Experiences opening a bank account?

[fedekat 0]

My fiance (husband in 3 day) needs to open a bank account. He has a SSN, what other requirments have people run into when opening an account? I use citibank, but are there other banks more willing to open accounts for Non USC?

Thanks!

[payxibka 10,044]

My fiance (husband in 3 day) needs to open a bank account. He has a SSN, what other requirments have people run into when opening an account? I use citibank, but are there other banks more willing to open accounts for Non USC?

Thanks!

There are millions of non-USC's that have bank accounts, the majority of these people are called legal permanent reseidents... I think your question might be better framed if you said "open accounts for individuals who have only recently arrived and are not yet permanent residents"

Edited September 11, 2007 by fwaguy

[TracyTN 237]

Good luck to ya. Its been quite an adventure for us. Regions bank (aka Amsouth) basically refused to add my hubby to my existing account unless offering them our first born (not literally but you get my meaning). He has an SSN but apparently because he doesn't have (and cannot yet get) a TN driver's license, he's screwed. Unless he wants to give a blood sample or whatever the f. AVOID Regions like the plague.

My application to Bank of America got routed to California and now today they tell me my hubby needs to call them to 'confirm' some information. I suspect they are going to reject him, too, but hopefully not (as others here have had success with BOA). I'm going to call hubby in a few mins and see what they told him.

I know many have had success with WAMU and Wachovia - which will likely be the next ones I consider if BOA kicks us into touch.

Who knew legal immigrants could be made out to be common criminals by something so simple as adding one to an existing (USC's) bank account?

[Jasman0717 8]

Claudeth was allowed to open a savings account with her EAD and California I.D. but couldn't open a checking account until she received her green card.

[YuAndDan 153]

Not a problem, most banks want SSN from a person opening an account or for adding a person to an already existing account. We had no problems doing this.

[TracyTN 237]

OK so all BOA wanted from my husband was to confirm his address, DOB and give them his email address. Apparently our accounts will be processed in 24-48 hours.

So BOA does (so far!) seem legal immigrant friendly.

[suesue 0]

I opened a checking account with Washington Mutual before I got a SSN. If you go into a branch they are likely to let you open an account...... online is not possible.

The only thing I couldn't do was access telephone banking or internet banking.

Try a Washington mutual if there's one near you.

[ChasUK 0]

There was a hiccup with our BoA application. It turns out that we HAVE to be physically go to a branch.

Having said that, that's exactly what we did. We took my SS#, my UK passport and driving license which they used, and loads of other stuff just in case. What was handy was the fact that the lady processing it for us was herself in on a K1 visa from Canada. She said there should be no problem and there wasn't. We were accepted on the spot, checks and cards applied for with online and telephone banking all in.

My advice, take all your ID INTO a branch of Bank of America and you should be fine.

[mendeleev 68]

I was able to add my wife to non-interest bearing checking accounts at Bank of Oklahoma when I lived there. We couldn't figure out how to add her to the interest-bearing accounts. That requires a W-9 or some such.

FirstBank here in the Denver area understands the issue better and I was able to set up both joint checking and savings accounts. My SSN was all that is needed for tax purposes. She doesn't even have a TIN yet. (The IRS rejected the application I made when I did my taxes last year due to a glitch in documents.) There is an IRS form though that allows her to be added to accounts even though she doesn't have a SSN or TIN.

Banks in neighborhoods with lots of students (at a University that has plenty of foreign students) seems a likely place for you to hunt for immigrant-friendly banking services.

[Nancy2015 2]

Lots of people who are here on a visa and don't even plan on becoming neither permanent residents nor citizens have bank accounts. I opened a checking and a savings at Wells Fargo two days after I arrived here with an F-1 visa. I had no issues whatsoever, and no one asked me for a SSN or a driver's license.

[Liebi 0]

Yup, Wells Fargo is the one to go to. Even if you don't have a SSN, they will still give you a checking account with online banking and everything. Plus you will be able to easily transfer money from the accounts in your home country.

[Jasman0717 8]

Claudeth could only open a savings account until she received something from the USCIS, like her EAD then she was allowed to expand to checking.

[chloe 1]

I opened a free checking account with Visa debit card, with just my SSN, at Wachovia.

I opened the account over the phone, she gave the account number at that time and I received the card a week later.

No credit checks and no minimum balance.

[vanessaandbrent 0]

I had no problem in 2004 with either Wachovia or Wells Fargo without a SSN at the time (I now have one). I would highly recommend either.

[Caladan 19]

OK so all BOA wanted from my husband was to confirm his address, DOB and give them his email address. Apparently our accounts will be processed in 24-48 hours.

So BOA does (so far!) seem legal immigrant friendly.

Yup. That's who we went with when my credit union demanded proof of the marriage in order to add C. to my account. BoA just accepted his K-1 with NO SSN at all. I think it helped that we were at a branch near a university where they're used to students & student international spouses.