The card application wanted a history I did not have yet
The first card I applied for asked for an SSN or an ITIN, and I was proud to have the second one. I typed the nine digits that start with 9 and waited. The answer was polite and quick: not enough credit history. I had a taxpayer number. I did not have a file. Those are two different things, and I had treated them as one. The ITIN lets the IRS match a return to a person without a Social Security…
I applied for a credit card that wanted a history I did not yet possess. Initially, the application required either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Proudly, I possessed the latter. After entering the nine-digit number beginning with 9, the response was prompt yet polite, stating insufficient credit history.
While I held a taxpayer number, I lacked a credit file. These are two distinct elements, and I had erroneously treated them as one. The ITIN facilitates the IRS in linking a tax return to an individual without an SSN. It does not confer work authorization, nor does it equate to a credit score. For a score to exist, a file must first be established, which necessitates accounts that report.
The sequence I followed initially was erroneous. The ITIN Club outlines this process clearly, emphasizing the importance of obtaining an ITIN, opening a US bank account that accepts it, establishing a credit file, allowing a score to develop, and then considering credit cards with travel points. I had disregarded the recommended order and jumped from the initial step to the final one.
The club is free, and I did not mention a cost because I did not incur one. The number itself originated from a W-7 form filed alongside the tax return that necessitated it. A passport is the sole document that authenticates both identity and foreign status independently. A Certifying Acceptance Agent, a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site, or a Taxpayer Assistance Center can examine it, allowing the original to remain at home.
The wait period was approximately seven weeks. The ITIN is the starting point, and a bank account that accepts it is crucial. Opening a US bank account as a non-resident is the first step, and this section also addresses opening a US LLC account. A business account requires the company's Articles of Organization, an Employer Identification Number (EIN) letter (a CP 575 or a 147C), and a passport for every owner holding 25% or more.
The account belongs to the company, and the EIN serves as its unique identifier, not mine. Obtaining a US credit card as a non-resident is another guide that elucidates the significance of these two factors beyond the welcome bonus in the first year. I utilized this card for one bill, repaying it in full each month. This strategy is straightforward and uncomplicated.
It is deliberately mundane. When the time arises to verify a credit score, there will be a file to review, not the day the ITIN letter arrives. There is no need to check on day one. I also scheduled a reminder. An ITIN that remains unused on a federal tax return for three consecutive tax years expires. A file that was meticulously constructed over a year would not disappear, but any form requesting the number again would become a question.
None of this constitutes financial or tax advice; it is the sequence I wish I had followed instead of the first polite 'no': The ITIN Club.
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