Getting a housewife credit

[Fan_Dancer 171]

AOS is different from ROC.

[khwaidee1 196]

This happened with my wife and a Target credit card. She was denied so I applied with BoA (our bank) to get her a secured card with $500 limit ($99 security deposit). After about 4 months using that card and paying it off, Capitol One gave her an unsecured card with a $1000 limit out of the blue. I then went back to BoA and said we want the card unsecured and the $99 back. They said she has to pay on it for 6 months. I said just cancel it then. She put me on hold and came back and said they're making it unsecured, refunding the $99 and raising the credit limit to $1000. This started about a year ago. She now has multiple unsecured credit cards, and her credit score is actually better than mine (mid 700s)

ETA: Did you ever get that green card mess straightened out?

Yes, thanks for asking. Status on 6/19 was card was being mailed. It showed up 6/20! only took 9 months and now we're 3.5 months off for ROC. Using the 551 at POE at LAX is a royal pain!

And my wife got a couple of Capitol One apps in the mail so we figured we'd mail one in and see what happens!

[Ning 619]

I own my house. Its 10 years into a 30 year mortgage. I just don't want to start it over

I have her on credit card and I have her on the bank. Don't know what else to do .

My husband put me on the house loan with a quit claim document.

He had me open my own checking account with which I qualify for a secured credit card in my own name. In a few months I can change that to unsecured credit card which I will use only to create credit history.

[rlogan 2,036]

I don't understand why people borrow money for vehicles. Just buy what you can afford. I haven't spent more than $2,400 on a vehicle in 30 years. Then you can put anyone on the title you want. Even a trailer can be titled.

[AaronLV 12]

My husband put me on the house loan with a quit claim document.

He had me open my own checking account with which I qualify for a secured credit card in my own name. In a few months I can change that to unsecured credit card which I will use only to create credit history.

Quitclaim deed does not put you on the house loan. It changes ownership on the house, has nothing to do with the loan. If you husband defaults on the loan you are not responsible. Only way to put you on the loan is to refinance the loan in your and your husbands name.

The only items we presented to show assets were the following:

Joint Bank Account

Car Insurance with both our names

Copies of Credit cards with her name on it (no statements as she is only an authorized user).

Copies of IRA where she was listed as Sole Beneficiary

Copy of Life insurance where she was listed as Sole Beneficiary

I didn't go through the hassle of adding her to the utilities as I didn't see the point as they accepted all the above all the way from AOS to Citizenship. I had bought her a car and the rate was 3 times as much putting her on the loan, so I didn't bother.

[Cathi 5,748]

I own my house. Its 10 years into a 30 year mortgage. I just don't want to start it over

I have her on credit card and I have her on the bank. Don't know what else to do .

You can add her to utility bills, copies of drivers licenses showing shared address, insurance cards with same ID number, life insurance with her as beneficiary, add her as a user to credit cards, the list goes on. We are removing conditions next month and we have a lot of co-mingling to show. Good luck!

[SimonBelgium 49]

There's an elaborate topic on Credit here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/496946-building-credit-score-tips-tricks/

[HK12 273]

Yes, to build credit, get your wife a secured credit card and have her charge small amounts to it. I got mine from Capital One in November of last year. Did not have any credit score before that, now it is at 778. I am also an authorized user on my husband's CC's (which does show up in my credit score). They do ask for annual income in the CC applications, so if your wife is a housewife, I don't know what bearing that would have on her applications.

We never bothered to get any loans in our names because we like being debt-free and I am not going to sacrifice this for the sake of USCIS. We have enough other proof for ROC later on.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

I am also an authorized user on my husband's CC's (which does show up in my credit score). They do ask for annual income in the CC applications, so if your wife is a housewife, I don't know what bearing that would have on her applications.

See, I put my husband as authorized user on two credit cards and he still doesn't have a credit report. We just opened up a secured credit card just in his name, but it has yet to arrive. I'm hoping it works because State Farm was unable to put him on our house insurance because their system kept getting stuck on his lack of credit report.

For housewives you put down the household income, which would be your husband's.

[HK12 273]

See, I put my husband as authorized user on two credit cards and he still doesn't have a credit report. We just opened up a secured credit card just in his name, but it has yet to arrive.

Yes, that was the weird thing: I had been an authorized user on my husband's CC's for more than 6 months, but I did not have a credit report... I was basically not existing for the credit bureaus. Then, once I had opened my own secured Capital One credit card and paid it off for a couple for months... voila! I suddenly had a credit score AND my husband's CC's showed up on my report.

Maybe that'll work for you too.

[UK-USA-K1 128]

I own my house. Its 10 years into a 30 year mortgage. I just don't want to start it over

I have her on credit card and I have her on the bank. Don't know what else to do .

I had a similar issue, but we actually wanted to buy a house after we married. Obviously here name was going to hinder any loan application, and in the very least add a LOT more legwork/paperwork on our end, so we didn't put her name on the loan. We did add her to the title though and showed that at our AOS and will likely use it as well when it comes time to Remove Conditions.

