How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Kosovo

For founders based in Kosovo, expanding into the US market often begins with overcoming the "invisible-credit" problem. When you apply for US financial products, American credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion) have no record of your financial history in the Western Balkans. Locally, your creditworthiness is tracked by the Credit Registry of Kosovo (CRK), managed by the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (CBK), but this local history does not cross borders automatically.

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

Since you cannot use a Social Security Number (SSN) as a nonresident non-citizen, you will need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) issued by the IRS. Follow this 5-step sequence:

1. Form a US Entity: Establish a US LLC or C-Corp to generate official business documentation and a valid EIN (Employer Identification Number).
2. Prepare IRS Form W-7: Complete the Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number along with your federal tax return or qualifying treaty-exempt supporting documents.
3. Verify Your Identity: Submit certified copies of your Kosovar passport (certified by the issuing agency or a notary) or complete verification through an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA).
4. Submit to the IRS: Mail your application package to the Internal Revenue Service ITIN Operation division in Austin, Texas, or submit via an authorized CAA.
5. Receive Your ITIN: Once processed, you will receive your 9-digit ITIN letter, enabling you to open US bank accounts, apply for ITIN-backed credit cards, and report taxes properly.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit bridges international credit bureaus to US credit bureaus, allowing immigrants and foreign founders to share their home credit history with US lenders like Amex or Chase.

• Current Coverage: Nova Credit currently supports consumer credit bureaus from countries such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Nigeria, the UK, South Korea, and several others.
• Kosovo Status: Nova Credit does not currently integrate with the Credit Registry of Kosovo (CRK). Kosovar founders must treat Nova Credit as unavailable for their local credit profile and rely on alternative bootstrap credit-building methods.

Business credit: the faster lane

Building credit under your US LLC or C-Corp is often faster and cleaner than building personal credit as a nonresident.

• Obtain an EIN: Secure your Employer Identification Number from the IRS immediately after entity formation.
• Establish Dun & Bradstreet (D&B): Register your US company with Dun & Bradstreet to automatically generate a DUNS number, which acts as your corporate credit file identifier.
• Open Tier-1 Vendor Accounts: Open business accounts with vendors that report payment history to commercial credit bureaus (such as D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business). Pay these invoices early or on time to build a strong D&B Paydex score (targeting a score of 80+).
• Secure Business Credit Cards: Once your corporate credit file is established, apply for corporate cards that evaluate business cash flow or rely on your EIN rather than a mature US personal credit score.

Recommended sequence

1. Form your US LLC or C-Corp and obtain your federal EIN.
2. Open a US business bank account (using remote fintech providers that accept non-resident LLCs).
3. Register your company for a DUNS number with Dun & Bradstreet to initiate business credit tracking.
4. Apply for an ITIN via Form W-7 to establish your individual US tax and financial identity.
5. Secure secured business or ITIN-backed credit cards, maintain low credit utilization, and pay balances in full every month.

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.