Getting a Credit Card and Building Credit

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

If you get an American Express in Canada your credit history will move with you. I had one for years in Germany and was able to transfer it from Amex Europe to Amex USA. 

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

Just wanted to add to this that I added my husband to my existing CapitalOne credit card (without SSN) and he basically inherited my good credit history (so it shows 6 years of 100% on time payments, for example). I also added him to my Discover card, but that was after he had his SSN. Both accounts show on his credit profile and he has an excellent credit score now. 

[kryptonite 43]

10 minutes ago, beloved_dingo said:

Just wanted to add to this that I added my husband to my existing CapitalOne credit card (without SSN) and he basically inherited my good credit history (so it shows 6 years of 100% on time payments, for example). I also added him to my Discover card, but that was after he had his SSN. Both accounts show on his credit profile and he has an excellent credit score now. 

I think this is the way to go lol. My wife has an excellent score in the US. Wouldn't mind getting a solid head start for my score then. 

 

Thanks for the info!

[carmel34 3,626]

16 hours ago, kryptonite said:

Can you explain a little more about the ITIN?
 

My spouse and I have been married since February 2020 and I haven't filed my taxes for last year.

Your USC spouse should have filed an IRS tax return for 2020 as married, either separately or jointly.  For a joint return, look up W-7 which explains how to file the return and request an ITIN.  Not sure of the Revenue Canada rules for married couples where one lives in another country, but you should check and file your Canadian tax return for 2020 as well.  Good luck!

 

https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-7

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

All the above is good advice 

as i added Adil to tax returns and then with ITIN to my bank account (could not have debit card till he entered USA)

and also to a utility bill with a POE before he came

when his SS card came and we changed the bank # for ITIN to SS # ,  he had a credit score immediately

 

BUT understand that Immigration does not do a check credit for the USC

and just because a person has a good career and makes tons of money,  doesn't mean their credit score is good 

just because the USC has a huge # of credit cards doesn't ensure good credit either

so,  before u ask to be added (this is for any member that especially doesn't understand the system here)  make sure your spouse credit history is good 

or u start off with a bad one from the beginning

 

 

[P055UM 281]

18 hours ago, Letspaintcookies said:

If you get an American Express in Canada your credit history will move with you. I had one for years in Germany and was able to transfer it from Amex Europe to Amex USA. 

Did you have to wait for your EAD to do this? I have an Amex in the UK and I have seen that you can transfer it to a new country but I thought I saw that you need a valid employment offer?

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

2 hours ago, AW1704 said:

Did you have to wait for your EAD to do this? I have an Amex in the UK and I have seen that you can transfer it to a new country but I thought I saw that you need a valid employment offer?

They might have changed that but I didn't had to give them anything besides a proof of residency.

[P055UM 281]

9 minutes ago, Letspaintcookies said:

They might have changed that but I didn't had to give them anything besides a proof of residency.

Interesting! Thanks for the tip - I may have to get on the phone to them and see if I can arrange that

[mam521 2,062]

20 hours ago, kryptonite said:

Can you explain a little more about the ITIN?

 

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxpayer-identification-numbers-tin#:~:text=SS-4PR PDF.-,ITIN,NNN-NN-NNNN).

 

My spouse and I have been married since February 2020 and I haven't filed my taxes for last year. I remember both of us being confused on how to properly file our taxes in our respective countries. I did hear of the ITIN number and how I have to apply for one. Do I need this number to do my taxes in Canada? Or does my spouse need me to have this number for her to file her taxes in the US? And how does having an ITIN play into the whole credit card and credit score scenario? Your spouse should have filed taxes as married.  The IRS needs a way to identify you, so you are assigned the ITIN until you enter the US and are eligible for a SSN.  The US tax returns will need to be current by the time you get to the NVC stage.  You will also have to declare your foreign spouse to the CRA when you do your Canadian taxes. 

 

Did you open a cross border banking account while you were in Canada with RBC? Then you opened a RBC US Visa card, or some other visa card? Was this US Visa card then helping you with your US credit score? Yes.  It is much easier to do before you leave Canada.  I was able to add my SSN once it arrived at my US address.  As I stated, the advantage was I was able to get a much higher credit limit because my credit rating in Canada is very high. Having my own US chequing account before leaving Canada was also handy when I started working.  

