Cell Phones/ Credit Cards/ Credit in the U.S.

Reba
Moderator


Canuck in NC

Joined: 16 Jul 2004
Posts: 1451
Location: North Carolina

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 7:42 am

 

---

If you have AMEX anywhere in the world you can transfer it to another currency on their website. I know of several people who have done this when they moved to the US, both from Canada and from Europe.

I'm sorry I don't have the specific URL but if you have a Canadian dollar AMEX card, contact them and they can instruct you on how to exchange it for a US dollar card.
_________________
I miss Shreddies!

Are you in the US or Canada? Want to make some extra money? Check out My Watkins website for some awesom products and business opportunity.

---

B0000rt
CanuckAbroad Regular



Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 32
Location: Carteret, NJ

Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 4:58 pm

 

---

Trust me, it works, I've done it. A couple months before leaving, I applied for a Canadian Amex with my decent Canadian credit rating. They gave me a $5000 limit. Fastforward to a couple months later, having move to NJ, I called the American Amex up and asked for a Credit Card based off my Canadian Amex card, and they gave it to me, with little questions asked (only things like a fax of my I94 etc). They initially gave me a credit limit of $3000 which I've been able to increase it to $10,000 in 6 short months.

---

Alta Al
New Member



Joined: 10 Dec 2007
Posts: 2
Location: Idaho

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 12:50 am

 

---

I can completely sympathize with you your credit frustrations. I have been in the U.S. on TN since early 2004. Upon my arrival I immediately set up a bank account with a National bank and naively thought that getting credit would be a relatively simple process.

I applied for a Macy's card and was given a charge account for the whopping limit of $100. After a year of stable employment, I applied for an MBNA M/C and received the rejection letter in the mail. By this time I was getting very frustrated and called the MBNA customer service number. I expressed my frustration to the representative and mentioned that I had an excellent credit rating in Canada. Much to my surprise, the rep then asked for my "Social Security Number or what ever they use in Canada". A few days later, the same rep phoned me back and told me that I would receive my card in the mail shortly.

Around the same time I shopped around for a mortgage and found a broker who was familiar with applying for a mortgage with foreign credit ratings.

Today, I am inundated with credit applications.

As far as cell phones carriers, you will probably have to pay the exorbitant contract fees for a short period, but you may ask for your credit to be reevaluated and transition to a new plan.

Good Luck,

Alta Al

---

TNVisaExpert
Moderator


Canadians helping Canadians

Joined: 02 Apr 2007
Posts: 147
Location: San Diego, California

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 1:35 pm

 

---

Here are some more tips that may help you:

1. Open an account with Bank of America. Bank of America can do credit history checks in Canada - its even easier if you had a CIBC account in Canada.
Create a relationship with one Personal Banker at a branch near your home/work. Explain your situation - have them advise you as well.
Also Ensure you are doing a direct deposit of your salary into the account -- this provides credibility of your employment and earning capacity.
Then within 30days of opening the account, speak to your personal banker and you should be able to apply for a credit card (with 500min limit).

2. The suggestion for American Express is a good one. We've heard of other people doing the same. Try speaking to someone at American Express Canada (telling them you are moving to the US and need a card). Also call the US branch and tell them you are a Canadian living in the US, you have an Amex Canada card and want a US card.

3. Give this a try: If you're a Canadian Costco cardholder - goto Costco in the US and obtain an Amex-Costco card.

This is definitely a little bit of a hassle when moving to a new country, but you should be on your way to having credit being built up in no time -- just keep at it.

Good Luck
_________________
TN Visa Expert
Helping Canadians live and work in the U.S. successfully.
Complete TN Visa information and A Step by Step TN Visa Application Kit to obtain your TN Visa.
www.TNVisaExpert.com

---

Wolfie
New Member



Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 4

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 8:41 pm

 

---

But does having Amex convert your CDN card into US currency and having a US address does not mean you'll be able to build credit though right?

---

Reba
Moderator


Canuck in NC

Joined: 16 Jul 2004
Posts: 1451
Location: North Carolina

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 4:02 am

 

---

Yes it does. They don't just convert your CAD to USD, they give you a whole new USD card with a different account number.
_________________
I miss Shreddies!

Are you in the US or Canada? Want to make some extra money? Check out My Watkins website for some awesom products and business opportunity.

---

B0000rt
CanuckAbroad Regular



Joined: 15 May 2007
Posts: 32
Location: Carteret, NJ

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 6:07 pm

 

---

If you attach your SSN to the card, yes it'll start building your credit!

---

canuckgirl21
New Member



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 1
Location: Rochester, NY

Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:14 pm

 

---

Trying to get a US credit card without a credit history is a royal pain in the ass! If you still have a Canadian address, get an Amex, use it for a few months, and then switch the address and card type to a US dollar, US based card. If you no longer have a Canadian address (like me) then you are SOL. Your best bet is probably to go in person to a national bank (I use Chase), talk to the manager, and explain the situation. It can be helpful if you have an old Canadian credit card bill that lists your previous credit allowance, and pay stubs for the income. John, my bank manager, and I are now good friends and after my card application was rejected, he overrode the rejection and approved my application, for a whooping $300! The bank said my best option for increasing the limit was to rack it up and pay it off as much as possible. That way, you can establish a payment history and you will look like less of a risk. Good luck, you have discovered a problem that a lot of newcomers to the US encounter, but never even thought about before moving.

---