If you've just arrived in the US, you have no US credit history — even if you had excellent credit in your home country. That's not a problem. It's just where you start. Here is the complete guide.
US credit bureaus only track US accounts. Your credit record from Canada, Mexico, India, the UK, or anywhere else is invisible to US lenders. This is not a reflection of your financial reliability — it is simply a data gap. Many people who had excellent credit in their home country start from zero in the US. This is common, expected, and entirely fixable.
| ID Type | What it is | Issuers that accept it | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSN | Social Security Number — 9 digits issued by SSA | All issuers | Issued if you are authorised to work in the US |
| ITIN | Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — for tax purposes | Capital One, Discover, American Express | Apply via IRS Form W-7 (7–11 weeks processing) |
| Passport only | Valid foreign passport | Firstcard, Zolve | Your home-country passport |
| Home-country credit | Credit record from supported countries via Nova Credit | American Express (via Nova Credit) | Sign up at novacredit.com — check if your country is supported |
All of these cards accept ITIN, passport, or no credit check. Ordered by accessibility.
| Card | Annual Fee | Deposit | Cash Back | Approval Odds | Pre-Qualify | ITIN OK | Best For | Apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash RewardsTOP PICK Capital One | $0 | $200 minimum | 1.5% on all purchases | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | Anyone who wants to build credit while earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase | Apply |
Discover it® Secured Credit Card Discover | $0 | $200 minimum, up to $2,500 | 2% at gas stations and restaurants (up to $1,000/quarter); 1% on all else | Near-guaranteed | ✓ | ✓ | People who want cash back at gas stations and restaurants while building credit | Apply |
OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card Capital Bank | $35 | $200 minimum, up to $3,000 | None | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | Applicants who have been rejected for other secured cards, or who have no bank account | Apply |
Firstcard® Secured Credit Builder Card Firstcard | $0 | $1 minimum (from Firstcard account balance) | Up to 10% cash back at select partner merchants | Near-guaranteed | — | ✓ | International students and immigrants with no SSN, no bank account, and no US credit history | Apply |
Zolve Classic Credit Card Zolve | $0 | None | 1–4% on select categories | High | — | ✓ | New immigrants and international students who want an unsecured card with no SSN required | Apply |
Nova Credit is a service that translates credit history from certain countries into a US-equivalent format (the “Credit Passport”) that some US lenders accept as a substitute for US credit history. This means if you had excellent credit in your home country, you may be able to skip the secured card phase entirely and qualify for an unsecured card immediately.