pierini said:

Hello,

I was wondering how can I open a joint bank account with my wife. She is US Citizen, I'm not, and we are about to start filing all the forms for AOS, and we noticed that a strong proof of comingling is to have a joint bank account, but I have no SSN and no ITIN. Today we went to BOA and they told us that I should go with my passport, some other kind of ID (credit card, or some of the sort?) and proof of residence (like an utility bill with my name on it). We are currently living together with my wife. The thing is I can't put my name on our power bill (Cobb EMC) because, again, I don't have SSN. Same with the lease, credit cards, you name it, I can't open anything on my name.

Is there any other way to verify my residence?? Or do you guys know any other way to open a joint bank account?

 

Thank you to yall in advance!

You go to SSA and apply for a SSN   Then when they send you the denial letter,  you use that as your proof of address.  
Or you sign up for a magazine subscription in your name and take the mailing label  

Take your dog to the vet and use the account /receipt

Join AAA as a basic member and use their mail 

If you are on health insurance , get the company to send you a letter 

Get added to your car insurance and use that letter 

 

a smaller local bank may be more willing to sign you into a joint account using your foreign information.

Edited Wednesday at 01:16 AM by Lil bear

[Ariel Pierini 2]

12 hours ago, Lil bear said:

You go to SSA and apply for a SSN   Then when they send you the denial letter,  you use that as your proof of address.  
Or you sign up for a magazine subscription in your name and take the mailing label  

Take your dog to the vet and use the account /receipt

Join AAA as a basic member and use their mail 

If you are on health insurance , get the company to send you a letter 

Get added to your car insurance and use that letter 

 

a smaller local bank may be more willing to sign you into a joint account using your foreign information.

 

Thank you for your help! I am considering the subscription to a magazine, but I've been reading that it might take 6-8 weeks for the first edition to come to my residence, and I don't know if I can wait that long 😕. The SSA option, idk it sounds kinda risky. I have no pets, and then the car and health insurance are on my wife's name. I've been subscribing to retail stores mails for a month now, but haven´t received anything yet, I don't know why. Do you by any chance have any other ideas?

I really appreciate your help

[Lil bear 4,695]

4 minutes ago, Ariel Pierini said:

 

Thank you for your help! I am considering the subscription to a magazine, but I've been reading that it might take 6-8 weeks for the first edition to come to my residence, and I don't know if I can wait that long 😕. The SSA option, idk it sounds kinda risky. I have no pets, and then the car and health insurance are on my wife's name. I've been subscribing to retail stores mails for a month now, but haven´t received anything yet, I don't know why. Do you by any chance have any other ideas?

I really appreciate your help

If you are married to you should be added to your wives health  insurance.  There is a special enrollment period after this qualifying event. By doing so you will be listed as a beneficiary on that coverage and would be able to get a coverage letter with your name and address sent to your residence 

 

At this stage i would be doing everything i can across as many options as possible. Different banks, health insurance, magazines, anything that’s possible. 

Edited Wednesday at 01:46 PM by Lil bear

[Ariel Pierini 2]

1 minute ago, Lil bear said:

If you are married to you should be c added to your wives health  insurance.  There is a special enrollment period after this qualifying event. By doing so you will be listed as a beneficiary on that coverage and would be able to get a coverage letter with your name and address sent to your residence 

Thank you Lil Bear! I will try to do that, I really hope it works lol.

[appleblossom 5,790]

13 hours ago, Ariel Pierini said:

Is there any other way to verify my residence

 

The problem is you're not a resident, you're a visitor, so your options are very limited. 

 

You can get an ITIN though.

[Ariel Pierini 2]

1 minute ago, appleblossom said:

 

The problem is you're not a resident, you're a visitor, so your options are very limited. 

 

You can get an ITIN though.

 

Yea I'm conscious about that, it's hard. 

 

Can I get an ITIN though? 

[appleblossom 5,790]

5 minutes ago, Ariel Pierini said:

Can I get an ITIN though? 

 

Yep, you just need to apply as a non resident alien. https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin

[Vickys_Mom 274]

My mother-in-law made a donation to a local food bank.  I think it was $10 or $20.  We're still getting mailings from them two years later.

 

She used them as proof of residency when she got her Nebraska state ID card.

