Building credit with restricted SSN.

[Usagi_tsukino 89]

Really? I never had a problem with mine. I still have this sign on my SS card, never had a problem getting a credit card (even when i was out of status), i have a few credit cards now and credit karma works just fine.

[Ash.1101 1,756]

If you have nothing that builds credit, credit karma can't find you.

My husband has the "restricted SSN" (When in reality an SS card is NOT proof of work eligibility, so even if you remove it you would still have to show a GC or something, it's just there because the visa you got the card on had to come with work eligibility), and Credit Karma couldn't pull anything for him until about a month after he got his credit card. Note that the only "restriction" is that the employers CAN ask for proof of work authorization, it's debatable if that's actually considered a restriction lol.

Overall, if you have an SSN it doesn't mean you have credit. You have to have credit, loans, or reporting bills in your name to have credit.  

If you haven't had any of these things, then you haven't established a credit score, which is why you can't be found on sites like Credit Karma. Note, that before my husbands credit card, he couldn't be found on credit agencys like experian or transunion for the same reasons.

With that said, those words should have nothing to do with your credit, or finding your info on a credit site. Your lack of credit has everything to do with that.


My husband got his first card through our bank, it was an offer based on how much is deposited per month.

Edited June 1, 2017 by Ash.1101

[arken 4,197]

2 hours ago, NYCruiser said:

Actually this is not correct. The card is restricted due to the fact this type of SS # is purposely restricted as there is a lot of fraud with students/J1 etc getting credit, car loans, etc in the past and skipping the country once they have finished their studies. So now, these restricted cards are not valid for much. You have to go to the SS Administration and tell them you are now a PR and they will send you a card within less than a week. 

 

Credit Karma will not recognise your restricted card either.

 

If you came in as a spouse of a USC, then get another card in your name under their account or a loan etc..y spouse has a credit rating of 731 using this method in 2 years (of course contingent on payment history)

This is completely incorrect.

Like others said, the statement in SS card "valid with DHS authorization" is just for employment purpose, it has nothing to do with credit history.

Just having a SSN doesn't build anyones credit history whether that person's card has that restricted statement or not. Getting credit cards or loans are the ways of building credit history. After becoming a resident, whether one keeps the old SS card with that statement or gets a new one with no such statement, it will have zero impact on credit history.

[Hypnos 6,576]

As others have mentioned, a restricted social security card means nothing other than requiring additional documents when used for I-9 (employment) purposes. It has nothing whatsoever to do with sites like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame not being able to find you; having little/no credit history is the issue there. 

[NYCruiser 423]

8 minutes ago, arken said:

This is completely incorrect.

Like others said, the statement in SS card "valid with DHS authorization" is just for employment purpose, it has nothing to do with credit history.

Just having a SSN doesn't build anyones credit history whether that person's card has that restricted statement or not. Getting credit cards or loans are the ways of building credit history. After becoming a resident, whether one keeps the old SS card with that statement or gets a new one with no such statement, it will have zero impact on credit history.

No you are incorrect. WITH a restricted SS number, we were told the bank would NOT give a loan for a car or other loans. I never said just having a SS number builds one's credit history. Kindly don't put words in my reply. We have had real world experience with this. 

Anyway, good luck to the ORIGINAL poster. I am bowing out of this discussion.

[arken 4,197]

37 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

No you are incorrect. WITH a restricted SS number, we were told the bank would NOT give a loan for a car or other loans. I never said just having a SS number builds one's credit history. Kindly don't put words in my reply. We have had real world experience with this. 

Anyway, good luck to the ORIGINAL poster. I am bowing out of this discussion.

You were probably not given a loan coz you may not have good income and good credit history at that time, so don't blame on SS number. 

When I had similar SS card during college time on student visa, I had used Credit cards to build my history and then had no issues with to get loan for car due to good credit history and decent income from oncampus part time jobs.

 

To the OP: one should apply for credit card , possibly start with a secured one, and start building the credit history. Don't worry about the statement on your SS card as it has no impact on your credit.

