I want to open an interest bearing account, but want to claim non-resident alien status. I am in the US for six months out of the year on a B-1 Visa, but am here for religious purposes. Do I qualify as a non-resident alien or do I need a TIN number since I think that I meet the substantial presence test? If I qualify, can I open an interest bearing account?
If you meet the "substantial presence" test, you will need to obtain a taxpayer identification number in order to open any type of deposit account in the U.S. If you are not eligible to obtain a Social Security number, because of your Visa program, you should be able to obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service. Once you have that number, you can contact a bank to inquire about their account offerings.
Published on BankingQuestions.com 5/07/08
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If you meet the "substantial presence" test, you will need to obtain a taxpayer identification number in order to open any type of 