Finkface: "Chase Canada and Chase US are completely separate so you can't migrate to a US card but I believe American Express will transfer your Canadian credit history to the US."

Agree with above!

However, if you open now a Chase Bank account, your personal banker will surely sponsor you a Marriott Visa (get also a Freedom card, while at it...) even w/o a SSN (you have to fill a non-resident form).

FWIW, 16 years ago I used the Amex "door" to obtain my different US Skymiles/SPG/Hilton Amex cards => and those got me my present US credit history. Shortly after, I could get any other US cards.

Then, they made the SSN compulsory for CC applications, due to Home Land Security. I had to open that Chase account in order to obtain new CCs again (and continue my CC churning, while still keeping my "old" amex cards, but changed my Skymiles into a no fee version)

Still don't have a US SSN # as of now...

_