paddy-cal

hi, i am new to this forum but have found a lot of useful context for my L-1A pursuit. so, this is my debut post. my C-Corp is being opened in California as of today, and i will then obtain the EIN, ITIN and open the office. i also need to open a US business bank account.

after much web searching and speaking to City National Bank, it seems that i need to actually fly to LA / OC in order to open an account. i was told 'it's KYC' - 'know your client'. it makes sense of course - but it also means 22 hours of flying and £1000 costs in order to do so, which kind of doesn't make sense.

can anybody please help with a suggestion or contact as to how i can secure an appropriate business account (one that works for the C-Corp, and USCIS) but from my desk in London, by use of phone, fax, email and Fed-Ex?!

i am a UK citizen.

i'd be grateful for any thoughts - thank you.

paddy-cal

made of kent

your company should pay, check out your HR, if they don't do that then they are shit, as you also need to sort out accommodation before you start

MsElui

im guessing its the L1 variety whereby he owns the company made of kent.

paddy-cal

that's right MsElui, it's my own company. the money isn't really the issue it's the travel distance and time.

accomodation is already taken care of.

any insight on whether i would need to go to CA solely to open the bank account would be appreciated, or whether someone knows of a way it could satisfactorily be done from the UK. thanks.

traceym

I've got HSBC International banking and there are branches in California, which I've used, maybe worth a call to them?

Tracey.

paddy-cal

thansk Tracey i'll call them today, have looked on-line and the banking seems to be offshore, so will find out whether that is acceptable to USCIS. might not qualify as a US account.

goldenstate31

correct, best way forward

N1cky

Also Citibank have offices in London where you can open a US account.

Sally Redux

That's what we did, but when we arrived found it was a UK dollar account - couldn't access the money. Nightmare.

lansbury

Wells Fargo have an office at Canary Wharf. Details of their service here:-

https://www.wellsfargo.com/com/focus/ipb_uk

paddy-cal

thanks. called them, they said they are offshore, and don't do a US bank acount, and said to call HSBC US.

HSBC US asked if i had an existing business relationship with HSBC in UK. as it happens i have had a passive Ltd. Co. account for the last 9 months for another company though it has never traded. they said that was satisfactory, and that when the C-Corp has been established in CA and i have the EIN, to call them and then a BRM (Business Relationship Manager) from the US end would work in conjunction with a BRM this end (HSBC Canary Wharf) to sort the paperwork, photocopy etc. and open the account.

sounds like this covers for them the KYC (know your client).

it sounds 'too good to be true' at the moment but also pretty much how i would expect an international banking system to be able to operate!

tomorrow i will speak to my BRM on the passive HSBC UK account in order to see if he thinks this is viable. will report back on that.

paddy-cal

thanks, both. very hard to get through to Citibank (high volume of calls so go to our web site - but i am calling them because the web site doesn't clarify it). i got through by choosing the option for an exisiting account holder and then just pressed '0' continously when they asked for 16 digit account number and four digit PIN, eventually the automated voice gave up.

call centre somewhere, had to go off to check the situaiton, and bascially they said i can't open a US business account from Citibank in London, that the US operation was not linked to the UK operation.

can't help thinking there might be a way but it depends upon who one speaks to.

paddy-cal

thanks lansbury, this might be perfect if it works, as Wells Fargo are all over So Cal, unlike HSBC.

the web site says they are 'your virtual international bank' so i would need to check off with them as to whether any account/branch would notionally be based in the UK, or the US, which i can imagine the USCIS requiring (and would be better for me too).

i live at canary wharf so will check them out tomorrow.

great help, thanks everyone, any more ideas at this stage most welcome - i don't want a situation to look promising, only to find there's a snag down the line that i or the bank don't foresee. a physical branch in SoCal that i can go in to and talk to would be the best outcome here.

meauxna

Three times actually

It's because you were reposting the link before you had enough posts.
All done now.

Zonie

We opened a Wells Fargo account from the UK via mail back in 2005 using an ITIN. The account was US based and we stocked it up with USD ready for our arrival.