Things I'd recommend that shouldn't be too hard

Government issued Identification such as driver's license or state ID card that has you both listed at the same address.

Joint bank accounts (you seem to have done this)

Both names on as many utilities as possible (Electric, Gas, Cable/Satellite, phone ect.)

Add her as a user on the credit card (which you seem to have done)

If you purchase a pet, do so in both of your names (we did this when we got our puppy and the interviewer got sidetracked into puppy talk)

Insurance...make sure you have her on your health insurance, make her the benefactor on your life insurance, things like that would be helpful

Take pictures....they aren't going to work as your only evidence, but if you have pictures of yourselves together at different holidays, family functions, vacations, etc. then that will support your other documentation.

I'm sure there is more, but those are what come to mind right away. Just be sure to document as much as possible. There is no perfect set of items to have, as each case is unique to itself.

I own my house. Its 10 years into a 30 year mortgage. I just don't want to start it over

I have her on credit card and I have her on the bank. Don't know what else to do .

I had a similar issue, but we actually wanted to buy a house after we married. Obviously here name was going to hinder any loan application, and in the very least add a LOT more legwork/paperwork on our end, so we didn't put her name on the loan. We did add her to the title though and showed that at our AOS and will likely use it as well when it comes time to Remove Conditions.

Things I'd recommend that shouldn't be too hard

Government issued Identification such as driver's license or state ID card that has you both listed at the same address.

Joint bank accounts (you seem to have done this)

Both names on as many utilities as possible (Electric, Gas, Cable/Satellite, phone ect.)

Add her as a user on the credit card (which you seem to have done)

If you purchase a pet, do so in both of your names (we did this when we got our puppy and the interviewer got sidetracked into puppy talk)

Insurance...make sure you have her on your health insurance, make her the benefactor on your life insurance, things like that would be helpful. Also adding her to your home insurance policy or auto policy too.

Take pictures....they aren't going to work as your only evidence, but if you have pictures of yourselves together at different holidays, family functions, vacations, etc. then that will support your other documentation.

I'm sure there is more, but those are what come to mind right away. Just be sure to document as much as possible. There is no perfect set of items to have, as each case is unique to itself.

Edited June 25, 2014 by UK-USA-K1

[Thane 8]

Has anyone noticed a difference since November with any of this? Final compliance with the CARD act was required on November 4, 2013. I noticed myself that I received quite a few new approvals for credit cards during the month of November and received quite a few credit line increases that I did not ask for.

[joshandgigi 8]

Add her to health insurance. Make her the beneficiary to life insurance and retirement accounts.

Get her a secured credit card in her own name.

This part is done

[joshandgigi 8]

Adding someone as an authorized user doesn't build them credit. They can charge to the card but if you don't pay they have no legal responsibility to the account. Most CC will tell you this if you ask will you report this card to her credit. It's called piggybacking as described above and because so many people did it to build credit and then the economy collapsed they don't report it anymore as it's inaccurate to the consumers spending. You could have anyone piggyback years ago and never had met the person. Adding her name to utility bills won't build credit either as your not borrowing money and then paying it back.

I'm in the same boat and she got a secured credit card on her own to build credit.

As for proving relationship:

Joint accounts (we don't have any) but you can use them

Adding name to house (not really sure what's the point for you) I'm in the same situation

Name on car title (my car is paid off and she can't drive) again pointless, as I'd have to insure her as a driver without a drivers license

Insurance (rental apartment is on both our names, house in other state is under only mine) I'll bring this document in

Healthcare, both our names are on the health plan with my work I'll bring this to the interview

Life Insurance, she is listed as my beneficiary, I'll bring this to the interview

Joint filing taxes, I haven't filed 2013 as I'm still waiting for overseas documents. Even if I filed now it wouldn't be joint as we got married 3 months ago. I don't understand this one as sometimes it's beneficial to both to be married filing separately.

Are you concerned about building credit for the Mrs. or concerned about proving the relationship?

Im just planning ahead. we just did the AOS and want to make sure I start putting ducks in a row. Time tends to fly with my wife because were doing so much ) I just want to make sure to plan now instead of later. Its the way I am and in my minds eye I would die if for some stupid reason I had a officer on a bad day in 2 years say Oh no theres not enough and she goes home. id rather be ready and full with everything we need and more.

I don't plan on going into debt. I was asking that because we went to do a loan and they refused her as a co signer even though my credit score is very good and my debt ratio is super low too.

[khwaidee1 196]

Im just planning ahead. we just did the AOS and want to make sure I start putting ducks in a row. Time tends to fly with my wife because were doing so much ) I just want to make sure to plan now instead of later. Its the way I am and in my minds eye I would die if for some stupid reason I had a officer on a bad day in 2 years say Oh no theres not enough and she goes home. id rather be ready and full with everything we need and more.

I don't plan on going into debt. I was asking that because we went to do a loan and they refused her as a co signer even though my credit score is very good and my debt ratio is super low too.

Here's a simple suggestion that I read on VJ right after we AOS'd. Get a shoe box and start putting your stuff in there, bills, cards, letters, boarding passes etc. The two years flies by and our box is stuffed with 3 months to go!