Why is the American stock market attractive and why access to it is difficult

The American stock market is not just "the largest in the world."

It is a market with the strictest regulation, the highest liquidity and one of the most transparent trading structures. For traders from the CIS, this combination looks like an ideal scenario: clear rules, huge volumes, high-quality infrastructure, strict supervision by the SEC and FINRA. That is, a minimum of surprises on the part of brokers and maximum control over their own risk.

But with this comes another reality: access to the US stock exchange is one of the most difficult in the world.

And not because someone wants to create artificial barriers, but because the system was originally based on the principle of "trust → only after verification."

Therefore, any non—resident, whether a citizen of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, or the Russian Federation, goes through the same rigorous process: KYC, AML, address verification, source of funds, W—8BEN form, and tax status verification.

If you can open an account in local markets "in 15 minutes", then this does not work in the USA.

Here, no one will say: "well, let's start trading, and you will deliver the documents later" — the approach is a little different. This is why the market remains safe: no "grey brokers", no "negotiated" trading, just a rigid structure that cannot be circumvented.

And here we come to an important point.:

Due to the high regulation, many international companies operating in the CIS do not give real US stocks, but offer trading through CFD contracts, which legally do not give you ownership of the asset.

From the outside, everything looks like stock trading: the same tickers, the same charts, the same leverage.

But in fact, you are trading a contract with a broker — and this is how they circumvent American licensing requirements.

If this part seems confusing, I have a separate explanation of the difference here.

This is an important caveat: when the market is regulated, it protects your position, but in return requires fair entry "according to the rules."

This is where the main conclusion of the entire article grows.:

Accessing the US stock market is difficult because it is secure.

If you want to trade in the infrastructure of New York or Nasdaq, you integrate into a system where there are no accidents, but there is order.

And the further we go through the article, the more noticeable another trend will become: there are alternatives.

For example, prop companies that provide access to American markets much easier and faster — without opening a personal brokerage account, without going through complex verification, and without having to break through the banking restrictions of the CIS or the Russian Federation.

But we will get to them later — in the meantime, it is important to understand the foundation: the American market is the most regulated, therefore it is the most reliable and the most difficult to access.

How can a non-resident open an account with an American broker (CIS, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan)

Getting access to an American broker is already an independent process, unlike registration in the usual CIS applications. There is no "quick registration in a few clicks", and there is no "attach documents later" scenario.

American financial companies have built a clear set of requirements that must be followed consistently — without abbreviations and without formal ticks.

The documents that really ask

Most brokers request the same set. It's not excessive, but it's not minimal either.:

1. passport
2. the document confirming the address of residence
3. tax number or identifier (if it is used in your country)
4. sometimes documents confirming the source of funds

This set may expand depending on the client's country of origin, but the overall scope remains the same.

How does verification work?

After uploading the documents, the banking part begins — the verification of identity and financial profile. The broker's algorithms verify the data, confirm the relevance of the address, clarify the tax information and verify the information with international databases.

In practice, this means that a non-resident's application may take a little longer to process. This is normal — the internal rules require detailed verification before you gain access to the trading account.

What happens after approval

After confirming the account, the broker opens access to the platform. However, the functionality may not be turned on immediately — sometimes it is necessary to activate access to the US markets separately, sign risk materials, or select a set of trading instruments.

This is done not to complicate the process, but so that the user understands the structure of the market in which he is going to work.

To quickly navigate the schedule of US trading hours, I will leave useful information here.

It will help you understand in advance exactly when the American stock exchange opens and closes, which is especially important if you live in a different time zone.

Additional conditions for Russian citizens

In the case of Russian citizens, brokers sometimes specify more details: financial flows, place of tax residence, additional documents related to the law of the country of residence. This is not a universal rule — different companies apply their own filters.

But the fact remains: an application can go through more levels of verification than a client from other CIS countries.

What does the final process look like?

This is the sequence: registration → document verification → confirmation of tax information → activation of trading instruments → access to trading platforms.

Is it difficult? That's not the word. But when the steps go one after the other, it becomes clear that the scheme is built logically and technically.

And only after the completion of the entire process, the trader can proceed to the selection of tools, replenishment of the account and planning of the first transactions.

Top criteria for choosing a broker for trading US stocks from the CIS

When the issue of access to the US market is solved theoretically, a practical problem arises: through whom exactly to enter this market. At this stage, advertising and beautiful landing pages hinder more than they help, so the logic should be dry: either the broker is suitable for your tasks and region, or not.

