How To Open A US Bank Acount For Non US Residents

After 9/11 the US government passed a new law named the Patriot Act, one impact this had was to make it almost impossible for a non US resident to get a US bank account. There is, however, still one method for obtaining an account that is almost identical to a current account and that is by opening a brokerage account with etrade.com.
This account is primarilly intended to be used for share trading however there is nothing to stop it being used simply as a standard bank account.
You cannot apply for this account online, you have to fill in 2 forms and post them.

Instructions

Download and fill in the following two documents.

EtradeApplication.pdf - main application form

http://www.alphaebooks.co.uk/downloa...pplication.pdf

TaxWitholding.pdf - form to prevent you having to pay US tax

http://www.alphaebooks.co.uk/downloa...Witholding.pdf

Print, then Sign them wherever appropriate, then COURIER them along with copies of your Passport and two Home Utility Bills for your address to:

E*TRADE Securities LLC
671 N. Glebe Road, 11th Floor
Arlington, VA 22203
USA

or by regular mail to
E*TRADE Securities LLC
P.O. Box. 1542
Merrifield, VA 22116-1542
USA

Give them a few days to process your application then email them at service@etrade.com to see if your application has been processed alright. Once they have confirmed your account has been created you can call them at 916-636-2510 to request your account login and password, however this will be mailed to you and included in the Welcome Kit.

Once active you must make a deposit into the account as this is part of the agreement, the recommended thing to do is to transfer your paypal balance into it.

Go to https://us.etrade.com/e/t/estation/Know to see all the different ways to make your initial deposit.