US bank accounts for non-residents
Are you a non-US resident and desperately want a US bank account so that you can open a Paypal account and start selling online? Getting a bank account in the US is simple, easy, and yes, free. I see so many people on internet forums that they need a bank account in the US I needed one.
Do you want to know how I did it?
Have you caught yourself saying this many times: “I am here in South Africa (or India) and nobody loves us. Especially not PayPal.Well, here’s the good news. I am from India and got a US bank account, I linked it to Paypal, I got verified, I got a VISA debit card, I got a Paypal debit card and now I happily withdraw my cash at an ATM anytime .
It is no secret. Just a few easy steps. Follow them and you will soon have your own “US Bank Account” And a “Paypal Account”.
Step 1: First, you will need a US mailing address. This is so that you can send all your letters, cards, etc. to you. It is not very fast to receive an email, but it works.
These are some of the best mail services:
· http://www.usa2me.com – Highly recommended!
Step 2: Next, you will need a Paypal account. Paypal.com is the place and it’s free. Sign up for free and use your email address provided to you by the US mail forwarding service.
If you have already registered with Paypal, please register again with a different email or delete your account and start over with a new one.
Step 3: Now is the time to get a US bank account. We will use e-commerce. http://www.etrade.com. Attached are the forms you need to fill out and send.
Follow my instructions below and you will have an account with them sooner than expected.
How to complete the forms:
Download the form from here: [http://myimlab.com/uploads/emea_us_brokerage_application.pdf]
Note: a newer version of the form can be downloaded from https://us.etrade.com/e/t/home/openanaccount
ONLY complete the things in the steps and NOTHING else.
1. Account Type: Check the box labeled Individual Account.
2. Enter your first name, middle initial, and last name in the fields under “Primary Account Owner”. Leave the entire side of the “Co-Account Holder” form blank.
3. Put your “HOME” address below the address. NOT your US address.
4. Put your home and business phone numbers in the field below. The format must be “+91 (0) 9910670401”. Copy the format.
5. Check the “no” boxes under the next three options on this side of the form and continue to the next page.
6. Put your passport number below the passport number field.
7. Put your country under the “country of issuance of the passport and the” country of legal residence and the “country of citizenship”.
8. Go to “create your investment profile” just below this.
9. Select the “Preservation of Capital”, “None”, “Your Income”, “Your Approximate Net Worth” and “Your Approximate Equity” boxes. I would select a median income for all of these to be safe.
10. In (4) “Select your account characteristics”, under “Taxable income”, select the Etrade Financial sweep deposit account. It is the first option on the list.
11. Leave the “Tax Exempt Income” field blank.
12. Cash management features, select “free check writing” and NOT the debit card option. This will come later and you will be charged for it if you select it now.
13. Leave the rest of the form blank and continue.
14. On page 3, under “Fund your account”, select the last option “I plan to transfer funds from another financial institution.
15. Under “Sign and date your application”, select “I am not a US person.”
16. Sign this page and go to page 4.
17. Leave page 4 blank, but sign and attach.
18. In “Certificate of Alien Status of the Beneficial Owner for Withholding Tax in the United States”
19. Under “Name of person or organization that is the beneficial owner”, write your own name
20. In “Country of incorporation or organization”, write your own country.
21. Under “Permanent Residence Address” write your mailing address.
22. In “City or town, state or province. Include zip code where applicable. “Enter your city, then state / province, then zip code
23. In “country”, write your country.
24. “Claim for tax treaty benefits (if applicable)” check box a) and enter your country.
25. Leave the rest of the form blank, wait to put “myself” in the “category in which you act”
26. Sign and date the form.
You are now done with the forms.
Next steps:
# 1: PRINT ALL PAGES (5 pages total)
– 4 page application form – in JPEG format
– 1 page Non-US Resident Declaration Form – in PDF format
Note: You MUST use Adobe Reader to open the declaration form.
The latest version is recommended.
Adobe Reader is available for free at http://www.adobe.com
(If you are not using the latest version of Adobe Reader, your personal information (such as your name and address) may not be displayed or printed correctly.)
# 2: VERIFY ALL PERSONAL DETAILS
Make sure your name is spelled correctly, address, passport number, etc. They are right. Page 4 of 4 of the application form is completely blank. Leave it at that. Aim to sign it.
# 3: SIGNATURE; PRINT your name in CAPITAL LETTERS and today’s DATE on page 3 of the application form.
# 4: SIGN and write today’s DATE on the declaration form
# 5: MAKE A PHOTOCOPY of your passport photo-page. Please make sure it is very clear! – Make two copies; they will need two.
# 6: PUT THEM IN AN ENVELOPE AND MAIL TO THE ADDRESS AT THE TOP LEFT OF PAGE 1 OF THE APPLICATION FORM. DO NOT attach a check or cash as an initial deposit. Instead, wait for your account number to be issued first, then make your initial deposit via bank transfer or by adding it to your PayPal account.
Once you have your account number, you can immediately add it to your PayPal account to be confirmed and verified.
When E * Trade Financial receives your request, your account will be opened within 1 week.
You will receive an email notification at your provided email address.
For a FASTER service, I recommend that you use UPS or Fedex.
Once you’re done, log into your account and request a debit card. Comes via FedEx in a couple of days. Download money from PayPal to your Etrade account and withdraw it at your local ATM.
Piece of cake!