How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Burkina Faso

Building US credit from Burkina Faso is one of the most critical steps for founders navigating cross-border expansion, securing cloud infrastructure credits, obtaining US corporate software subscriptions, and eventually qualifying for US business financing. Founders operating out of Ouagadougou face the invisible-credit problem, where an established financial history with local institutions like Coris Bank International, Ecobank Burkina, or BOA Burkina Faso does not transfer across international borders to US credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion). Locally, credit behavior is tracked regionally through frameworks coordinated via the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) credit bureau (Central des Risques / Bureau d'Information sur le Crédit - BIC), but this data remains completely isolated from the US financial ecosystem.

Why US credit matters

A US credit file changes what a US company can do. Without one, financing means cash collateral or a personal guarantee, corporate cards come with a deposit, and commercial leases ask for six months up front.

With one, the same company borrows at a normal rate. That is the whole difference, and it is why the sequence below is worth the months it takes.

No part of this is guaranteed. Credit decisions belong to lenders, and nobody — including us — can promise you a score or a limit.

The Amex Global Transfer route

American Express runs a programme — Global Transfer, sometimes called the Global Card Relationship — that lets an existing Amex cardholder apply for a US card using their established relationship with Amex rather than starting from nothing.

Your credit history does not transfer. This is the most common misunderstanding about the programme. What transfers is the relationship — Amex's own record of how you have handled your account with them. Your local bureau file, your repayment record with other lenders and your local credit score do not cross the border. Amex US underwrites you as a new customer who happens to be a known quantity to Amex.

That is still a considerable advantage over building a US file from zero. It is not the same as arriving with a credit history.

Four conditions apply, and all four must be met:

1. The card you already hold must be issued by American Express itself, not by a local bank operating under an American Express licence.
2. You must be the primary cardholder, not an additional or supplementary cardholder.
3. You must have held the card for at least three months.
4. The account must be open and in good standing when you apply.

Corporate cards are excluded separately from all four.

Condition one eliminates more applicants than the other three combined. In many markets American Express operates through Global Network Services, where a local bank licenses the Amex brand and issues its own cards under it. Those cards carry the Amex logo, but the account relationship belongs to the bank — so there is nothing to transfer. A local partnership is not an alternative route to eligibility; it is the thing that removes it.

How to check your own card: read the cardholder agreement, not the card. The agreement names the legal entity that issued it. If that name is a local bank, the card will not qualify. If it is an American Express entity, it may. If you cannot find the agreement, call the number on the back and ask which legal entity issued the card.

We maintain a country-by-country reference for this, including which markets are confirmed and which are not: Amex Global Transfer country eligibility [blocked]

Check before you rely on this: American Express sets these terms and can change them. Confirm current conditions with American Express directly.

The ITIN path

An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the cornerstone of building US credit as a foreign national without a Social Security Number (SSN).

1. Step 1: Form a US Entity or Establish Eligibility: Form your US LLC or C-Corp, or establish a valid tax reporting requirement with the IRS (such as owning a disregarded entity LLC that generates reportable income or requires filing Form 5472).
2. Step 2: Complete IRS Form W-7: Fill out Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (Form W-7), carefully selecting the correct subsection reason (typically Reason h for tax treaty or reporting compliance).
3. Step 3: Prepare Supporting Documentation: Gather your original valid passport or certified copies issued by the relevant Burkina Faso authorities, notarized by an authorized official or certified acceptance agent.
4. Step 4: Submit Application to the IRS: Mail your completed Form W-7, federal tax return or supporting documentation, and identity proofs to the IRS ITIN Operation division in Austin, Texas, or submit via an authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA).
5. Step 5: Receive ITIN and Initialize Credit: Once your ITIN is issued (typically taking 7 to 11 weeks), use it to open US business bank accounts, apply for secured credit cards, and register with business credit bureaus.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit is an international credit bureau bridge that allows immigrants and foreign nationals to share their home country credit history with US financial institutions.

• Country Coverage: Nova Credit officially covers consumer credit bureaus in countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
• Burkina Faso Status: Burkina Faso's credit bureau infrastructure is currently not integrated into the Nova Credit network. Consequently, founders from Burkina Faso cannot automatically port their local banking or credit history from institutions like Coris Bank or Ecobank into US credit applications via Nova Credit. Founders must rely on building credit from scratch using ITIN-backed secured cards or business credit pathways.

Business credit: the faster lane

Building business credit allows your startup to establish financial independence separate from your personal background.

• Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Paydex Score: The Paydex score is D&B's proprietary scoring metric ranging from 1 to 100, measuring a company's promptness in paying trade creditors.
• DUNS Number Registration: Obtain a free DUNS number through the Dun & Bradstreet portal using your US LLC or C-Corp details.
• Trade Lines and Vendor Credit: Open accounts with US-based vendor suppliers and business software providers that report payment history to commercial credit bureaus (such as D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business). Pay all invoices within or ahead of 30 days (Net-30 terms) to establish an elite Paydex rating of 80 or higher, enabling your startup to secure unsecured corporate credit lines without personal guarantees.

Recommended sequence

1. Step 1: Form your US LLC or C-Corp and obtain your official Articles of Organization and EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS.
2. Step 2: Apply for and secure your US ITIN via Form W-7 to establish formal US tax identification.
3. Step 3: Open a US digital business bank account (using platforms friendly to international founders, such as Mercury or Relay Financial) enabled by your EIN and formation documents.
4. Step 4: Apply for a secured US business credit card or a secured personal credit card linked to your ITIN, placing a cash deposit to establish initial credit bureau reporting.
5. Step 5: Register for a free DUNS number, open Net-30 vendor accounts, and systematically build commercial credit history under your US corporate entity.

What Keystone Bridge does

We handle the US side for founders based outside the United States: entity formation, EIN, ITIN, US business banking access, and business credit.

The price of every stage is published on this site, so a first conversation is about whether we fit — not a pitch. If the answer is that you can do this yourself, we will tell you so. This guide is for informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified adviser for your specific situation.