Brokerage Readiness Checker
Not sure whether your immigration documents, tax ID, and actual country of residence fit a broker’s published account-opening rules? Start with a private, practical checklist—not a “best broker” ranking.
Your account-opening readiness checklist
Your next-step checklist
Methodology & limitations
We compare publicly available eligibility statements for three U.S.-resident brokerage options (Robinhood, SoFi Invest, Webull) and three international-account starting points (Firstrade, Interactive Brokers, Schwab International). A “published route to review” is not a prediction of approval. Brokers can apply additional identity, compliance, age, funding, product, and geographic restrictions. Statements can change. Sources were reviewed October 16, 2026; follow the provider link in each result to verify again before applying.
Firstrade’s published international-account profile is narrower than its marketing description: it is directed at certain non-U.S. citizens/permanent residents without a U.S. SSN or tax ID. Interactive Brokers lists available application countries but does not guarantee any individual’s approval. Schwab asks international applicants to select their actual country of residence before continuing. U.S. citizenship abroad does not automatically make a U.S.-resident-only app available.
For U.S. federal taxes, F-1 or H-1B immigration status alone does not determine resident-alien status. Check IRS Publication 519 and IRS Form W-8BEN guidance. The right certification depends on your actual U.S. tax classification. This tool does not calculate it.
Two examples: why the same app is not right for everyone
F-1 student in the United States, ITIN but no SSN: SoFi and Webull name F-1 visas and an SSN-or-ITIN route, while Robinhood’s published U.S. brokerage application requires an SSN. An actual U.S. home address, identity documents, and approval review still matter.
South Korea resident, not a U.S. citizen or green-card holder, no U.S. taxpayer ID: Firstrade identifies South Korea as a supported international region, and Interactive Brokers lists the Republic of Korea as an available account-application country. These are starting points to verify, not promises of approval.
Official broker eligibility documents
- Robinhood — U.S. brokerage application requirements
- SoFi Invest — Account eligibility
- Webull — Opening an account and accepted visas
- Firstrade — International account regions
- Interactive Brokers — Available countries and territories
- Schwab International — Account-opening country selection
Educational information only. No investment, legal, tax, or immigration advice; no personalized recommendation or account-approval guarantee. KoruVest is not affiliated with any broker listed, and this tool uses no affiliate referral links. Do not provide identification numbers or passport images to this website.