How to Start a Business in The USA by MyUSACorporation - HTML preview

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then it would probably be the best solution. Keep in mind that you need to bring a number of documents, both personal and business related, and it's always a good idea to contact the bank directly prior to arrival to ensure you have all the documents in your possession at the time of visiting the branch. Below I list all the documents required (or those that might be required) by a typical US bank (however keep in mind that even within the same bank different branches might have slightly different requirements).

 

Verify Your Identity in U.S. Embassy

 

Some banks would accept I.D. verification through US embassy. A person in a foreign country looking to open a U.S. bank account could go to a U.S. embassy in their country, and someone there at the embassy could sign the I.D. verification form. Obviously, this is really only practical for someone who lives close to a U.S. embassy, however if the only alternative is to travel to the US then it could be a better solution. Of course, this is only meaningful if you verify first with the bank in the US that they would accept it.

 

Partner with Someone in the US

 

If traveling to the US or using the embassy solution is not an option, one way to do it is by partnering with someone in the US. Many people have friends and family in the US that could assist them in opening a bank account. It is very important to understand that a person you partner with, who will also be the one listed as company representative at the bank, should be trustworthy, so choose carefully. Keep in mind that this person will have access to all company funds going through this account, and as long as you are not listed as a co-signer on the account, would have exclusive authority to perform such operations as closing or blocking it.

 

Hire a US Manager/Executive Officer

 

If you want to keep the ownership to yourself an alternative would be to hire a manager or executive officer for your company, who would represent it at the bank. LLCs for example can be formed as "manager-managed", which in some states would require you to list the manager on company's Articles of Organization. Similar to previous solution that person would have exclusive authority in questions of managing the bank account, so choose carefully.

 

This solution is different from the previous one in that fact that here you will compensate the manager with a salary (or one time payment), while in the previous solution you compensate them with shares or member interest. To grant this person an authority to represent your company you might need to issue them a Certificate of Incumbency (see below).

 

Alternative #1: Bank Account In Your Country

 

Some businesses registered in the US might not even need a US bank account. If your company would provide services to business clients in the US it might be an option to have the funds wired to a US dollar bank account of your US company that you would open instead in your