Reason for US address?

[nylonmac 10]

So I signed up for a bank account, started using it and then I get a piece of mail saying that my Reason for US address wasn't good enough. I wrote that 'I'm a K-1 visa holder, so am living at that address with my fiancée as this is a condition of my visa'.

What should I do about this?

Edited May 25, 2011 by nylonmac

[Harsh_77 718]

American bank stating that reason is not good enough?

I don’t know what bank you are using, if they don’t want your business I would just say move your account to another bank, in 15 years of my experience of banking with American bank I have never been asked a reason why I want to open an account.

Other option you have is visit the branch and let them know you moved from UK to US and this is the address where you moved to, bank officials might not understand K1 visa.

[ryna 132]

American bank stating that reason is not good enough?

I don't know what bank you are using, if they don't want your business I would just say move your account to another bank, in 15 years of my experience of banking with American bank I have never been asked a reason why I want to open an account.

Other option you have is visit the branch and let them know you moved from UK to US and this is the address where you moved to, bank officials might not understand K1 visa.

It is a pain these days.. I added my wife to my existing account (using our address which is the same address these accounts have had on them for over a decade) but we too received a letter saying that the U.S. address wasn't sufficient and she had to use her address in Colombia as her permanent address and the U.S. address for mailing purposes only...

It has to do with the fact that, legally, the K-1 is considered a non-immigrant visa. These will all go away when the GC arrives (although you'll need to "update" the info to change it back to the U.S. address only.)

I want to add.. Go back and give them your UK address because they can/will close the account if that is not on file by the date they should have given you in the letter.

Edited May 25, 2011 by ryna

[advocator 0]

It is a pain these days.. I added my wife to my existing account (using our address which is the same address these accounts have had on them for over a decade) but we too received a letter saying that the U.S. address wasn't sufficient and she had to use her address in Colombia as her permanent address and the U.S. address for mailing purposes only...

It has to do with the fact that, legally, the K-1 is considered a non-immigrant visa. These will all go away when the GC arrives (although you'll need to "update" the info to change it back to the U.S. address only.)

I want to add.. Go back and give them your UK address because they can/will close the account if that is not on file by the date they should have given you in the letter.

My fiance will be coming her soon hopefully and will need a bank account as well. He is renting in the UK and obviously when he leaves, that address will no longer be valid. Should he ask a friend to use their address or something else? Sorry to hijack this thread, but at least its on topic...

[LDG 2]

US Patriot Act in action. If you don't have a social security number they will ask for foreign address and identification. Get the ss number and don't need to bother with that.

[advocator 0]

US Patriot Act in action. If you don't have a social security number they will ask for foreign address and identification. Get the ss number and don't need to bother with that.

Excellent advice! Thank you!!!

[ryna 132]

US Patriot Act in action. If you don't have a social security number they will ask for foreign address and identification. Get the ss number and don't need to bother with that.

Not true. My wife already had her SS# but because she didn't (still doesn't at this point) have permanent resident status, they required a foreign address. The problem is that the bank employees usually don't know the laws well, will set up the account without collecting the correct info, then the compliance division of the bank will send out the nastygram threatening to shut the account down.

[ryna 132]

My fiance will be coming her soon hopefully and will need a bank account as well. He is renting in the UK and obviously when he leaves, that address will no longer be valid. Should he ask a friend to use their address or something else? Sorry to hijack this thread, but at least its on topic...

Luckily, my wife could just use her old address because she still owns the apartment where she lived (although she has no intention of ever living there again.)

If I were your fiance, I would use the address that he would return to IF he had to return to the UK for some reason (emergency.) The truth is, nothing will be sent there and they won't verify the foreign address, but they need to show one on the account to include a non-resident as an account holder. That said, it should be an address that he would be able to receive something because, theoretically, they could send something there.

[advocator 0]

Luckily, my wife could just use her old address because she still owns the apartment where she lived (although she has no intention of ever living there again.)

If I were your fiance, I would use the address that he would return to IF he had to return to the UK for some reason (emergency.) The truth is, nothing will be sent there and they won't verify the foreign address, but they need to show one on the account to include a non-resident as an account holder. That said, it should be an address that he would be able to receive something because, theoretically, they could send something there.

Thank you! We can use a friend's address and we had already planned on having it available if necessary.