I’ve been struggling to add my wife to my checking account because the system keeps rejecting her. She’s a Mexican citizen, and we need this joint account for her visa application. Has anyone had success adding a non-resident to their account? What documents did you use? USAA hasn’t been able to help so far, and I’m starting to think it’s impossible.
If she’s a resident alien, she’ll need a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). If she’s a non-resident alien, the bank will probably require form W-8BEN for IRS purposes. This is standard across most banks, though their processes may vary.
@Pip
She’s not in the US yet, so we haven’t started the visa process. Would submitting this form help even in her case? Thanks for the info.
Pace said:
@Pip
She’s not in the US yet, so we haven’t started the visa process. Would submitting this form help even in her case? Thanks for the info.
If she’s not in the US, she would be considered a non-resident alien. Yes, you’d need to fill out form W-8BEN. USAA might not let you do this online, so you’ll probably have to call them to sort it out.
With the stricter anti-money laundering laws, no bank in the US will allow this unless she has a Social Security-like number or ITIN. She’d need proper documentation to get started.
I don’t think it’s possible unless she has a permanent resident card and a Social Security number.
Wait, are you saying your checking account is a Mexican citizen? Just kidding, but seriously, this sounds tricky.
If she doesn’t have a US-issued SSN or ITIN, it’s very unlikely this will work. Most banks won’t allow it.
Your best bet is to contact USAA directly and see what options they might suggest.
As others have said, she’ll need proper documentation. There are strict rules about this, and banks can’t bypass them.
If USAA, a major bank, can’t help you with this, I doubt anyone else can offer a different solution. You might want to explore other ways to meet the visa requirements.