Robinhood vs. SoFi vs. Webull for Visa Holders: Eligibility & Features (2026)

If you are an F-1 or H-1B visa holder living in the United States, choosing between Robinhood, SoFi, and Webull starts with a question that most “best investing app” comparisons skip:

Which platform will actually accept your visa, tax ID, and U.S. residence documents?

All three platforms offer low-cost self-directed investing. But their published account-opening rules are not identical. An F-1 student with no Social Security number can face a very different choice from an H-1B worker with an SSN.

Verified: September 11, 2026. This article uses current official eligibility and product information from Robinhood, SoFi, and Webull. Visa support, pricing, promotions, and product features can change.

Quick answer: the three platforms do not use the same onboarding rules

Requirement	Robinhood	SoFi Invest	Webull
Visa holders accepted?	Qualifying valid U.S. visa holders may apply	Supported non-permanent-resident visas include F-1 and H-1B	Accepted visas include F-1 and H-1B
SSN / ITIN	Valid SSN required	U.S. SSN or U.S. ITIN	SSN or ITIN
U.S. address	Legal U.S. residential address	Physical U.S. address	U.S. residential address
F-1 without SSN	Published requirement is not met	May qualify with ITIN + supported F-1 documentation	May qualify with ITIN + accepted F-1 status

This is published eligibility, not guaranteed approval. A broker may request additional documents or decline an application after compliance review.

The most important difference for an F-1 student may be SSN vs. ITIN

Consider two F-1 students who both live in the United States. Student A has an SSN from authorized employment. Student B does not have an SSN but has obtained an ITIN for U.S. tax purposes.

Robinhood’s current brokerage eligibility page requires a valid Social Security number and a legal U.S. residential address, together with qualifying citizenship, permanent-resident status, or a valid U.S. visa.

SoFi Invest publishes a different rule. It states that an applicant may use a U.S. SSN or U.S. ITIN, and that non-permanent residents with supported visas can open Self-Directed or Robo Invest accounts. Its current supported list includes F-1 and H-1B.

Webull also states that applicants may use an SSN or ITIN. Its U.S. account-opening guidance explicitly lists F-1 and H-1B among accepted visa types.

Do not confuse visa status with U.S. tax residency

Being on an F-1 or H-1B visa does not by itself determine whether you are a U.S. resident or nonresident alien for federal income-tax purposes.

• Immigration status tells you what status you hold under immigration rules.
• Tax residency determines how U.S. tax law classifies you for the relevant year.
• Broker eligibility determines whether a specific financial institution will open and maintain your account.

If those categories are unclear, read Can a Non-US Citizen Open a Brokerage Account? before choosing an app.

Robinhood: straightforward if you already have an SSN

Robinhood can be simple for a visa holder who already satisfies its onboarding rules: age 18+, a valid SSN, a legal U.S. residential address, and qualifying citizenship, permanent-resident status, or valid U.S. visa.

Robinhood supports eligible fractional stock and ETF purchases from $1. It also currently advertises a 3% match on eligible annual IRA contributions for Gold subscribers and 1% for non-Gold customers, subject to current program conditions.

For a visa holder, however, the promotion should come after eligibility and tax considerations—not before them.

SoFi Invest: notable if ITIN eligibility and broader planning matter

SoFi’s published Invest eligibility accepts a U.S. SSN or U.S. ITIN and supports qualifying non-permanent residents. Its current accepted visa list includes F-1 and H-1B. A physical U.S. address is required, and SoFi says it does not support Invest customers residing outside the United States.

For self-directed investing, SoFi’s fractional Stock Bits currently start at $5. Its Robo Invest service is separate and currently charges a 0.25% annual advisory fee.

SoFi also offers financial-planning access. Current materials state that standard members can receive one complimentary 30-minute planning appointment, while SoFi Plus members can receive unlimited appointments under the current program terms.

Webull: explicit visa support plus deeper trading tools

Webull’s current U.S. account-opening guidance says applicants need an SSN or ITIN and a U.S. residential address. It lists accepted visa types including F-1, H-1B, E-1, E-2, E-3, TN-1, O-1 and L-1.

Feature-wise, Webull is the most trading-oriented of the three. It publishes advanced charting, screeners, paper trading and other market tools. Eligible fractional-share purchases currently start at $1.

Those tools are useful if you actually want them. They are not automatically better for someone whose plan is simply to buy a diversified ETF every month.

Which one should an F-1 or H-1B holder check first?

Your situation	Start by checking	Why
F-1 without SSN but with ITIN	SoFi / Webull	Both publish SSN-or-ITIN pathways; Robinhood publishes an SSN requirement
F-1 or H-1B with SSN, wants simple investing	Robinhood / SoFi	Compare the account features you actually need after eligibility is confirmed
Visa holder who wants advanced trading tools	Webull	Webull emphasizes charting, screeners and paper trading
Likely to move outside the U.S.	Check post-move policy first	An account available now may be restricted after your residence changes

If you may leave the U.S., ask this before opening the account

“What happens to my account if I become a resident of my destination country?”

Do not assume that an account opened while you live in the U.S. will operate in exactly the same way after you move abroad. A broker may restrict new purchases, stop offering certain products, request new documentation, or apply different servicing rules.

If you already live outside the United States, this Robinhood/SoFi/Webull comparison is not your starting point. Use our brokerage eligibility comparison for non-U.S. residents instead.

Three mistakes visa holders should avoid

1. Assuming every tax ID works at every broker

An ITIN may be valid U.S. tax identification, but Robinhood’s current brokerage rule specifically requires an SSN. SoFi and Webull publish SSN-or-ITIN pathways.

2. Choosing by promotion before eligibility

An IRA match or signup offer is secondary. Confirm the account is available to you and that the account type fits your situation first.

3. Treating immigration status as tax status

F-1 and H-1B are immigration categories. Federal tax residency follows separate rules. The correct tax documentation depends on the relevant tax classification, not simply the visa label.

Bottom line

For an F-1 or H-1B visa holder living in the United States, the useful distinction among Robinhood, SoFi, and Webull is not which app wins a generic beginner ranking.

It is which broker’s published eligibility rules match the documents you actually have.

Robinhood requires an SSN. SoFi and Webull publish pathways that can accept an ITIN and explicitly support qualifying non-permanent residents. Once eligibility is settled, compare the product experience: Robinhood for simplicity and retirement incentives, SoFi for a broader financial ecosystem and planning access, and Webull for deeper trading tools.

Related KoruVest guides

• Can a Non-US Citizen Open a Brokerage Account?
• Can F-1 Students Invest in Stocks?
• Brokerage Accounts for Non-U.S. Residents & Visa Holders
• Leaving the U.S. on H-1B: What Happens to Your 401(k)?

Official sources

• Robinhood — What You Need to Get Started
• Robinhood — Fractional Shares
• Robinhood — IRA Gold Match
• SoFi — Who May Open a SoFi Invest Account?
• SoFi — Accepted Visa Documents
• SoFi — Fractional Shares
• SoFi — Robo Invest Advisory Fee
• SoFi — Financial Planner Access
• Webull — Opening Your Account
• Webull — Stocks, Fractional Shares and Paper Trading

KoruVest reviewed the official sources above on September 11, 2026. Account eligibility, accepted visas, pricing, promotions and product features can change. Confirm current terms directly with the provider before applying.

Published: July 8, 2026 · Last updated: September 11, 2026