[3rd 84]

Definitely due to lack of credit. I signed up for Credit Karma and it took them a good 3 months before they found me. That was after a secure credit card and a car finance loan. I'd get the restriction removed regardless though, as it doesn't take long to get a new SSN card without it on.

[Lemonslice 4,840]

50 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

No you are incorrect. WITH a restricted SS number, we were told the bank would NOT give a loan for a car or other loans. I never said just having a SS number builds one's credit history. Kindly don't put words in my reply. We have had real world experience with this. 

Anyway, good luck to the ORIGINAL poster. I am bowing out of this discussion.

Your experience getting a loan was not sucessful, however, there is no hard rule restricting people with new SSN or no SSN to get approved for a loan.  Terms might not be as generous, but not necessarily.  

[zilchfox 296]

58 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

No you are incorrect. WITH a restricted SS number, we were told the bank would NOT give a loan for a car or other loans. I never said just having a SS number builds one's credit history. Kindly don't put words in my reply. We have had real world experience with this. 

Anyway, good luck to the ORIGINAL poster. I am bowing out of this discussion.

Sounds like you need to choose a new bank, IMO. I had no problem getting a secured credit card with a restricted SSN through Bank of America.

[NYCruiser 423]

1 minute ago, zilchfox said:

Sounds like you need to choose a new bank, IMO. I had no problem getting a secured credit card with a restricted SSN through Bank of America.

I don't need to do anything. I have a Platinum Delta Amex, a Capital One Card with no foreign transaction fees and a Citibank ATM Card LOL...no issue

[zilchfox 296]

1 minute ago, NYCruiser said:

I don't need to do anything. I have a Platinum Delta Amex, a Capital One Card with no foreign transaction fees and a Citibank ATM Card LOL...no issue

Alright well either way a restricted SSN still has nothing to do with a credit history.  I got a BoA MasterCard secured card, Credit One unsecured card, and credit score of 705 through Credit Karma before I got an unrestricted SSN, and I've never had an issue with an SSN ever being blocked so not sure what your bank was doing before then lol

[NYCruiser 423]

1 minute ago, zilchfox said:

Alright well either way a restricted SSN still has nothing to do with a credit history.  I got a BoA MasterCard secured card, Credit One unsecured card, and credit score of 705 through Credit Karma before I got an unrestricted SSN, and I've never had an issue with an SSN ever being blocked so not sure what your bank was doing before then lol

Some are stricter than others...you may remember the 2008 debacle....:-) 

[zilchfox 296]

1 minute ago, NYCruiser said:

Some are stricter than others...you may remember the 2008 debacle....:-) 

There you go, haha. So it's just a single bank that was being overly cautious versus it being an SSN issue entirely.  

[Suss&Camm 2,213]

36 minutes ago, NYCruiser said:

Incorrect. Again, you must have a reading issue. I never blamed anything on anyone or anything. Get your facts right, or stop responding. The SS # was blocked and the bank was not able to enter it into their system. Citibank...they do know what they are doing. Same with the Home equity line of credit. After the SS number was updated with no restrictions, the credit rating showed 715 on Transunion and Experion.

There is no such thing as an SSN "being blocked". It can take a few months for credit info to update in a credit file depeding on creditor that is reporting the credit and credit bureaus that are receiving that reporting. When you apply for a new credit or loan they use the ssn as a verifier, a reference number, to find your file. The fact that they don't find has NOTHING to do with the ssn itself, but ONLY to do with the credit file not being found (using the ssn to search for it, cause it should be in your credit file if you have had credit reporting for a while). Stop misinforming. You are the one who needs to get your facts straight.

Edited June 1, 2017 by Suss&Camm

[Coleman21 6]

You can build credit with the restriction statement on the SS card by paying bills on time. You have to use your name on those bills, though, not like your spouse's name. Credit karma may not recognize you if you recently changed your name or your SS number has not been used much. (like tax returns) Just use your name and SS number on many things.

You will have to wait until your new GC comes in order to remove the restriction statement from the SS card; that's what I had to do. I tried with the expired green card and the extension letter, and I explained to the SS administration that with the extension letter, the expired GC is still valid, and I'm legal. But they told me to come back with a new card, and that's what I had to do. Once you get your new GC, it's very easy.