Is there any non-resident alien (i.e., a person without an SSN) out there who has achieved opening a business checking account in the US remotely? Normally, as a non-resident alien, you have to physically visit a branch to open a bank account (even if the account is not for you personally but for your LLC or corporation). Since traveling to the US is not an option for me right now, I am wondering if someone knows of a way of doing that remotely. I am aware of neobanks such as TransferWise etc. but I am not looking for something like that as those "banks" do not accept checks.
You can make a corporate resolution for your LLC giving signing authority to a us based person that can do it for you. Not the easiest solutions but it can work.
@johannes we actually discussed this issue a bit in episode 92 of the REtipster Podcast with Matt and Alicia (they're both in Australia, are non-US citizens, and they do everything from the other side of the world... including tackling this issue of setting up US bank accounts as a foreigner).
You can hear more in that episode, but they mentioned a few ways to do this through firstbase.io, Silicon Valley Bank, and Stripe Atlas. I haven't been through the process myself, so I can't say first-hand what's involved, but those options might be worth investigating.
You can try BMO Harris, it's a US arm of Canadian bank-BMO (They have branches across the US). You can open a personal bank account remotely by calling their customer service line and they will mail you the application form and everything. You can also open a business bank account once you incorporate a company in the state you invest and you can inquire about this by filling their online inquiry form and they will reach out to you via email with details). In addition, personal banking is free if you an opt-in paperless statement and there is a $50 minimum deposit(the policy changes from time to time) required when you open your personal bank account.