Below is a set of criteria that really change something in real trading, and not just decorate the broker's website.

When choosing access to the U.S. market, it is not enough to look only at fees and available stocks. For active intraday trading, separately check the PDT rule and U.S. margin account restrictions, because in 2026 the rules are moving to a new intraday margin framework.

Supported countries and non-resident policies

The first filter is geography.

Each broker has their own list of countries they are willing to work with.:

1. some companies open accounts for the majority of non-residents;
2. others exclude certain jurisdictions;
3. Some countries have additional checks and restrictions.

You need to check this before registering: a normal broker has a section about international clients, which explicitly states which countries it works with. If the country is not in the list, the question is closed even before the questionnaire.

Available tools and platforms

The second layer is what exactly can be traded.

Different brokers provide a different set of tools:

1. NYSE/ NASDAQ shares in full or reduced list;
2. ETFs and funds for indices, sectors, and bonds;
3. depository receipts;
4. individual derivatives (if available at all).

In addition to tools, time access is important:

In some places, only the main market is open, in others there is a premarket and a postmarket, and in others extended sessions are available for a fee or upon request.

This is critically important if trading is based on a reaction to news, reports, or movement before the market opens. If you plan to trade earnings, then it is almost impossible without an extended session in the USA.

When accessing US stocks, it is important to consider not only the fees, but also the platform and the list of available tools. After buying or selling securities, they undergo a standard settlement cycle, so before active trading, it is worthwhile to analyze the T+1 calculations in the US market separately.

Commissions and full cost of service

The terms "$0 per transaction" have long ceased to be a rarity, but this does not mean that trading has become free.

The total cost is affected by:

1. deposit and withdrawal fees;
2. currency conversion and exchange spreads;
3. fees for access to quotes and data feeds;
4. possible charges for inactivity;
5. paid platform features (if any).

The key nuance is the impact of the commission on the risk-to-profit ratio (R/R).

Even small deviations in the entry price change the structure of the transaction.

The concept is discussed in detail here

If the strategy uses limit orders or clear entry levels, these cents become important. For those who are not yet sure about the types of orders, this article is useful.

Execution speed and platform stability

Even with a medium-term approach, the platform should work predictably.:

the order should be opened when it is sent, and not "approximately nearby".

Key points:

1. delay between sending an order and confirmation of execution;
2. stability of work in days of high volatility;
3. the correctness of updating quotes and charts;
4. the absence of "suspensions" at the time of market opening.

This is not what is written in the ad blocks, but it is felt in the very first active trading session.

Support work and interaction with clients from the CIS

Support seems to be a secondary factor until the first non-standard situation arises: delayed transfer, request for additional documents, questions about reporting or account status.

A good working minimum:

1. clear communication channels (mail, chat, ticket system);
2. clear answers to the point, not a copy–paste pattern;
3. the ability to explain the procedure for dealing with problems with the bank or transfer;
4. adequate response to requests from international clients.

When it comes to an account linked to several banks and currencies, normal support saves not only time, but also nerves.

Deposit and withdrawal of funds

For clients from the CIS, this is a separate set of questions.

It is important to understand this in advance:

1. which banks use SWIFT transfers?;
2. what fees does the broker charge for depositing and withdrawing;
3. are there minimum amounts for deposits and withdrawals;
4. which currencies can I keep my cash balance in.

The longer the chain of correspondent banks, the higher the likelihood of delays.

If you plan to work on the horizon of months and years, this is tolerable.

If the strategy is closer to the active one, the speed of capital circulation becomes an important factor.

Regulation and legal framework

Licenses are not a decoration, but a base.

A broker operating through American or European regulations is required to comply with specific standards for storing client funds, reporting, and risk management.

This does not guarantee that there will be no problems, but it provides a legal outline.:

it is clear where to complain, what procedures are in place, and what risks are covered.

Withdrawal by choosing a broker

A broker is not only a window in the terminal, but also a part of the infrastructure that affects every transaction: from the moment of depositing funds to the final withdrawal of profits.

It is necessary to take into account not one parameter, but a combination: access by country, tools, commissions, speed of work, input/output channel and regulatory framework.

And already at this stage, it becomes clear why many traders from the CIS look not only towards classic brokers, but also towards prop companies: they solve some of these tasks differently and often shorter along the way. But we'll get to them in a separate chapter.

