Brokerage account applications rejected without SSN or ITIN during visa processing limbo

Most US brokerages (Schwab, Fidelity, Vanguard, Interactive Brokers) require a Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number to open an account. But new visa holders (H-1B, L-1, O-1) often wait 2-6 weeks after arrival before receiving their SSN from the Social Security Administration. So what? They cannot open a brokerage account during that window. So what? Their cash sits idle in a checking account earning near-zero interest while markets move. So what? If they arrived during a market dip, they miss a time-sensitive buying opportunity they can never recover. So what? Over a 30-year investing horizon, missing even a few weeks of compounding during a recovery rally can cost tens of thousands of dollars. So what? This creates a structural wealth gap between immigrants and US-born citizens who already had brokerage accounts before starting their careers. The problem persists structurally because brokerages are regulated by FINRA and SEC rules that tie account identity verification to SSN/ITIN, and the Social Security Administration has no expedited process for new arrivals. There is no temporary credential or provisional account mechanism, and brokerages have no business incentive to build one because immigrants are a small percentage of new account openings.