You don't - there are a large number of people legally resident in the US who are not eligible for social security numbers (ie, they don't have work authorisati

You don't - there are a large number of people legally resident in the US who are not eligible for social security numbers (ie, they don't have work authorisation), and who still require bank accounts. I am in the fortunate position of retaining an account at my alma matter's credit union, which has definitely proved useful for services that require US accounts.