Account replenishment and transfer of funds from the CIS

When access to the platform is open, the next step is to deposit funds. This part of the process is regulated not by the broker, but by the banking infrastructure, which is why there are more technical details than it might seem at first glance.

International transfers work through a chain of banks, where each participant performs their own checks. This means that the money does not go directly from your bank to the broker, but through several links, each of which confirms the legality of the payment and the correctness of the details. Because of this, the speed of transactions varies: sometimes the funds arrive the next day, sometimes after a few business days.

If the currency in which you are sending money differs from the currency of the broker's account, the exchange is activated at the bank's exchange rate. And here the spread becomes an important element — the difference between the purchase and sale price. This is not always noticeable at the moment, but it creates additional costs when depositing funds. To better understand the mechanics of these costs, you can rely on the material about spreads in trading.

In addition to currency specifics, the transfer charges fees from several participants — the sender's bank, the intermediary bank, and the recipient's bank. They are added independently of each other. You should specify them in advance in order to understand how much the broker will receive in the end, and not just what you are sending.

The time of receipt of funds depends on the country of origin, time of day, banking regulations and internal payment processing speed. If the transfer is delayed longer than usual, a SWIFT receipt is used, a document that allows you to track the stage of the transaction.

For large transfers, banks may request documents confirming the origin of funds. This is a standard international practice: it is important for financial organizations to understand that money has a legal source. Pre-prepared documents speed up the process and eliminate additional questions along the way.

The withdrawal procedure is mirrored: transactions go through the same banks, in the same order. Only the direction differs. If the withdrawal is made in a currency other than the account currency, an additional conversion is applied — again with its own spread, which may differ from the incoming one.

Planning money transactions is becoming an important part of the job: it is better not to leave transfers on days when banks are inactive or when most of the financial world lives on its own holidays. The time difference between countries can also affect the speed of payment processing.

As a result, depositing and withdrawing funds is not just a formality, but an independent process that operates according to its own rules. A clear understanding of how international transactions work helps to avoid delays and immediately establish a correct money management schedule.

US taxes for non-residents: W-8BEN, dividends and profit accounting rules

When the money gets into the account and access to the platform is open, the next layer that needs to be considered in advance is taxation. The American reporting system is designed so that a non-resident receives a clearly defined status, and this status directly affects which amounts are automatically deducted.

The main document that defines the US tax treatment of a foreign trader is the W-8BEN form. It confirms that you are not a U.S. tax resident. Without it, the broker will withhold taxes at the maximum rate and actually consider all your payments taxable. After completing the W-8BEN, the status is adjusted, and further deductions are made according to the rules of the investor's country of residence.

The most notable point of taxation is the payment of dividends. For non-residents, a fixed retention rate is applied, which the broker deducts automatically. This rate does not depend on the trader's strategy or the duration of ownership of the asset: dividends are considered income, the source of which is the United States, and are taxed at source. This is one of those rules that does not change regardless of whether you are actively trading or holding a position for the long term.

Separately, it is worth understanding the difference between dividends and profits from operations. If the dividend income is taxed directly upon payment, then the income from the sale of shares does not belong to the category of fixed taxes for foreigners. The profit on transactions remains on the side of the country in which you are a tax resident. The broker does not withhold additional fees and does not file a declaration for a non—resident - the calculation of such income becomes an internal obligation of the trader, fully tied to his local legislation.

Corporate events related to the distribution of companies' profits sometimes require an investor to have a minimal understanding of the issuer's financial structure in order to avoid misconceptions about what is taxable and what is not. If you want to refresh the basic principles of fundamental and technical analysis, which help you navigate the reporting and the nature of payments, it is useful to have such material at hand.

The retention system itself works automatically: the broker records events on the company's side, applies the rules of the client's country and reflects the result in the account summary. The trader's task is to understand the structure of incoming and outgoing amounts, keep records and correctly form their own declaration in their country, if required by law.

Situations related to double taxation depend on specific agreements between countries. If the agreement between the United States and your country provides for special conditions, the broker applies the rate according to the agreement. If not, the standard rate applies. This is an automated process that does not require any additional steps from the trader, except providing correct information when filling out the W-8BEN.

As a result, taxation for a non-resident consists of two components: withholding dividends on the US side and reporting on trading results on the side of the country of residence. The first element is fully automated, the second is completely individual. Understanding the boundary between them eliminates surprises and allows you to calculate in advance what income will be "clean" after all mandatory deductions.

