How to get a Bank Account

[Darnell 8,478]

hey hindocha - any news? wassup?

hey Mags - please spew a bit about yer understanding of the ID requirement of the Patriot Act? Please? Purty Please? Purty Please with egg custard on it?

[Lorenzoid 12]

hey hindocha - any news? wassup?

hey Mags - please spew a bit about yer understanding of the ID requirement of the Patriot Act? Please? Purty Please? Purty Please with egg custard on it?

I am interested in knowing as well. My understanding of changes in the rules in the last few years, presumably as a result of the Patriot Act, is that an SSN is now required in order to open a bank account in addition to an acceptable form of identification. My wife, who has not yet received a GC, just opened one in her name. The bank requested her SSN and to see her foreign passport. It is my understanding that the world that Just Bob described, in which foreigners can open US bank accounts with dubious forms of identification, is a thing of the past. Correct me if I'm wrong!

[SunDrop 59]

I am interested in knowing as well. My understanding of changes in the rules in the last few years, presumably as a result of the Patriot Act, is that an SSN is now required in order to open a bank account in addition to an acceptable form of identification. My wife, who has not yet received a GC, just opened one in her name. The bank requested her SSN and to see her foreign passport. It is my understanding that the world that Just Bob described, in which foreigners can open US bank accounts with dubious forms of identification, is a thing of the past. Correct me if I'm wrong!

I opened mine in April 2009 without a SSN. I do have one, but didn't have the faintest idea what it was, so wasn't an issue.

[Ladylethal 12]

I got added to my husband's savings account as soon as I had an SSN, which I actually got the day I got married, meaning I didn't have a GC yet or anything.

And now we've opened a joint account with USAA and all they asked me was my SSN as well. Of course USAA is fully online and is a military bank but am just saying in both cases all I needed was my SSN.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

It is my understanding that the world that Just Bob described, in which foreigners can open US bank accounts with dubious forms of identification, is a thing of the past. Correct me if I'm wrong!

Maybe your English isn't up to snuff, but I didn't anywhere state that foreigners can open bank accounts with dubious forms of identification.

What I said is that one does not have to be a resident of the United States in order to open a bank account. It can be done from within the United States by showing any accepted form of identification, such as a passport, plus the minimum amount of money to put in said account as an opening balance.

Bank accounts can also be opened from outside of the United States at a branch of a banking giant (such as Citibank), by showing identification there. Internally, for tax reasons, such accounts are labeled accordingly, but in real life it enables banking like any bank account does.

Do you really think every businessman would have to apply for a Green Card in order to participate in international banking?

[hindocha 0]

Did you just direct profanity towards me?

I rang them again and I need a State Id

[Darnell 8,478]

Calling on telephone is useless.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...t&p=3774073

Good Luck !

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Here is a valuable lesson: do not communicate with drones. No charge for this one.

Second tip: look up the term profanity. Your response tells me where the problem lies. Hint: it's not the banking system as tens of thousands of foreigners open bank accounts in the US every year.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Just Bob

[n1dom 0]

Guys,

Can you please give me advice on the easiest way to get a US Bank account. The doucments of ID I have are:

UK password with Green Card stamp

SSN

Birth Certificate

By next Friday - tenancy agreement

UK driving license

Hindocha,

Hope you've sorted this by now, but I opened a bank account in Massachusetts in 2008 during a visit. I was not a resident at that time and the bank accepted my passport as appropriate identification. The Patriot Act provides for each financial institution to develop their own procedures to identify customers and it would appear that the bank you applied to decided that they want state IDs.

Different banks have different requirements and, should the bank procedures allow, the Patriot Act would allow for someone to open an account by just obtaining references and no photo IDs. It's a flexible piece of legislation and for those in doubt Section 326 of the Act has all the details.