How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Hong Kong

Hong Kong founders establishing U.S. entities often face the invisible-credit problem. When arriving in the United States financial ecosystem, your extensive local credit history with TransUnion Hong Kong or other Credit Reference Agencies under Hong Kong's Credit Data Smart framework does not automatically transfer to major U.S. credit bureaus like Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion US. Without a formalized U.S. credit score, founders struggle to secure business credit cards, office leases, or personal financing without steep security deposits or personal guarantees.

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 utilize the American Express shortcut, obtaining an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is the standard foundational step for entering the U.S. financial system. Follow this standard 5-step sequence:

1. Form W-7 Application: Complete IRS Form W-7, Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
2. Federal Tax Return or Exception: Attach a valid U.S. federal income tax return or qualify under an allowable exception document.
3. Certified Identity Documents: Gather original or certified copies of your passport and supporting identification documents issued by the Hong Kong government.
4. Submission via Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA): Submit your application package through an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent or directly to the IRS ITIN Operation in Austin, Texas.
5. Receive ITIN and Open Accounts: Once issued, use your nine-digit ITIN to apply for secured credit cards, open U.S. bank accounts, and report tax obligations.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit acts as a cross-border credit bureau bridge that allows individuals from select countries to share their home country credit bureau data with U.S. financial institutions. While Nova Credit operates various cross-border corridors globally, founders from Hong Kong should check Nova Credit's current country list directly, as availability depends on active institutional data partnerships and regulatory compliance frameworks governing cross-border consumer data transfer.

Business credit: the faster lane

Establishing business credit independent of your personal Social Security Number or ITIN provides an efficient funding lane. You can build commercial credit by registering a Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) profile to obtain a D-U-N-S number, establishing vendor trade lines with Net-30 or Net-60 payment terms that report to commercial bureaus, and securing business credit cards that report exclusively to commercial reporting agencies such as Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Equifax Small Business.

Recommended sequence

1. Step 1: Leverage an existing Hong Kong American Express card via the Amex Global Transfer program to secure your first U.S. consumer credit card.
2. Step 2: Apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) using IRS Form W-7 if you lack a U.S. SSN.
3. Step 3: Open a U.S. business bank account and obtain a Dun & Bradstreet D-U-N-S number for your U.S. entity.
4. Step 4: Establish commercial vendor accounts (Net-30 terms) and apply for secured business credit cards linked to your ITIN and EIN.
5. Step 5: Monitor your credit reports across Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, and Dun & Bradstreet regularly to track score maturation and dispute inaccuracies.

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.