FAQ
Asked honestly, answered honestly
The questions international founders actually ask — including the ones other firms dodge.
Do I have to buy a business to work with you?+
No. Most clients start with the Foundation — company, address, ITIN, and credit — and many stop there, which is a complete outcome on its own. The acquisition, scale, and global-footprint stages are there when you're ready, not a requirement. You climb as far as you want.
What makes your U.S. address different from a virtual mailbox?+
It's a genuine leased street address with a lease agreement and, in the full tier, a utility bill — not a PO box or CMRA mailbox. That matters because many banks and fintechs (Brex, Ramp, and others) reject virtual addresses in their checks. A real leased address passes where a mailbox fails. We still can't guarantee any one specific bank, and we tell you that plainly.
Why do I need ITIN → credit-bureau linking?+
Recent policy means ITINs are no longer automatically connected to your credit file. If you've been building credit under your ITIN, a manual certified request to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion is now required, or your accounts may not report at all. We prepare and submit those certified letters and follow up after 30 days.
Do you sell shelf corporations or "credit partner" signers?+
No. Aged shelf corporations borrow a false operating history, and nominee "credit partner" signers put a stranger's credit on your account as if they control the business. Both only work until a bank or lender looks closely — and post-FinCEN, they're looking. Everything we build is real and in your own name — including the faster, honest route to funding: the Funding Accelerator. That's the whole point of the brand.
Which U.S. banks can you set me up with?+
We prepare compliant applications and introductions to major U.S. banks — Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Fifth Third — plus fintech accounts (Mercury/Relay-class) and eligibility-based credit unions. Everything is in your own name with full KYC; each bank makes its own approval decision, so we build the strongest possible file rather than promising a specific approval. One note: Navy Federal and similar military credit unions restrict membership to servicemembers, veterans, and their families, so they're only an option for clients who genuinely qualify — we won't put you into an application you're not eligible for.
Can you get me funded faster without a shelf corporation?+
Yes — that's exactly what the Funding Accelerator is. Instead of buying a corporation with a fake operating history, we build a real 80 Paydex in your own entity in about 45–90 days, tier your vendor accounts, and route you to lenders and cards that underwrite on revenue rather than years-in-business (Amex Global Transfer, fintech EIN cards, revenue-based financing). For the lenders that truly require seasoning, we give you a clear 6–12 month path. You get the same outcome a shelf corp promises — creditworthiness and a credible company — earned instead of faked, so it holds up when a lender looks closely.
Are the travel perks a scheme?+
No. They use publicly available credit-card rewards, elite-status benefits, and published preferential hotel rates on business spend you're already making. The math is straightforward: business cards earn up to 4x points, and redeemed for travel those points are worth several times their plain cash value — so members route travel through points and take cash back on the rest. Elite status adds upgrades, breakfast, and late checkouts. It's making ordinary spend work harder within card terms — not gaming a lender or overspending to chase points. It's a membership perk, not the reason to join, and redemption values change with the programs.
Can you help me move abroad too?+
Yes, through our partner network. Once you own where you earn, the Global Founder tier helps you set up second residency, international entities and banking, and income certification. Residency and tax matters are handled with partners and independent counsel — we coordinate the whole thing but don't give tax or immigration advice in-house.
Do I need to live in or visit the United States?+
No. Every stage is built to be completed remotely — formation, ITIN through a Certifying Acceptance Agent, remote-friendly banking, and acquisitions closed with U.S. counsel acting for you. Visa pathways (E-2, EB-5) are referred to partner immigration attorneys; we don't advise on immigration in-house.
Can you guarantee my credit limit or a business I can buy?+
No — and neither can anyone honest. Credit issuers and the IRS decide on their own timelines, and acquisitions close only when the numbers and financing work. We commit to the sequence, the submission quality, the sourcing, and the negotiation — never to an outcome we don't control.
Which countries do you serve first?+
All of them in principle. Founders in countries where American Express issues local cards — the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Mexico, UAE, Singapore, and more — can use Amex Global Transfer, the fastest legitimate route to U.S. personal credit. Everyone else uses the secured-and-builder path, which works and simply takes longer. We tell you which path you're on before you pay.
Why is acquisition the hard part for non-residents?+
Because SBA 7(a) loans — the engine behind most U.S. small-business purchases — require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. That single rule locks international buyers out of the standard playbook. Our acquisition work is built on the alternatives: seller financing, asset purchases through your U.S. LLC, and business credit.
Is the equity partnership an investment product?+
No. We take direct equity in a client's operating company as compensation for services we deliver, with independent valuation and written vesting. We never pool client funds, never take custody of your capital, and never promise a return. It's an operating partnership, not a security we sell.
How long does the whole process take?+
Formation typically completes in 1–3 weeks depending on the state. ITIN runs on the IRS calendar — 7–11+ weeks is normal. A credit build to acquisition-readiness usually takes 6–18 months. Buy-side acquisitions average 4–9 months from mandate to close. We publish these ranges because anyone promising faster is either lying or cutting corners.
What happens on the first consultation call?+
Fit, not pitch. Every price is already on this site, so the call is about which stage you're at, which country path applies to you, and whether we're the right firm. If we're not, we say so and point you somewhere better.
Something we didn't cover? Book a consultation or write to hello@keystonebridgeglobal.com — we answer the awkward questions too.