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, Florida 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 Miami this is routine rather than exceptional — ask for a Spanish-speaking or international banker if that is easier.
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 — raising it can pull your banking forward by weeks.
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, often $500, and get a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus like any other. Age of history matters as much as behaviour, so start immediately rather than when you need credit.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
5
Budget for the car loan and the insurance
Miami requires a car, and Florida car insurance is among the most expensive in the country. Financing with no credit file compounds that — either a large deposit or several points above market rate. Six months of secured-card history first, or a co-signer, saves real money.
In personWho: You
6
Pay in full every month and keep utilisation low
Autopay the statement balance and keep the balance under 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 Florida address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some banks as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Miami banks handle foreign documentation as a matter of routine.

Because South Florida banking serves Latin American clients at scale, branch staff here are far less likely than in most US cities to insist on an SSN or to be unfamiliar with a foreign passport as an identifying document. If you have been refused elsewhere in the US, Miami is where the same application usually works.

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. A refusal on that basis is bank policy rather than law, and it is worth escalating or trying a bank with a stated international programme.

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

No credit history is treated worse than bad credit history.

US underwriting scores a file; a file that does not exist cannot be scored. A well-paid newcomer can be declined for a flat, a phone contract and a car loan in the same week. Nothing about your standing at home transfers, and only elapsed time fixes it.

Source: community-reported

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 typically above 20% APR.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — credit cards

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is usually enough here.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file and accepting a punitive rate.
Delaying a secured card until credit is needed.
Underestimating Florida car insurance when budgeting the total cost of a vehicle.
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.