Special features for citizens of the Russian Federation and countries with restrictions

Access to the American market differs for citizens of different CIS countries, but in the case of the Russian Federation, the structure of requirements becomes a separate set of rules. The reason is not the market or the brokers — the reason is the international legal environment, which sets its own framework within which financial companies are forced to work. For a trader, all this is expressed not in abstract terms, but in specific procedures and restrictions that manifest themselves already at the stage of interaction with the platform and the banking system.

Most international brokers continue to work with non-residents, but Russian citizens are subject to more thorough checks: applications are evaluated longer, documents are requested more widely, and bank transfers undergo a longer approval cycle. This is not a unique situation — any countries in the restricted area follow the same path. The broker does not initiate the conditions here: he is obliged to comply with the requirements of regulators and banking partners who serve his clients.

Special attention is paid to financial transfers. International banks analyze transactions in more detail than before, and any discrepancy between the sender, country of residence, and currency may lead to additional checks. Sometimes the transfer arrives without delay, sometimes it freezes between intermediary banks and takes longer than usual to process. Therefore, work with a broker for citizens of the Russian Federation ceases to be linear — it becomes similar to a series of approvals, each of which must pass flawlessly.

In addition to transfers, there is another factor — the broker's policy of serving clients from specific countries. Some companies suspend registration, others restrict functionality, and others continue to operate, but reserve the right to block individual operations if regulatory conditions change. Before opening an account, it is important to check not only the availability itself, but also the sections related to risk policies and country restrictions. These documents specify which actions may be suspended or reviewed in the future.

Situations related to sanctions are changing faster than most publicly available materials can be updated. Therefore, it is critically important for Russian citizens to have access to trusted news sources, where changes in markets, banks, and infrastructure are promptly published. For this purpose, a review of proven resources is suitable, which will help you not get lost in the information flow and choose only those sources that really influence trading decisions, for more information in this article.

Another point concerns the withdrawal of funds. The rules here are mirrored: the transfer may take place quickly, or it may take a while due to the chain of banks or the need to provide additional confirmations. In rare cases, banks in intermediary countries request additional information about the transaction, and the broker temporarily freezes the withdrawal until the client clarifies. This is a normal practice that applies to all regions of the risk group.

In general, the specifics for Russian citizens can be formulated as follows: access remains, but each operation goes through a tighter level of control. This does not make trading impossible, but it makes it technically more difficult and requires precision in documents, banking details and financial transactions. Such a structure is more like an environment in which you need to adapt the work process correctly, and take into account that the infrastructure may change depending on political and financial factors.

Why are traders from the CIS switching to prop companies: the best alternative to American brokers?

Access to the US market for non-residents has long ceased to be a matter of "where to click". The classic brokerage model works, but it is becoming increasingly overloaded with requirements: address confirmations, bank checks, country restrictions, currency filters, compliance. All this turns the usual desire to trade American stocks into a small logistical operation. And it is against the background of this complication that prop companies suddenly have a competitive advantage.: they bypass the entire mechanism of international bureaucracy due to a completely different structure of interaction with the trader.

Unlike a broker, a prop company does not open an account in your name and does not withdraw your personal funds to the exchange. The company provides its own capital and acts as a single trading body. A trader joins the infrastructure not as an account holder, but as an operator working inside the corporate system. This immediately removes most of the restrictions that create a cascade of delays and checks in the classic model of entering the US market.

The second key difference is independence from international financial chains. There is no need to make SWIFT transfers, explain the origin of funds, take into account country restrictions, or wait for the correspondent bank's approval. The trader pays only for access to the assessment or to the site, and then works with the company's capital directly. In regions where traditional brokers may restrict registration or introduce additional filters due to political factors, such a scheme becomes more predictable.

The risk structure deserves special attention. The prop company builds it up in advance: the maximum drawdown, the daily limit, and the rules for working during volatile periods. This model gives the trader a clear working framework that allows them to control their own trading discipline. This is especially true when trading American stocks, where intraday movements often require high accuracy and minimal impulsivity. In a prop environment, there is no need to calculate risk parameters yourself - they are built into the platform.

In terms of infrastructure, prop companies have long since caught up with middle-class brokers. Order execution, data depth, and routing speed are all decided on the company's side, and the trader is already working with a ready—made tool. Many firms use professional software, which is rarely found in retail brokers. This allows you to build a work environment where there are fewer technical limitations and higher data quality.

