I re-registered with Firstrade on May 26, and by June 6, my account was successfully opened. Using a Chinese passport + domestic address proof (credit card statement) works fine for registration—no need for overseas address proof. Compared to the hassle with Schwab, Firstrade’s registration process is much simpler, and the interface feels more like a user-friendly internet product that actually makes sense. This might have something to do with the founder, John Liu, being of Chinese descent. Firstrade isn’t publicly listed and is smaller in scale compared to IBKR or Schwab, but it’s been operating for over 40 years. There’s no minimum deposit requirement, making it friendly for beginners. The rest of the process is pretty standard—just fill in the usual info. However, during the funding process, Firstrade clearly states: they do not accept transfers from non-bank sources like Wise, PayPal, Revolut, Western Union, etc.