 

Regards,

Vicky's Mom

[JeanneAdil 7,471]

If you were married in 2025,  she adds you to tax returns applying (at this time ) for ITIN by filling out the W5 form

 

joint tax returns are better than credit cards 

 

 

[poh 139]

17 hours ago, Ariel Pierini said:

Hello,

I was wondering how can I open a joint bank account with my wife. She is US Citizen, I'm not, and we are about to start filing all the forms for AOS, and we noticed that a strong proof of comingling is to have a joint bank account, but I have no SSN and no ITIN. Today we went to BOA and they told us that I should go with my passport, some other kind of ID (credit card, or some of the sort?) and proof of residence (like an utility bill with my name on it). We are currently living together with my wife. The thing is I can't put my name on our power bill (Cobb EMC) because, again, I don't have SSN. Same with the lease, credit cards, you name it, I can't open anything on my name.

Is there any other way to verify my residence?? Or do you guys know any other way to open a joint bank account?

 

Thank you to yall in advance!

typically you should have applied for SSN as soon as you arrived in US after 2 weeks or so which give time for you to be in their computer system.  My k-1 visa wife applied in 2 weeks after arriving US even before getting married.   Visa journey has a recommended guidelines available online. You should follow it. 

Edited Wednesday at 06:03 PM by poh

[Coco8 1,071]

Your wife can get a credit card on your name inside of her bank account. That can be done instantly over the phone with Bank of America, and you don't need to have a SSN. I got one for my dad for emergencies. It's not the same as a joint bank account, but it's something.

 

I also wonder if Bank of America would accept the letter with your name, address, where the credit card is sent, as proof of residence?

 

My dad lives abroad and because I did that, now he gets offers for loans and credit cards at my address XD 

 

Another option is, if you have a nice landlord, to add you to the lease. Sometimes this can be done very easily, and you can use that as proof of residence.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:14 PM by Coco8

[Ariel Pierini 2]

12 minutes ago, Coco8 said:

Your wife can get a credit card on your name inside of her bank account. That can be done instantly over the phone with Bank of America, and you don't need to have a SSN. I got one for my dad for emergencies. It's not the same as a joint bank account, but it's something.

 

I also wonder if Bank of America would accept the letter with your name, address, where the credit card is sent, as proof of residence?

 

My dad lives abroad and because I did that, now he gets offers for loans and credit cards at my address XD 

 

Another option is, if you have a nice landlord, to add you to the lease. Sometimes this can be done very easily, and you can use that as proof of residence.

 

 

 

Imma ask about the lease! That would be ideal. 

 

About BOA, yes i have a CC on my name, but the letter was on my wife´s name since she asked for the card for me,if that makes sense.

2 hours ago, JeanneAdil said:

If you were married in 2025,  she adds you to tax returns applying (at this time ) for ITIN by filling out the W5 form

 

joint tax returns are better than credit cards 

 

 

Can I do that even without a ITIN?

[poh 139]

17 minutes ago, Ariel Pierini said:

 

Imma ask about the lease! That would be ideal. 

 

About BOA, yes i have a CC on my name, but the letter was on my wife´s name since she asked for the card for me,if that makes sense.

Can I do that even without a ITIN?

Easy fix to this problem is not going around the problem and get an SSN , instead.  Contact SSN office to resolve this. 

Per topic on credit card, it would be very difficult to get any credit card without any credit history.  I can vouch for that for my foreign wife.   One option is to add her as your authorized user on your card.  It's not same as if she had her own but it's close enough to help start building her credit history.  Try applying for big box or department stor credit cards like Gap or Citi/Costco/Sam's credit card or those "build credit" CC with deposit requirements.  Those are little easier to get for those with zero credit history.  

Getting an State ID or learner's driver license is another option 

 

Visa journey has a free step by step guide on this topic put together No seasoned forum users. I don't know why folks don't follow it.  

Edited Wednesday at 07:47 PM by poh

[Ariel Pierini 2]

7 minutes ago, poh said:

Easy fix to this problem is not going around the problem and get an SSN , instead.  Contact SSN office to resolve this. 

Per topic on credit card, it would be very difficult to get any credit card without any credit history.  I can vouch for that for my foreign wife.   One option is to add her as your authorized user on your card.  It's not same as if she had her own but it's close enough to help start building her credit history.  Try applying for big box or department stor credit cards like Gap or Citi/Costco/Sam's credit card or those "build credit" CC with deposit requirements.  Those are little easier to get for those with zero credit history.  

Getting an State ID or learner's driver license is another option 

I can't apply for SSN, that would be the straightforward solution... In your case you came with a K1 visa. I have a CC on my name since I'm an authorized user on my wife's CC, so that automatically gives me a CC on my name. But these kind of CC doesn't help you build credit history as far as I know