Opening US bank account or taking large sum of cash in?

[.......... 8]

Can I open a US bank account from here or is it easier to take the sum in cash and declare it at US customs?

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Can I open a US bank account from here or is it easier to take the sum in cash and declare it at US customs?

Well don't travel with much cash. Most transfer money with xe.com or there is another that Brits have also liked, but I forget the name.

Also some K1s have experienced difficulty opening an account even after they are already in the US before having a greencard. You may have to try a different one if the first refuses. In person seems to work better than online for many.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Nich-Nick

[vegas12 12]

I do not know how it works in United Kingdom I just use credit cards as much as possible. My wife has one I have given to her to use no problem. This way you can carry as much money as the card holds. I also just take out from ATM just what I need for taxi most everything you can buy is with credit card. Pay it off before the next payment no interest. I found with credit card no fees for international transactions and get the best rate. This way I keep my money in US and can pay online the credit card and get air miles. I am in South America no problem with this also I would suggest you carry your licence and a copy of your passport for proof it works for me.

[.......... 8]

Well don't travel with much cash. Most transfer money with xe.com or there is another that Brits have also liked, but I forget the name.

Also some K1s have experienced difficulty opening an account even after they are already in the US before having a greencard. You may have to try a different one if the first refuses. In person seems to work better than online for many.

Ok thanks. Do you think it will be easier for me to just leave the money in my UK account till I set foot on US soil and get SSN and open a chase account when in Vegas then just wire transfer all my money from UK account over to the new US chase account?

[Cathi 5,750]

You need a SS number to open a bank account. You can bring as much cash as you wish, but anything over 10k you need to declare. I wouldn't recommend carry large amounts of cash while traveling though.

Edited December 24, 2013 by mimolicious

[nobbie 105]

Ok thanks. Do you think it will be easier for me to just leave the money in my UK account till I set foot on US soil and get SSN and open a chase account when in Vegas then just wire transfer all my money from UK account over to the new US chase account?

Thats what I did although I did not need an SSN to open an account, another bloke on here I know opened an account a year before he came over, he was here to do it but had not moved over properly.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Ok thanks. Do you think it will be easier for me to just leave the money in my UK account till I set foot on US soil and get SSN and open a chase account when in Vegas then just wire transfer all my money from UK account over to the new US chase account?

Yes to this.

I've read a gazillion experiences of K1s and bank accounts, Your mileage may vary. A lot.

As far as reporting money or monetary instrument brought to the US of more than $10k, It gets reported. If you transfer by bank or a wire service, they report it. A law. If you bring it in your pocket on the plane, you report it by filling out a form with Customs. There is no duty or tax. It is a reporting only to comply with the banking section of the Patriot Act passed after 9/11.

[baron555 934]

Can I open a US bank account from here or is it easier to take the sum in cash and declare it at US customs?

Max cash in hand is $10,000. If you have more, set up an account from there and do a wire transfer.

Ok thanks. Do you think it will be easier for me to just leave the money in my UK account till I set foot on US soil and get SSN and open a chase account when in Vegas then just wire transfer all my money from UK account over to the new US chase account?

Yes mske sure you have the SWIFT code of your bank.

[JohnR! 5,495]

Can I open a US bank account from here or is it easier to take the sum in cash and declare it at US customs?

It is entirely up to you. It makes no difference if you transfer of carry the money with you. In both cases you will need to show proof of origin of the money. If you wire the money to your US account you will need to show evidence that the money was yours and legally obtained when you receive the wire.

If you carry cash with you, have your GB bank issue you with a letter establishing the legal origin of the money and show it to the US customs inspector upon arrival so the money is deemed legal upon entry into the US. There is no limit of how much cash you can bring with you into the US, but you are required to declare if you are bringing in more than $10K. That ensures the money is legal and clean. There is nothing to it really.

Good luck!

[fantonledzepp 159]

What if you open an account with HSBC? They're a global bank. Find out if you can simply change your address once you move across the pond.

But they did give me and the wife grief when I tried to add her to my account, even though she had a social security number, they wanted to see a green card, whereas other banks would've added her with no problems.

[CowBoE 429]

Easiest way might be is to open an account with international presence

so that you can open it in your country, and access it from US later.

[Phred 5]

I do not know how you can open the account.

I am a US citizen living in Singapore. I send money to the USA all the time. I never send more than $5000 at a time, and I always wait 30 days between transactions. That keeps things below the RADAR.

[vegas12 12]

What if you were to use a debt card to transfer the money. I am looking into this since most the people here in Brazil will except a debt card for payment of bills. There are alway fee so you might want to explore the different in cost also the HSBC idea give a bank present in the US. I think they required a certain amount to qualify for a international account.

[BigBong 9]

Just put it in your wallet and bring it & note it on the customs form, no big deal.

Bring a bank statement showing you closed your account or your parents gave it to you or whatever.

Tell them you have a wedding to pay for,

Not a big deal, shop around for a good exchange rate and save yourself the fees to wire it here,

No big deal.

[C-ma'am 684]

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