Chime and Ally are great but mostly closed to non-residents. The real paths: East West Bank, Mercury, Chase with an ITIN — plus the tax notes.
Most US consumer digital banks (Chime, Varo, SoFi, Ally, Axos, Current) require an SSN or ITIN plus a US address, so non-residents are usually rejected outright. The genuinely open paths are few: East West Bank, Mercury for founders, and Chase or BoA with an ITIN.
East West Bank has long served immigrants and cross-border clients; non-residents can open at selected branches or via witnessed processes, usually with an initial deposit (from about USD 1,500, lower for some accounts). Suited to people who want branches, USD transfers and China business links.
Mercury serves US-registered companies; non-resident founders can apply remotely with no minimum deposit — provided you have a US company (e.g. a Delaware LLC) and an EIN.
Chase Bank and Bank of America are conditionally open to non-residents: with an ITIN plus a verifiable US address or contact, opening is possible. The ITIN process is slow, so this suits people with a clear US tax-identity need.
US accounts sit inside FATCA and the W-8BEN regime: non-residents report US-source income, deposit interest is usually exempt but investment income may trigger filing. Confirm your tax residency and obligations before opening — a tax advisor helps.
A few options exist. East West Bank conditionally serves non-residents; Chase and BoA accept an ITIN. Mainstream digital banks (Chime, Varo, SoFi) generally do not.
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — for people who cannot get an SSN but have US tax filing needs. Applying takes weeks to months and requires forms plus supporting documents.
Bank deposit interest for non-residents is generally exempt from US tax, but investment income and dividends may trigger filing obligations — file a W-8BEN. Confirm with a tax advisor.