No ID required, the SSN and a real physical mailing address in the US is sufficient. A checking account in the US is helpful, but you need to be personally ID-ed (foreign passport is OK) for that. You might want to download the existing credit rating report to see how the bank rate you currently. Anything credit like that happened >6 years ago make you credit card worthy.
Avianca Lifemiles offers secured credit cards that earn miles, BTW.

More here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...dit-cards.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...in-no-ssn.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...residents.html