In the operational part, the prop model also turns out to be simpler: you do not need to undergo international checks, maintain reporting, confirm transactions, or interact with several banks. The workflow turns into two parts — trading and compliance with the rules of risk management. The company closes everything else.

One example of such an infrastructure is the hi2morrow ecosystem. In fact, this is not just a prop company, but a closed loop for a trader: training, challenge, access to capital, a closed club and its own platform. The training block is assembled by traders with more than 20 years of experience, and after training or self-training, you can complete the challenge and start trading with the company's capital. Next, the trading elevator turns on: I got the result — I got better conditions and a bigger deposit, without having to start from scratch every time. Plus, there's a closed club with daily analytics, entry tips, deal analysis, and live streams from the company's traders — this removes the main question for any prop model: "are they actually trading or just selling access?"

Therefore, for traders from the CIS, prop companies are becoming not just an alternative to a broker, but a flexible way to enter the US market, bypassing the procedure that is becoming more difficult for classical brokers every year. The prop model has no currency restrictions, no dependence on country status, no banking chains, and access to trading is faster and cleaner. All that is required of a trader is skills, not bureaucratic resilience.

What types of prop companies exist and how they work

Prop companies formally belong to the same class of infrastructures, but within the market they are divided into several different models. Each format has its own logic of capital, its own set of requirements and its own system of trader admission to trading. Understanding the differences is as important as choosing between a broker and a prop, because the company's structure directly determines the trading style, the level of control and the possible amount of profitability.

The most common format is challenge-prop. These are companies where the trader first undergoes an assessment, confirming the ability to work within the specified risk limits. The assessment is divided into stages: the trading period, the profit target, the daily limit and the maximum drawdown. After passing the test, the trader gets access to the company's capital and works as an internal operator. The logic here is simple: the assessment filters the trading style, the company controls the risks, and the trader gets a route to increase the position size without personal investment. This format has become popular due to transparent conditions and a predictable admission structure.

Another format is instant-funding, where access to capital is granted without evaluation, but with stricter restrictions on risks and a lower share of profits at the start. In such companies, the emphasis is not on testing skills, but on discipline: the trading framework is rigidly fixed, and flexibility appears only after confirming the stability of trading. Unlike challenge-promotions, there is no need to go through the educational selection stage, but the rules are usually more complicated, and the requirements for trading accuracy are higher.

There are also institutional-prop corporate structures in which the trader actually becomes part of the company's internal pool. This is a model close to classic scenarios: a strict environment, access to professional software, high discipline requirements, and strong pressure from risk management. There are no open registrations here, and you can get into such companies either by recommendation or through multi-stage interviews. This format is closest to the classic prop tradition of the early 2000s: high control, great responsibility, but also maximum quality of infrastructure.

Another type is hybrid prop engines that combine elements of different models. They offer a simplified assessment scheme, but leave out part of the corporate logic: extended limits, event restrictions, and analysis of trader statistics. The format is aimed at long-term work, rather than a massive flow of participants. The hybrid approach is becoming more common, and many companies are switching to it after several years of working on the classic challenge model.

The differences between the types of prop become especially noticeable in terms of risk. Each firm sets its own rules for holding drawdown, daily limit, and total position size. To understand why the risk structure of pros is arranged differently than that of brokers, it helps to have a basic understanding of how leverage and margin trading logic work. These principles underlie most prop models, even if the trader does not use leverage directly.

Despite the differences, all prop companies have one thing in common: they create access to the American market without having to open their own brokerage account. The only difference is which way will be most comfortable — fast and easy access through the instant model, structured through a challenge or in-depth through a corporate format. The choice depends on the trader's goals and how willing he is to work within the set rules.

How to choose a reliable prop company and not get involved in a dubious project

The market of prop companies is growing faster than any other segment of private trading, and with the growth comes a natural problem — the quality of companies varies more than it seems at first glance. While classic brokers operate under strict regulation, the prop sector is a set of different models where the degree of transparency and financial stability depends solely on the internal policy of the firm. Therefore, the trader's task is to separate companies that really provide access to markets from those who use the external image of a prop structure without a real infrastructure.

