Hi all,

I moved to the US from Germany last year to begin a PhD. When I first arrived, the only card I was able to access was a ThankYou Preferred from CitiBank. I pay my balance in full every month and would like a card that rewards me better for my spending, preferably in ff miles or cashback.

What could I realistically expect to be approved for? The main restriction is that I have only been in the US for 12 months. My other details are decent, if modest: recent FICO scores between 680-715; no debt and some savings; total annual income from all sources of around 40k.

I'd love a card that provides better rewards - but I'm also wary of making unrealistic applications and damaging my scores. So I'd really appreciate advice on intermediate/mid-range cards, a step up from what I have, before later moving on to bigger and better things.

Many thanks!