Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
An Ohio 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, Ohio address and SSN or ITIN if issued. Federal Customer Identification Program rules explicitly permit 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
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.
In personWho: You
3
Consider an Ohio credit union alongside a national bank
Central Ohio has a deep credit-union sector, including large ones grown out of the university and state government with membership open more widely than the names suggest. They are frequently more flexible on thin credit files and price car loans better than national banks.
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 matters as much as behaviour, so the clock is the thing you are buying.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
6
Budget the car loan properly, because you will need a car
With no rail and a bus network still being rebuilt, a car is close to unavoidable outside a few corridors. A newcomer with no credit file is quoted a punitive finance rate, and a credit union is usually the cheapest way through that. Model the loan and the insurance together.
In personWho: You
7
Check whether your municipal tax is actually being withheld
Ohio's two-city arrangement means your payslip should show municipal withholding for your work city, and your residence city may want a return and a payment even after the credit. If you see no municipal line at all, that is a bill accruing rather than a saving. Sort it in month one, not in April.
Via employerWho: 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 an Ohio address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

Check your payslip for the municipal tax line in the first month.

Ohio's municipal income tax is withheld by the work city, and the residence city may still want a return. Employers outside Ohio, or newly registered ones, sometimes fail to set it up. An absent municipal line is not a windfall — it is an April bill with interest attached. It takes one email to payroll to confirm.

Source: Ohio Department of Taxation

Banking in a headquarters city means local decisions.

Huntington is headquartered in Columbus and Chase runs one of its largest campuses here, alongside a dense credit-union sector. Thin-file cases that a national call centre declines are more often decided by someone in the building. It is a small advantage and it is real for a newcomer with no score.

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. Branch staff often do not know this. Escalate politely, or try a credit union, before concluding you must wait for the SSN.

Source: FFIEC BSA/AML Examination Manual — Customer Identification Program

Carrying a balance builds interest, not credit.

Scores respond to on-time payment and low utilisation, not to interest paid. Paying in full each month builds history identically and saves a rate above 20% APR.

Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — credit cards

Common mistakes to avoid

Waiting for an SSN before trying to open an account, when a passport is often enough.
Seeing no municipal tax on your payslip and assuming you do not owe it.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file at a punitive rate.
Delaying a secured card until credit is actually needed.
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.