how to add foreign spouse to US citizen bank account?

[Enigma11561 336]

Having worked at a bank, and since 9/11, all banks are supposed to require that you open an account in person and show ID. Many, but not all banks, will accept a passport as ID since it has a photo and was issued by a government. They will also ask for proof of residency such as a utility bill or a statement from a credit card company or some thing that shows you do live here. This is also a means to reduce fraud and money laundering. If the bank gives you a hassle, go to another bank.

[Cathi 5,782]

My bank flat out refused to add my husband until he was here with a social security number.

[The Mean Lady 604]

Thank god for canada/us cross border accounts.

[ndu26 114]

Thanks for this post, answers my question also.

[NikLR 13,231]

My husband banks with USAA and had no trouble adding me. I had to fill out a w8ben form, then send him a signature card (which he was actually allowed to scan and email). Then I sent in 2 pieces of government issue ID. I chose to send in two pieces of picture ID as overkill (passport and drivers... they requested passport and something else...)

Canada has a tax treaty with the USA which is why this is the form they asked me for. It was confusing but all I had to say was "Tax treaty with Canada and the USA" LOL (after much googling.)

[Gosia & Tito 199]

Need help please. I went today to add my husband to my bank account. I was told last week all i needed was to have him sign a form and supply copy of his passport photo/info page to add him... today I take it to the bank, and now am informed he cant be added because he has no tax id number. I have read where others have added their foreign spouses, so I know its possible to do. Can someone please tell me what I need in order to add him, as the lady I spoke with at my bank (state employees credit union), admitted, she had never dealt with adding a non US citizen before, and after several phone calls to her supervisor, still didnt know, (nor did her supervisor!) but if I could find out for sure, so she would know what the process is, she will then confirm what I tell her, and help me add him. Seems I will be the first to do this at this location. My husband and I are at the "awaiting our NOA2 now". Thank you for any help anyone can give us in advance

Credit unions are not as equipped to deal with special situations as a national or even regional bank would. They still have to follow federal regulations requiring id and so forth, but that is where the being ready ends, as they would have only thought of the SSN and maybe a drivers license. That is, they might not have a policy that explicitly recognizes a passport and that is why it might not be in their computer systems.

If possible go to a national bank (Chase, BoA, Citi, etc)....once your spouse has all the local ids, then you can switch if you want.

[Pitaya 2,577]

The credit union asked to see my wife's ID and SS card to add her to the account, slick and easy.

YMMV

[The Mean Lady 604]

The credit union asked to see my wife's ID and SS card to add her to the account, slick and easy.

YMMV

But this problem is that there is no SSN, unfortunately.

Not so slick and easy.

[destiny64 222]

Yes ....no SSN is the issue here or no ITIN. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most of us who are filing for a visa for our spouse are newlyweds and our spouses aren't living in the USA with us. I'm sure that consulars and the adjudicators take all these issues under consideration that its hard to be co-mingling finances when you aren't living under the same roof at this point. For those of you who are living in the US together it would be very suspicious if you weren't co-mingling your finances and didn't have a bank account together.

Perhaps too much of the requirements lean towards couples who are married in the states. I find that putting your spouses name on a bank account when they aren't here isn't proving much of anything other than the fact you are good at following directions on how to make it look like you are married Just my two cents

Edited December 1, 2012 by destiny64

[destiny64 222]

Correction, by the time we get our NOA2 we might not be newlyweds , we could be celebrating our 5 yr anniversary the way things are moving at VSC lol

[N-o-l-a 7,168]

For those of you who are living in the US together it would be very suspicious if you weren't co-mingling your finances and didn't have a bank account together.

My husband and I live together in Denmark and we don't comingle our money. We won't be doing it stateside either even with the post-nuptial agreement he'll be signing. I don't see how that is suspicuous or odd? He pays the rent, utilities, phone, and some groceries. I pay for some groceries, household items, and things for the little one. Only his name is on the lease and we share no assets.

Why would we need a shared bank account to do that? What is so 'very suspicious' about that?

[destiny64 222]

Clarification.....suspicious to immigration, I'm on your side! I wholeheartedly agree we should be able to do what we want with our finances as a married couple. They look at it as suspicious and its something they like to see happening as proof of a bonafide marriage, nobody should be forced into doing something to prove to them that our marriages are real, there are many other ways to prove you are living together as husband and wife without having a shared bank account.

[Darnell 8,479]

My husband and I live together in Denmark and we don't comingle our money. We won't be doing it stateside either even with the post-nuptial agreement he'll be signing. I don't see how that is suspicuous or odd? He pays the rent, utilities, phone, and some groceries. I pay for some groceries, household items, and things for the little one. Only his name is on the lease and we share no assets.

Why would we need a shared bank account to do that? What is so 'very suspicious' about that?

a bank account is just one example of the things possible to show that there is a bonafide marriage.

If you study the I-130, there are 6 categories . You can think a bit, figure out what to do.

here's what I put together, 3 months after we were married:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=218775&st=0&p=3324240&hl=Rusticentry3324240

[Flag 0]

I've been having huge issues with this since my husband got here almost 6 months ago. We tried to add him to my credit union, but they won't accept his passport, visa, SSN, or (soon to have) green card as a "Second ID" I couldn't add him to my other bank because it was a joint account set up with my parents, and I'm trying to get away from that bank. So we went to another credit union and they accepted his drivers license and SSN. But now that he has a debit card through another credit union my first credit union will accept him onto my account (crazy right?)