How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Kuwait

Kuwaiti founders face the invisible-credit problem when expanding to the United States. Without an established financial footprint, securing apartment leases, business loans, or corporate credit cards becomes a significant hurdle. In Kuwait, financial history is tracked through the Credit Information Network Company (Ci-Net), the primary credit bureau regulated by the Central Bank of Kuwait, but this local history does not transfer directly to US credit bureaus like Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

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

To build individual credit in the US without a Social Security Number (SSN), founders must acquire an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The standard 5-step sequence is:

1. Form a US Entity: Establish a US LLC or C-Corp, which will obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
2. Prepare Form W-7: Complete the IRS Form W-7 application for ITIN issuance, attaching required federal tax documentation or business election forms.
3. Certify Identification: Have your Kuwaiti passport certified by an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) or directly through a US embassy/consulate or certified passport acceptance center to avoid mailing original documents.
4. Submit to the IRS: Mail the completed W-7 package along with your US business entity formation documents and certified identification to the IRS ITIN Operation.
5. Receive ITIN & Open Accounts: Once issued, use your ITIN to open US bank accounts, apply for secured credit cards, and report your payment activity to major US credit bureaus.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit is a cross-border credit bureau reporting agency that allows immigrants and international founders to translate their home country credit history into a US-equivalent credit profile for financial applications.

As of current coverage, Nova Credit supports major bureaus in countries such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, among others. Because Kuwait is not currently part of Nova Credit's direct bureau partnership network, Kuwaiti founders must rely on alternative credit-building methods such as secured cards, Amex International Dollar Cards, and business credit lines. Founders should periodically check Nova Credit's current country list for updates regarding Middle Eastern bureau integrations.

Business credit: the faster lane

For startup founders, building business credit is often faster and more advantageous than building personal credit, as corporate liabilities can be separated from personal assets.

The standard roadmap involves:

1. Establish DUNS Number: Register your US C-Corp or LLC with Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) to receive a unique DUNS number.
2. Open Trade Lines with Net-30 Terms: Partner with tier-1 vendors and suppliers (such as office supply companies, shipping services, and cloud hosting providers) that report payment history to business credit bureaus like D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business.
3. Maintain Prompt Payments: Settle invoices well before their due dates to build a strong D&B Paydex score (targeting 80 or above), which measures promptness of payment.
4. Scale to Corporate Cards: Use your established business credit profile and EIN to apply for corporate cards that do not require a personal SSN or guarantor.

Recommended sequence

1. Form your US business entity (LLC or C-Corp) and obtain an EIN.
2. Open a US business bank account using remote-friendly banking platforms (such as Mercury or Relay).
3. Apply for an ITIN via IRS Form W-7 to establish an official US tax identification profile.
4. Secure an international or secured credit card (or utilize an Amex International Dollar Card) to initiate personal credit reporting.
5. Establish commercial trade lines (Net-30) under your business EIN to build corporate credit scores with Dun & Bradstreet.

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.