Before you start

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

Step-by-step

1
Open a checking account in branch
Bring your passport, local 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
Institutions may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and bring the receipt to the counter.
In personWho: You
3
Try a regional bank or an Arkansas credit union
Two substantial banks are headquartered in Little Rock and several credit unions hold community charters covering Pulaski County, some grown out of the state workforce and the hospitals. A regional lender or a credit union will read a thin file the way a human does; a national bank's underwriting model cannot.
In personWho: You
4
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
5
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a deposit, typically around $500, and get a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus. Age of history counts as much as behaviour, so start immediately rather than when you need credit.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
Budget for the car, and time the loan
Rock Region METRO covers the main corridors and the streetcar is free, but the metro sprawls west along I-630 and across the river, and most jobs assume driving. Financing with no credit file means a large deposit or several points above market. Remember the annual county personal property tax on the vehicle when you work out what you can carry.
In personWho: 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 a Little Rock-area address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

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 frequently do not know this and will send you away for a Social Security card. Escalate, or try a credit union.

Source: FDIC — Customer Identification Program requirements

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 a flat and a car loan in the same week, and building one takes months rather than days.

Source: CFPB — bank accounts and services

The car costs more than the payment here.

Arkansas adds an annual county personal property tax on the vehicle to the finance payment and the insurance — and the used-car sales tax tiers mean the price you negotiate is not the price you pay. Work out the total annual cost of the car before you commit to the loan, because the local structure adds a line most newcomers have never budgeted for.

Source: Arkansas Assessment Coordination Division — individual personal property

A pending ITIN is often enough to open an account.

You do not have to wait for the number to arrive. Form W-7 takes weeks; many institutions will open an account on the receipt plus a passport, which unblocks payroll and a rental deposit.

Source: IRS — US taxpayer identification number requirement

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Never trying a credit union or a regional bank, where a human reads a thin file.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file and accepting a punitive rate.
Forgetting the annual county personal property tax when budgeting the car.
Paying an avoidable monthly maintenance fee by never setting up direct deposit.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

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