Originally Posted by
kiwimagic
I will be in The US for at least 6 months visiting my daughter. I am a Canadian Citizen, however I do have my Social Security # issued in 1969 but I have never used it. My credit rating is excellent. The question is, will I be able to apply for and receive various US credit cards, and should I cancel most of my current Canadian cards prior to arrival in the US?
If my applications are initially denied what is the best way to build a decent credit history in a short span?
When applying for US credit cards, if you never have any US credit history, they treat you as brand new. It doesn't matter to them that you have excellent credit in Canada. So, don't cancel your Canadian credit cards just for this. One of the few ways I know of in establishing a US credit history as a Canadian is, if you have a Canadian Amex card (for at least a year), you can actually leverage that to open a US Amex card provided you have an US address and a telephone number.
Once you have your US Amex card open for sometimes, your US credit history will get established and you can start applying for other US cards.
Also check with Bank of America, approach the locations by the border, they sometimes have the ability to pull your Canadian credit reports to help you get approved for their US credit cards.
Best of luck!