 

Do you suggest I have my spouse open a new credit card and have me as an authorized user or should I go with this cross border banking route? Its up to you.  You could do both if you wanted.  An authorized user isn't the same as a primary or joint account holder and not all cards report to a credit bureau.  If you get a card based on your Canadian credit, you will be the primary account holder and could potentially add her as an authorized user if you wanted to, although it's not necessary. 

 

 https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/credit-card-authorized-users

 

 

 

[P055UM 281]

23 hours ago, Letspaintcookies said:

They might have changed that but I didn't had to give them anything besides a proof of residency.

Thank you for this tip - I managed to sign up and get approved in 30 seconds. That is a great member benefit - quite fortuitous since I kind of signed up for an Amex card maybe a decade ago before I had even met my wife

[Adventine 3,196]

On 11/17/2021 at 11:27 AM, Adventine said:

It is possible to have US credit cards AND build credit history even BEFORE you get an SSN and even BEFORE you move to the US.

 

This is what happened to me:

 

1. Before I got an SSN

My husband added me as an authorized user to his Citibank cards in early 2021. I wasn't living in the US and I didn't have an SSN yet, so I was "invisible" to sites like Credit Karma. I couldn't even finish signing up. However, I knew I had some sort of credit history and was building some kind of credit score because I started getting credit card offers in the mail. I just didn't have a way to quantify what it was without an SSN.

 

2. After I got an SSN

I got my SSN last month. This month, I was finally able to create a Credit Karma account, and it immediately showed my credit history from early 2021, and was finally able to generate a credit score for me.

 

I wanted to update this thread. A week after Credit Karma "found" one of my credit cards and generated my credit score for the first time, it found the rest of my cards. Meaning it linked my identity with the other credit cards for which I am an authorized user. So now I have a US credit history of 7+ years, despite having lived in the US less than a year, thanks to being an authorized user on my husband's old cards. Result: a pretty good credit score!

[top_secret 2,421]

FWIW, we just created a CreditKarma account for my wife.  Her credit score is 778!!!  I had added her as an authorized user to a Citi Card several years ago and very recently to a Chase card.  Both Citi and Chase I added her online and had the cards sent to my US address.  Those banks asked only her name and birthdate to add her as an authorized user.  No ITIN or SS# was ever required, nor was any proof of anything.  She is in the US now but as far as I can tell that point is irrelevant to her credit score.  CreditKarma asked her SS# to create that account but it is the first time it has ever been associated with her credit in any way. 778 credit score and only in the US for a month is not bad.  Now we will try getting her some cards in her own name.

[kryptonite 43]

6 hours ago, top_secret said:

FWIW, we just created a CreditKarma account for my wife.  Her credit score is 778!!!  I had added her as an authorized user to a Citi Card several years ago and very recently to a Chase card.  Both Citi and Chase I added her online and had the cards sent to my US address.  Those banks asked only her name and birthdate to add her as an authorized user.  No ITIN or SS# was ever required, nor was any proof of anything.  She is in the US now but as far as I can tell that point is irrelevant to her credit score.  CreditKarma asked her SS# to create that account but it is the first time it has ever been associated with her credit in any way. 778 credit score and only in the US for a month is not bad.  Now we will try getting her some cards in her own name.

That’s awesome!! My wife just applied for a Chase card and she was approved for it. She went to add me as an authorized user but she couldn’t put a Canadian address for me (as I am still in Canada at the moment). Are you saying she should put her US address instead? 

[Redro 4,611]

On 11/18/2021 at 5:33 AM, Letspaintcookies said:

If you get an American Express in Canada your credit history will move with you. I had one for years in Germany and was able to transfer it from Amex Europe to Amex USA. 

Did you apply for the AmEX card in the States while you still had a card in Germany or did you close your accounts before moving?

How exactly do you transfer the credit history, thinking of applying for an AMEX card but don't know how intercountry transfers happen... 

 

[Letspaintcookies 2,310]

1 hour ago, Kor2USA said:

Did you apply for the AmEX card in the States while you still had a card in Germany or did you close your accounts before moving?

How exactly do you transfer the credit history, thinking of applying for an AMEX card but don't know how intercountry transfers happen... 

 

Amex has a special moving service for their members on their website. You do basically apply for a new card with Amex US when you do it but they'll take your history with them into account and are more likely to give you a card with a solid credit limit than any other credit card company that doesn't know a bit about you here when you just start out.