How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Morocco

Moroccan founders face the invisible-credit problem when expanding to the United States. Without an existing credit footprint in the US, major financial institutions treat your social security number or individual taxpayer identification number as a blank slate. In Morocco, your local credit history is tracked and aggregated by licensed credit bureaus operating under the supervision of Bank Al-Maghrib (the central bank of Morocco), such as Creditinfo Maroc, but this local credit profile does not cross borders into the US financial system.

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 use the Amex shortcut, securing an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is the foundational step for entering the US financial ecosystem.

1. Form an Entity or Establish US Tax Obligation: Establish a US LLC or C-Corp, or identify a legitimate US tax reporting requirement that necessitates an ITIN.
2. Complete IRS Form W-7: Fill out the Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, ensuring all foreign status declarations and reason codes are accurate.
3. Prepare Supporting Documentation: Gather your original Moroccan passport or certified copies authenticated by Moroccan authorities or a US embassy official.
4. Submit via a Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) or IRS Office: Work with an IRS-authorized Certifying Acceptance Agent in Morocco or internationally so you can retain possession of your original passport during processing.
5. Receive Your ITIN: Once processed by the IRS, use your ITIN to open business bank accounts (such as with Mercury or Relay), apply for secured credit cards, and build an independent US credit profile.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit bridges international credit bureaus to the US, allowing lenders to pull your foreign credit history.

• Country Coverage: Nova Credit currently supports consumer credit data from countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, the UK, and Vietnam.
• Moroccan Status: Because Morocco is not currently part of the active Nova Credit direct bureau integration network, Moroccan founders cannot automatically port their local credit history into US credit applications through Nova Credit. You must rely instead on the Amex Global Transfer method, secured credit card products, or building credit via business-level trade lines. Always check Nova Credit's current country list for any recent expansion updates.

Business credit: the faster lane

Building business credit allows you to bypass the strict personal credit checks required for consumer products. By establishing a US LLC with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a dedicated US business bank account, you can start building corporate credit lines immediately.

• Dun & Bradstreet (D&B): Register your US company with Dun & Bradstreet to generate your unique D-U-N-S number.
• Paydex Score: Establish commercial trade lines with vendor suppliers (such as Uline or Quill) that report payment behavior to business credit bureaus. When you pay your invoices early or on time, you build a D&B Paydex score ranging from 1 to 100.
• Corporate Cards: Apply for corporate credit cards that evaluate funding, revenue, and cash balances in your business bank account rather than your personal FICO score (e.g., Brex, Ramp, or Mercury corporate cards).

Recommended sequence

1. Incorporate your US Entity: Form your Delaware C-Corp or LLC and obtain your official EIN from the IRS.
2. Open a US Business Bank Account: Set up a digital banking partner (such as Mercury) using your entity documents and passport.
3. Leverage Amex Global Transfer: If you hold an eligible foreign Amex card, apply for a US Amex card using your US address and banking details.
4. Secure an ITIN or Secured Card: If the Amex route is unavailable, apply for an ITIN and obtain a secured US credit card (e.g., Capital One Platinum Secured) backed by a cash deposit.
5. Build Business Trade Lines: Register for a D-U-N-S number and open business vendor accounts that report to Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business.
6. Monitor and Scale: Track your personal and business credit scores regularly, keeping credit utilization below 10% and ensuring 100% on-time payment history.

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.