Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
A US residential address
An SSN or ITIN if you have one; a passport number if not
An opening deposit, which varies by bank

Step-by-step

1
Open a checking account in branch
Bring your passport, Georgia address and SSN or ITIN if issued. Federal Customer Identification Program rules explicitly allow a passport number and country of issuance instead of a taxpayer number for non-US persons.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Mention a pending ITIN if you have no SSN
Banks may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and keep the receipt.
In personWho: You
3
Set up direct deposit
Give payroll your routing and account numbers. Direct deposit waives the monthly maintenance fee on most US checking accounts.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
4
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a deposit, typically $500, and get a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus. Age of history matters as much as behaviour.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
5
Budget the whole cost of the car, not just the loan
Georgia's one-off Title Ad Valorem Tax on a newly titled vehicle is assessed on fair market value and can run into the thousands. Add it to the deposit and the higher interest rate a thin credit file attracts before deciding what you can afford.
In personWho: You
6
Pay in full every month and keep utilisation low
Autopay the statement balance and keep the balance below about 30% of the limit. Carrying a balance builds interest, not credit.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport, with country of issuance serving as the identifying number if you have no SSN or ITIN
Visa and I-94, where applicable
SSN card or ITIN letter, if issued
Proof of Georgia address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some banks as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

The car costs more than the loan, because of the titling tax.

Georgia's one-off Title Ad Valorem Tax on a vehicle's fair market value lands at titling, not spread over the years. For a newcomer buying a car in month one — which in Atlanta is near-mandatory — that is a large cash requirement on top of a deposit and a thin-file interest rate. Model the whole number before shopping.

Source: Georgia Department of Revenue — Title Ad Valorem Tax

No credit history is treated worse than bad credit history.

US underwriting scores a file, and a file that does not exist cannot be scored. A well-paid newcomer can be declined for an apartment and a car loan in the same week.

Source: community-reported

Federal rules let a bank take your passport instead of an SSN.

The Customer Identification Program rule accepts a passport number and country of issuance for non-US persons. Branch staff often do not know this; escalate or try a branch near Buford Highway, where international customers are routine.

Source: FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual — Customer Identification Program

Carrying a balance builds interest, not credit.

Scores respond to on-time payment and low utilisation, not interest paid. Paying in full each month builds history identically and saves a rate above 20% APR.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — credit cards