How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Georgia

Georgian founders face the invisible-credit problem when expanding or establishing startups in the United States. Without an existing U.S. credit footprint, founders struggle to secure commercial leases, business loans, corporate credit cards, or software financing without personal guarantees or hefty security deposits. In Georgia, personal and commercial credit history is maintained and tracked domestically by JSC Credit Information Bureau (Creditinfo Georgia), the officially registered credit bureau regulated by the National Bank of Georgia, but this local credit history does not transfer across borders to the United States.

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 non-U.S. residents without an SSN, obtaining an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is the foundational step for entering the U.S. financial system.

1. Form W-7 Application: Complete IRS Form W-7 to apply for an ITIN, attaching a federal income tax return or qualifying exception documentation.
2. Certified Identification: Have your Georgian passport certified by an IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) located in Tbilisi or through authorized U.S. embassy channels to avoid mailing original identification documents.
3. Submit to the IRS: Mail the completed Form W-7, federal tax documents, and certified passport copies to the IRS ITIN Operation division in Austin, Texas.
4. Receive ITIN Assignment: Wait approximately 6 to 10 weeks to receive your official ITIN assignment letter (CP565) from the IRS.
5. Open Secured Accounts: Use your newly issued ITIN to apply for secured credit cards and bank accounts with financial institutions that accept ITINs in lieu of an SSN.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit is a cross-border credit bureau reporting agency that allows immigrants and foreign nationals to translate their home country credit history into a U.S.-equivalent credit score. Nova Credit currently covers major credit bureaus across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Because Georgia's domestic credit bureau (Creditinfo Georgia) is not currently integrated into the Nova Credit international network, Georgian founders cannot directly port their local Creditinfo history into U.S. credit scoring models through this platform and must build credit organically from scratch.

Business credit: the faster lane

Building commercial credit bypasses the lengthy personal credit-building journey. By establishing a U.S. C-Corp or LLC with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a dedicated business bank account, founders can register with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to obtain a D-U-N-S number. Engaging with Tier-1 vendor credit providers—such as office suppliers and SaaS platforms that report payment history to business credit bureaus—enables founders to build a strong D&B Paydex score (ranging from 1 to 100) within 6 to 12 months, unlocking corporate lines of credit without relying on personal credit history.

Recommended sequence

1. Establish U.S. Entity and EIN: Form your U.S. company (LLC or C-Corp) and obtain an EIN from the IRS.
2. Open U.S. Business Bank Account: Set up a remote or in-person business bank account using your EIN and company formation documents.
3. Apply for an ITIN: File IRS Form W-7 with the assistance of a Certifying Acceptance Agent to secure your individual tax identification number.
4. Secure Secured Credit Cards: Obtain a U.S. secured credit card using your ITIN and make small, recurring monthly payments that are paid off in full.
5. Build Business Trade Lines: Open vendor accounts with suppliers that report payment activity to Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Business.
6. Monitor Credit Reports: Regularly review your commercial and consumer credit reports to ensure prompt reporting and error resolution.

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.