The first thing to look at is the nature of trading within the company. This prop works with real order executions and routes transactions to exchanges through partner platforms or its own channels. If a company does not demonstrate a clear execution scheme or avoids explaining how trading activity is directed to real markets, this is the first sign that you are not looking at a prop company, but a simulator with a paid subscription. The difference between them is fundamental: a prop company earns on the trader's profits, while a simulation structure earns on permanent payments, and the main task of such companies is to reset the trader's account faster.

Next, you should pay attention to the risk rules. Real prop companies create a limit structure in such a way that the trader works in an environment where each position fits into the overall money management model. If a company offers too flexible restrictions or, conversely, issues an unrealistically high limit for newcomers, this is a reason to be wary: system pros do not rely on chaotic activity and do not encourage aggressive experiments. Standard parameters are usually balanced and formed based on a professional approach to risk, rather than marketing statements.

Understanding how order execution works and what determines real liquidity helps to ensure that a prop company actually brings transactions to the market. If the platform shows instant execution without delays, spreads or shifts, and the company evades explanations, this is a sign of an internal simulator.

Another criterion is the financial structure of the company. The prop company operates under a profit-sharing model, and the simulation platform lives off of constant payments for tests. Look at the balance of payments and payouts: if the focus is on buying valuations rather than on the results of traders, this is a signal that the model is focused not on trading, but on the flow of payment. Serious companies have a different financial interest: they are interested in the stability of the trader, and not in him going through new and new paid stages.

It is also important to study the company's reputation — not based on reviews on forums, but on the duration of work, quality of support and transparency of conditions. Good pros rarely change the rules, don't impose unexpected restrictions, and don't disappear without explanation. If a company has a history of regular payments, a clear profit-sharing policy, and a working support service, the chances of encountering unexpected risk are minimal.

Special attention should be paid to the legal part. Prop companies do not operate under broker licenses, but this does not exempt them from liability. Serious firms have publicly available agreements, clear terms of cooperation, clear risk documents, and transparent mechanisms for interaction. If a company hides legal information or offers unstructured contracts, this is a sign of low reliability.

Ultimately, choosing a prop company is not a brand issue, but an infrastructure issue. You need a company that honestly explains the transaction execution mechanism, maintains stable operating rules, and demonstrates a transparent financial model. Only under such conditions does the prop really become an alternative to the broker, rather than a beautiful shell around another subscription simulator. If we talk about a practical example of such a model, hi2morrow is built around the idea of a "complete ecosystem". Here, under one roof: prop accounts with a trader's elevator, a closed club with analytics and live streams, as well as its own platform, which was developed by a team that previously made software for large brokers of the Charles Schwab level. And if at some point it is more comfortable for a trader to work with his own money, he can use the same platform in self—trading mode without changing the infrastructure and familiar tools.

Results: how to actually enter the US market from the CIS

If you put everything together in one line, the picture turns out to be quite simple — just uncomfortably difficult to implement. The American market really provides what local platforms lack: depth of liquidity, transparent regulation, predictable rules of the game and investor protection. You have to pay for this with bureaucracy: KYC, AML, W-8BEN, address verification, origin of funds, country filters, a separate level of complexity for Russian citizens, a chain of several banks for each transfer and a separate layer — taxes on dividends plus your own reporting in your country. The entrance is not closed, but it is tied to accuracy in documents and willingness to live within the framework of the regulator, and not in the "opened an account in 15 minutes and ran to trade" mode.

The classic route looks like this: choose a broker who generally works with your country; go through full verification; understand which tools and sessions are really available; calculate commissions taking into account spreads and conversions; learn to live with delays in international transfers and tax deductions; accept that Russian citizens get a little more checks than others. Against this background, prop companies are becoming not a "life hack", but an alternative infrastructure: instead of a personal account, work with the company's capital, instead of banking chains, an internal system, instead of dialogue with regulators— strict risk management and rules of the prop company. But there is also a filter here: you need to distinguish real-world promotions with market entry and a transparent profit model from simulators that earn only on paid tests and are as interested as possible in making your account reset as quickly as possible.

As a result, the choice does not come down to the question "where is it easier to register", but to which path best matches your task. If the goal is to build long—term investments with a legally registered account and fully controlled reporting, it is more logical to go through a broker and put up with the regulatory layers. If the goal is to actively trade in the US market without dancing with international transfers and sanctions restrictions, it is rational to look towards prop companies — but with a cool head, attention to risks and a willingness to read not only the "cover", but also contracts.