How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Cameroon

Cameroon founders expanding into the United States frequently encounter the invisible-credit problem: despite building successful businesses and credit profiles locally through banking institutions monitored by regulators like the COBAC (Commission Bancaire de l'Afrique Centrale), US financial institutions have zero visibility into their foreign credit history. Without established US credit, founders face severe obstacles when attempting business leases, corporate credit cards, software vendor financing, and working capital loans.

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

For founders who cannot immediately utilize credit card transfer programs, obtaining an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is the foundational step toward building mainstream US credit.

1. Step 1: Form Your US Entity: Establish your US LLC or C-Corporation to create a formal business entity requiring US tax identification.
2. Step 2: Apply for an EIN: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for your corporate entity.
3. Step 3: Prepare Form W-7: Complete IRS Form W-7 (Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) alongside required proof of identity and foreign status documents (such as a certified copy of your Cameroonian passport).
4. Step 4: Engage an IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent: Work with an authorized IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) or submit documents through designated IRS taxpayer assistance centers to verify identification without mailing original passports.
5. Step 5: Secure an ITIN-linked Secured Card: Once your ITIN is issued, apply for secured credit cards or credit-builder accounts reporting to major US credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion).

Nova Credit

Nova Credit is a cross-border credit bureau reporting agency that translates international credit history into a US-equivalent credit score, allowing major US financial institutions to pull your home country credit report.

While Nova Credit officially integrates credit bureaus across major markets such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, South Korea, the UK, and Vietnam, coverage for Central African financial jurisdictions like Cameroon is not currently supported natively in their primary consumer network. Founders originating from Cameroon should check Nova Credit's current country expansion list or rely on the ITIN and business credit paths.

Business credit: the faster lane

Building commercial credit directly under your US entity's EIN bypasses many personal credit hurdles.

1. Establish D&B Profile: Register your US LLC or C-Corporation with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to generate a DUNS number.
2. Open Tier-1 Vendor Accounts: Establish trade credit accounts with US business vendors and office suppliers (such as Uline, Quill, or Grainger) that report invoice payment history to commercial credit bureaus including Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Small Business.
3. Achieve D&B Paydex Score: Pay supplier invoices ahead of schedule (within 10 to 30 days) to achieve an optimal D&B Paydex score of 80 or higher, signaling pristine corporate creditworthiness to major US lenders.

Recommended sequence

1. Form Entity and Obtain EIN: Incorporate your US company and secure your federal EIN.
2. Explore Amex Global Transfer: Check eligibility to transfer your existing Amex credit history to a US-based American Express account.
3. Apply for an ITIN: File Form W-7 with the IRS to secure an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for personal US financial compliance.
4. Build Business Credit: Register for a DUNS number, open Tier-1 vendor trade lines, and establish corporate credit history tied strictly to your EIN.
5. Graduate to Unsecured Credit: Transition from secured cards and trade lines to premium unsecured business credit cards and financing lines.

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.

References

• [1] American Express - Global Card Relationship & Moving Abroad. https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/company/about-us/moving-abroad/
• [2] Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Form W-7 Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-7
• [3] Nova Credit - Supported International Credit Bureaus. https://www.novacredit.com/

This guide is for informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified adviser for your specific situation.