Why you are starting from zero
U.S. credit scores are built from reports kept by three U.S. bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. They do not receive data from credit bureaus in other countries. As Capital One puts it, credit history and scores from a foreign country do not transfer over.
That does not mean your past is wasted. A few lenders can look at your home-country report when you apply. And building a U.S. file from scratch is very doable. It just takes a few months of steady, on-time payments.
Step one: open a U.S. bank account
A U.S. checking account comes first. You need it to pay bills, to put down a deposit on a secured card, and to show a U.S. address.
Bank of America notes that at most banks you can open an account without a Social Security number (SSN). You usually need documents that show who you are, your date of birth and your U.S. address, such as a passport, a consular ID card or a driver's license. Ask the bank what it accepts before you go in.
Step two: use your foreign credit history if you can
Nova Credit runs a service called Credit Passport. With your permission, it pulls your credit report from your home country and translates it so a U.S. lender can read it.
American Express is the best-known card issuer that uses it. It builds Credit Passport into its online application, and you can use it for any American Express personal card. It currently works if your history is from:
- Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
What Amex asks for:
- An SSN or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
- A U.S. home address.
- Sometimes, details from more than one form of ID from your home country.
Your foreign history still does not become U.S. history. It only helps you get approved. Once you have the card, your on-time payments are what build your U.S. file. Nova Credit says the service is free for applicants, but the card itself may have an annual fee, so read its terms.
Step three: get a starter card
If you have an SSN
A secured card is the most reliable first card. You put down a refundable deposit, which usually becomes your limit, and the issuer reports your payments to the bureaus. Our secured card comparison lists current deposits and fees.
If you have an ITIN instead
Some credit card applications ask for an SSN or an ITIN. An ITIN is a tax number from the IRS, issued for federal tax purposes to people who need one but do not have an SSN.
Policies differ by issuer, and some accept an ITIN only for certain cards. Two that say they do:
- American Express accepts an SSN or an ITIN for its newcomer applications.
- Capital One lists cards you may be able to get with an ITIN, including the Platinum Secured and Quicksilver Secured cards.
If you are unsure, call the issuer before you apply. Each application can mean a hard inquiry, so it is better to ask than to apply blind. Our guide to hard and soft inquiries explains why.
If you cannot get a card yet
A credit-builder loan from a credit union or an online lender is another way in. You make small monthly payments, they are reported, and you get the money back at the end, minus interest and fees.
Step four: borrow some history from family
If a relative or close friend in the U.S. has a credit card with a long, clean record, they can add you as an authorized user. Their account may then appear on your credit report too. It costs nothing, and you do not even need to use the card.
It only helps if they pay on time and keep the balance low, and not every issuer reports authorized users. Ask the issuer what it needs from you to report the account. Our guide to asking family to add you covers how to have that conversation.
Step five: add rent and phone payments
Rent and phone bills do not show up on your credit report on their own. Some services can add them:
- Rent. Your landlord may already report it, or you can use a rent reporting service. Newer scores count it, but FICO 8, which many lenders use, does not. See rent reporting compared.
- Phone and utilities. Experian Boost is free and can add eligible rent, phone, utility and streaming payments to your Experian report. Self reports eligible phone and utility payments to TransUnion as part of a paid plan.
Treat these as extras. A card or loan in your own name does the heavy lifting.
Your first year, in order
- Open a U.S. checking account. Use it to pay every bill so you have a record.
- Apply for one starter card. Use Credit Passport if your country is covered, or a secured card if not.
- Put one small bill on the card. Keep the balance under 30% of the limit when the statement closes. Under 10% is better. See credit utilization explained.
- Set up autopay for the full balance. A payment 30 or more days late can stay on your report for seven years.
- Add free extras. Ask to be an authorized user and turn on any free rent or bill reporting.
- Check your reports. After a few months, get them free at AnnualCreditReport.com to make sure your accounts are showing and correct.
- Wait before applying again. Give your first account about six months. After that, you will usually have a FICO score. See how long it takes to build credit.
What to watch out for
- Anyone selling a "credit profile number" (CPN). It is not a real ID number, and the FTC warns that using a number that is not yours on a credit application can lead to fines or prison.
- Prepaid and debit cards sold as credit builders. The CFPB notes that debit and prepaid cards usually are not reported to the bureaus.
- Several applications at once. Each one can be a hard inquiry, and a string of denials does not help.
- Paying for a stranger's tradeline as your plan. It is temporary at best. Read how to buy a tradeline safely first.
General information only, not financial or legal advice. Terms change often; confirm the current terms on the provider's own site before you apply. Some links may pay us a commission. Disclosure.