How long to establish American credit with a secured card?

We are a professional couple who live in Canada and want to move to the US - if we both get SSNs, American bank accounts and secured credit cards, how long do we have to wait before moving/applying for a US mortgage? Do you think having a secured card with only a couple of thousand dollars on it is enough to establish credit?

With the current economy in the way it is, there is no way of telling how long, or even if, you'd be given a mortgage after having just a secured credit card. Not all of them report to the credit bureaus I've heard, so be sure you sign up for one that does.

OR, if you have an American Express credit card in Canada, it is transferrable to a US dollar account immediately, giving you immediate credit history in the US basically. Again, it may not help you get a mortgage. The banks are being extremely stingy now, even people with perfect credit scores are finding it difficult to get mortgages.

Thankss - yes I have read on here about the Amex card - I will see if I can get one. May have to resign myself to renting.

Secured credit cards help, but only the bank can tell you how it will positively help your credit score. I would guess the more money you have to up the limit the better.