Foreign students attending a U.S. university have more paperwork to complete before attending their first class. Many universities provide foreign advisors with detailed orientation packets to help students navigate through immigration, campus and financial requirements to ensure a smooth transition to college life. When a student visa, college identification card and housing are secured, a student can open a bank account at an on-campus institution. The on-campus branch provides special programs for students and faculty and is in a better position to understand the needs of new students to establish good financial habits.
Instructions
1. Meet with a bank officer at your campus bank. Complete the application for a checking account (if desired, a savings account application may be completed at this time as well).
2. Check that your co-signer also completes her section of the application(s).
3. Submit your student ID, passport, student visa and proof of housing to the bank officer. The bank officer may make photocopies of the documents in addition to writing down the information. Make sure these items are returned to you.
4. Endorse and submit your funding in the presence of the bank officer and submit these for depositing into your account(s). Note that checks from out-of-state banks or foreign banks take one to three weeks to clear. Ask the bank official when he expects the funds to be available and do not issue checks until you have available funds. Traveler's checks are usually treated as cash deposits for immediate funding.
5. Check that you receive a set of starter checks and keep these in a safe place until your imprinted checks arrive.
Tags: bank officer, Check that, student visa