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 you do not
An opening deposit, which varies by bank

Step-by-step

1
Open a checking account in a branch
Bring your passport, US address and SSN or ITIN if issued. Federal Customer Identification Program rules explicitly allow a passport number and country of issuance in place of a taxpayer number for non-US persons. A branch refusing on that basis is applying internal policy rather than the law.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
If you have no SSN, mention a pending ITIN
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 — this can pull your banking forward by weeks, but only if you know to raise it.
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, which is the main reason it matters.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
4
Open a secured credit card in month one
You post a deposit — often $500 — and receive a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus exactly like an ordinary card. Age of history matters as much as behaviour, so start the clock immediately rather than when you need credit.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
5
Pay in full every month and keep utilisation low
Put one recurring bill on the card and autopay the statement balance. Keep the balance below roughly 30% of the limit. Carrying a balance does not improve your score and costs 20%+ interest — the most durable myth in US personal finance.
Mobile appWho: You
6
Ask whether your employer offers newcomer banking
Large Bay Area employers frequently have relationships with banks and lenders that underwrite new arrivals on the offer letter rather than a credit file. Ask HR — it is often the fastest route to an unsecured card and sometimes to a car loan.
Via employerWho: 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 California address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some banks as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

No credit file is worse than a bad one.

US underwriting scores a file; a file that does not exist cannot be scored. A well-paid engineer with a Bay Area offer letter can be declined for an apartment, a phone contract and a credit card in the same week. Nothing about your foreign financial standing transfers, and the only remedy is elapsed time — which is why month one matters.

Source: community-reported

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

The Customer Identification Program rule accepts a passport number and country of issuance as the identifying number for non-US persons. Branch staff frequently do not know this. If refused, escalate to a manager or try a bank with a stated newcomer programme rather than waiting weeks for an SSN you may not even be eligible for.

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 to interest paid. Paying in full each month builds history identically and saves a rate typically above 20% APR. Large numbers of Americans believe the opposite and it is expensive.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — credit cards

Bay Area employers often have banking relationships worth using.

Because the region imports so many workers from abroad, several banks and lenders underwrite on an employment offer rather than a credit file, and large tech employers maintain those relationships for new hires. Asking HR in week one can skip six months of secured-card history.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before attempting to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Delaying a secured credit card until credit is needed, which is exactly when the missing file blocks you.
Carrying a balance in the belief it helps your score.
Paying a monthly maintenance fee because direct deposit was never set up.
Using a foreign card for everything and building no US file at all in year one.

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

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