Before you start

Passport, with visa and I-94 if applicable
A Texas 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, Texas 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, and El Paso branch staff are unusually familiar with that.
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 a credit union or a local bank rather than a national one
El Paso has a deep credit-union sector, several grown out of Fort Bliss, the school districts and the county, plus long-established local banks. They are frequently more flexible with thin credit files and price car loans better — and in a car-dependent metro that is the loan that matters.
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
Get the cross-border reporting right from the start
If you keep an account in Mexico or anywhere else, aggregate foreign balances over $10,000 at any point in the year trigger an FBAR filing with FinCEN, separately from your tax return. Carrying more than $10,000 in cash or instruments across a land border requires a currency report to CBP. Both are administrative, both are routine on this border, and both carry serious penalties when missed.
OnlineWho: You
7
Open the utility account and expect a deposit
El Paso Electric supplies electricity and El Paso Water supplies water and sewer. Neither is a competitive market. Without a US credit file expect a refundable security deposit on connection, refunded after a period of on-time payment.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1

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 Texas address
Employer offer letter, accepted by some institutions as supporting evidence

Things most newcomers don’t know

This is one of the easiest places in the United States to bank without a Social Security number.

The Customer Identification Program rule permitting a passport number and country of issuance is national, but knowledge of it is not. El Paso branches process non-resident and cross-border customers as ordinary business, and Spanish-language service is universal rather than a special arrangement. If a branch elsewhere has already told you no, try again here.

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

The FBAR catches border families constantly, and entirely innocently.

An account in Mexico that has existed since childhood, or one holding a family property's rent, still counts toward the $10,000 aggregate threshold that triggers a FinCEN filing. On this border that describes an enormous number of households. It is a form, not a tax — and the penalties for not filing it are far out of proportion to the effort of filing it.

Source: IRS — official federal tax authority

There is one electricity provider and one water utility, so the deposit is the only variable.

In Dallas or Houston a newcomer with no credit file shops between retailers to avoid a deposit. Here El Paso Electric is the only option and El Paso Water is the only option. Ask each what the no-credit-file deposit will be before you sign a lease, because they land in the same fortnight as the rent deposit.

Source: community-reported

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.
Missing the FBAR because a family account in Mexico never felt 'foreign'.
Crossing with more than $10,000 in cash without filing the CBP currency report.
Financing a car in month one with no credit file at a punitive rate.
Being surprised by utility deposits in the same week as the rental deposit.

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