Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 where applicable
A US residential address
An SSN or ITIN if you have one; a passport number if not
An opening deposit, which varies by institution

Step-by-step

1
Open a checking account in branch in week one
Bring passport, Buffalo address and SSN or ITIN if issued. The federal Customer Identification Program rule explicitly permits a passport number and country of issuance instead of a taxpayer number for non-US persons. A refusal on that ground is branch policy, not law.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Try a credit union if a branch turns you away
Western New York has a dense credit union sector, several attached to the universities, the hospitals and the manufacturing employers. They are frequently more willing than a national bank's branch to open an account on a passport and an employment offer letter.
In personWho: You
3
Mention a pending ITIN if you have no SSN
Banks may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and keep the receipt — raising it at the counter can move your banking forward by weeks.
In personWho: You
4
Set up direct deposit immediately
Give payroll your routing and account numbers. Direct deposit waives the monthly maintenance fee on most US checking accounts, which is the simplest saving on this list.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
5
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a refundable deposit, typically around $500, and receive a card with a matching limit that reports to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Length of history counts as much as behaviour, so start the clock the week you arrive rather than the year you want a mortgage.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
Budget the winter heating bill into your first year's cash flow
Buffalo heating runs from roughly November to April and a poorly insulated older flat or house is expensive to keep warm. Ask a prospective landlord or seller for actual bills from last winter rather than an estimate, and check whether the building is on natural gas — most are. It is the difference between a manageable winter and an unpleasant surprise in January.
OnlineWho: YouBefore winter

Documents you’ll need

Passport, with country of issuance serving as the identifying number if you have no SSN or ITIN
Visa and I-94, where applicable
SSN card or ITIN letter, if issued
Proof of Buffalo address
Employer offer letter, accepted by many banks, landlords and utilities as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

The security deposit is capped at one month's rent, statewide, and that does apply in Buffalo.

Most of New York's famous tenant law is New York City law, but the one-month deposit cap is a statewide rule and it reaches every rental in the state. It is worth knowing precisely because so little else from the downstate regime does — a landlord asking for two months here is asking for something the law does not allow, whatever they say about your lack of a credit file.

Source: New York State Homes and Community Renewal — leases

No credit history is treated worse than bad credit history.

American underwriting scores a file, and a file that does not exist cannot be scored at all. A well-paid newcomer can be declined for an apartment, a phone contract and a car loan in the same fortnight while holding a spotless twenty-year record at home. Nothing crosses the border — not the mortgage, not the decade with the same bank.

Source: community-reported

Federal rules let a bank take your passport instead of an SSN.

The Customer Identification Program rule accepts a passport number and country of issuance for non-US persons, and branch staff frequently do not know it. Being refused is common and is not a legal outcome. Print the CFPB guidance, ask for a manager, or try a credit union — waiting weeks for a number you may not be eligible for is the avoidable mistake.

Source: FDIC — Customer Identification Program requirements

New York's minimum wage is regional, and Buffalo is on the lower of the two rates.

From 1 January 2026 the floor is USD 17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester and USD 16.00 in the rest of the state, Buffalo included. Both are well above the federal minimum, and the two-tier structure means a job advertised at 'the New York minimum wage' has to be read carefully — the downstate number is not the one that applies here.

Source: New York State Department of Labor — minimum wage

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport often suffices.
Accepting a security deposit demand above the statewide one-month cap.
Signing a winter lease without ever asking what last winter's heating cost.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file and accepting a punitive rate.
Paying an avoidable monthly maintenance fee by never setting up direct deposit.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.