Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
A Charleston-area 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
Bring your passport, local address and SSN or ITIN if issued. Federal Customer Identification Program rules explicitly allow a passport number and country of issuance instead of a taxpayer number for non-US persons.
In personWho: YouWeek 1
2
Mention a pending ITIN if you have no SSN
Institutions may open accounts for people who have applied for but not yet received an ITIN. File IRS Form W-7 and bring the receipt to the counter.
In personWho: You
3
Try a South Carolina credit union
The Lowcountry has a strong credit union sector with community charters covering anyone living or working in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, and several are tied to the port, the base and the hospitals. They read a thin file the way a human does, which a national bank's model cannot.
In personWho: You
4
Set up direct deposit
Give payroll your routing and account numbers. Direct deposit waives the monthly maintenance fee on most US checking accounts.
Via employerWho: You and your employer
5
Open a secured credit card in month one
Post a deposit, typically around $500, and get a card with a matching limit that reports to the credit bureaus. Age of history counts as much as behaviour, so start immediately rather than when you need credit.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
If you are buying, price flood, wind and hazard cover before the offer
A federally regulated lender must require flood insurance on a building in a special flood hazard area, and coastal South Carolina property may also need separate wind and hail cover. Under FEMA's Risk Rating 2.0 the flood premium is set for the individual building, so the only reliable number is a quote for that exact address. Get all three before you commit, not during the escrow.
OnlineWho: You

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 a Charleston-area address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

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. Branch staff frequently do not know this and will send you away for a Social Security card. Escalate, or try a credit union.

Source: FDIC — Customer Identification Program requirements

No credit history is treated worse than bad credit history.

US underwriting scores a file, and a file that does not exist cannot be scored. A well-paid newcomer can be declined for a flat and a car loan in the same week, and building one takes months rather than days.

Source: CFPB — bank accounts and services

On a coastal purchase, insurance is part of the affordability calculation.

A lender must require flood insurance where the building sits in a special flood hazard area, and that policy is now priced per building under Risk Rating 2.0 rather than per zone. Add wind and hail cover, which on parts of this coast comes from a separate policy, and the monthly escrow can move the answer to 'what can I afford' by a wide margin. Buyers who work out the mortgage first and the insurance afterwards get an unpleasant surprise at underwriting.

Source: FEMA — flood insurance

A pending ITIN is often enough to open an account.

You do not have to wait for the number to arrive. Form W-7 takes weeks; many institutions will open an account on the receipt plus a passport, which unblocks payroll and a rental deposit.

Source: IRS — US taxpayer identification number requirement

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Never trying a credit union, where a human reads a thin file.
Budgeting a coastal purchase on principal and interest without pricing flood and wind cover.
Delaying a secured card until you actually need credit, and losing six months of history.
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.