How to Build US Credit as a Foreigner from Vietnam

Vietnamese founders expanding into the United States frequently encounter the "invisible-credit" problem. When arriving in the US or launching a US enterprise, founders possess an established financial history with the State Bank of Vietnam and local credit bureaus such as the National Credit Information Center of Vietnam (CIC), yet US financial institutions view them as credit ghosts with a score of zero. Building robust US personal and business credit is essential for securing apartment leases, obtaining corporate credit cards without personal guarantees, financing equipment, and negotiating favorable vendor terms.

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 are non-resident aliens and do not qualify for a US Social Security Number (SSN), obtaining an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) from the IRS is a critical milestone.

1. Form W-7 Preparation: Complete IRS Form W-7 (Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) alongside your US federal tax return or under an allowable exception.
2. Certified Documentation: Gather your valid Vietnamese passport and supporting identity documents certified by an IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent (CAA) or an official issuing agency in Vietnam.
3. Submission to the IRS: Submit Form W-7 and your passport to the IRS ITIN Operation division via mail or through an authorized acceptance agent in the US or abroad.
4. ITIN Issuance: Receive your assigned ITIN via an official IRS CP565 notice, typically within 6 to 10 weeks.
5. Credit Profile Initiation: Use your newly acquired ITIN to open secured credit cards, bank accounts with institutions that report to credit bureaus without an SSN (such as Capital One or Wells Fargo), and establish a formal US credit profile.

Nova Credit

Nova Credit is a cross-border credit bureau translation service that allows foreign nationals to transfer their credit history from participating home countries into the US credit ecosystem.

• Vietnam Coverage: Nova Credit includes coverage for Vietnamese credit data via partnership with local credit bureaus (such as the National Credit Information Center - CIC), enabling select financial partners to pull your Vietnamese credit history when you apply for US financial products.
• Application: When applying for partner credit cards or tenant screening services in the US, select the Nova Credit option, log in using your home country credentials, and authorize the secure transfer of your international credit report to US lenders.

Business credit: the faster lane

Building corporate credit allows your US entity to borrow independently of your personal SSN or ITIN.

• EIN Acquisition: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS for your US LLC or C-Corp.
• Business Banking: Open a US business bank account (using fintech partners like Mercury or Relay Financial, or traditional banks like Silicon Valley Bank or Chase).
• Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Registration: Register your business with Dun & Bradstreet to obtain a free D-U-N-S number.
• Trade Lines and D&B Paydex: Establish trade credit accounts with business vendors (such as office suppliers, cloud software providers, and shipping carriers) that report payment history to D&B, Experian Business, and Equifax Business. Paying invoices promptly or early establishes a strong D&B Paydex score of 80 or higher, unlocking unsecured corporate credit lines and loans.

Recommended sequence

1. Step 1: Form your US LLC or C-Corp and obtain your official EIN from the IRS.
2. Step 2: Open a US business bank account using your EIN and formation documents.
3. Step 3: Apply for an ITIN using Form W-7 if you are a non-resident founder without an SSN.
4. Step 4: Leverage the Amex Global Transfer program if you already hold an eligible American Express card in your home country.
5. Step 5: Apply for a secured US credit card or use Nova Credit to link your home country credit history to a US issuer.
6. Step 6: Register your business with Dun & Bradstreet, establish vendor trade lines, and build your D&B Paydex score.

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.

References

1. Experian. "How to Build US Credit as a Foreign National." https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/
2. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). "Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)." https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin
3. Nova Credit. "Global Credit Bureau Partners and Country Coverage." https://www.novacredit.com/
4. Dun & Bradstreet. "Understanding the D&B PAYDEX Score and Business Credit." https://www.dnb.com/

This guide is for informational purposes only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified adviser for your specific situation.