What are the requirements for opening a bank account in the United States?

The materials needed to open an account in an American bank mainly include:

There are two kinds of certificates, which can be passport, American driver's license, student ID card (and I20), bank card, work permit, American ID card (DMV can handle it), valid and legal visa or residence certificate, residence, telephone number, work unit or school, etc.

American students and new immigrants usually use two kinds of bank accounts, savings accounts and checking accounts. If you live in the United States for a long time, you can consider various investment accounts.

1. Current account

It is equivalent to a domestic current account and can be accessed at any time. Interest-bearing checking accounts generally require the account to be kept above a certain amount, otherwise the account maintenance fee of tens of yuan will be charged every month. International students are advised to open an interest-free checking account. Generally, there is no or very low requirement for the balance of the account. After opening an account, you will be given an ATM card, and you need to enter a password when swiping the card.

2. Savings account

As the name implies, it is to deposit temporary cash in the bank to earn some interest (the annual interest rate in the United States is generally 2.5%-6%). Different banks have different interest rates in different periods, and usually have requirements on the amount and deposit period.

If parents are worried that students need money temporarily after arriving in the United States, students may wish to open a checking account and a savings account, and put a small amount of money in the checking account for normal use. In an emergency or when the money runs out, they can transfer the money from the savings account to the checking account. Multiple accounts opened by a depositor in the same bank can be embodied in an ATM card and can be operated at will on the ATM machine.