Getting US Credit Cards for Canadians

In this guide, we’ll research however savvy Canadian consumers tin spell astir obtaining their precise archetypal US-issued recognition card.

Once you get your archetypal US card, you’ll commencement gathering recognition past successful the US, and yet you’ll beryllium eligible for most, if not all, of the recognition cards successful the US marketplace.

If you’re looking to rack up the sky-high invited bonuses connected US recognition cards to question the world, having entree to US recognition cards arsenic a Canadian tin beryllium utile successful galore circumstances. Here’s however to get your US recognition record up and running.

Why Get US Credit Cards?

If you’re astatine an intermediate level successful the Canadian recognition paper crippled (or wherever you unrecorded extracurricular of the US), it’s worthy exploring the anticipation of getting into US recognition cards.

As the world’s astir lucrative marketplace for recognition paper rewards, US-issued recognition cards connection bigger invited bonuses, amended cardholder benefits, and a overmuch wider scope of points redemption options – dramatically expanding the scope of question rewards that are disposable to you.

For example, see that American Express Canada lone offers 11 hose and edifice transportation partners successful total.

Meanwhile, American Express US has a whopping 21 partners, including respective almighty programs that we don’t person entree to successful Canada – similar Emirates Skywards oregon Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer for booking Emirates First Class oregon Singapore Suites, respectively.

Getting US recognition cards is the champion mode to acquisition immoderate of the world’s astir luxurious flights

US recognition cards tin besides springiness you a large limb up erstwhile it comes to different meaningful benefits on your travels, specified arsenic edifice elite presumption oregon airdrome lounge access.

For example, a azygous US-issued paper tin springiness you instant top-tier Hilton Diamond status, whereas you’d request to enactment 60 nights with Hilton per twelvemonth to gain this presumption organically.

Likewise, for Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status, you tin either hustle to enactment 50 nights successful a calendar year, oregon you tin simply clasp the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, which offers the presumption arsenic an ongoing perk.

Needless to say, if you’re superior astir raising your question crippled connected a planetary level, you perfectly request to get progressive with US recognition cards.

Step 1: Get a US Address

First off, you’re going to request to person a residential code that’s domiciled successful the United States.

If you person household oregon bully friends down successful the US – fortunate you!

As agelong arsenic they hold to fto you usage their address, you tin inquire them to guardant your message periodically, prime it up yourself erstwhile you sojourn them, oregon simply inquire them to instrumentality pictures of your message and nonstop it connected to you.

For the remainder of us, getting a US code is arsenic elemental arsenic utilizing a message forwarding oregon mailbox service.

Our recommended work is 24/7 Parcel, which provides services to conscionable the needs of galore Canadians getting into the US recognition paper market.

A message forwarding work tin service arsenic your US address

While 24/7 Parcel chiefly offers parcel receiving and pickup services, they’ll besides guardant your missive message for $1.50 (USD) per envelope positive postage. Typically, the full outgo is $2.70 (USD) per missive forwarded to Canada.

24/7 Parcel charges a interest of $90 (USD) per year; however, Prince of Travel readers tin get a $20 (USD) discount by mentioning that we referred you to the service.

There are besides different message forwarding services retired determination you tin take from, and you’re precise overmuch encouraged to bash immoderate of your ain probe arsenic well.

No substance which mailbox work you pick, marque definite to verify 1 thing. Go to the USPS code lookup tool and participate the code of your mailbox, and marque definite that “Commercial Mail Receiving Agency” isn’t marked arsenic “Y”.

That’s due to the fact that galore recognition paper companies deem these addresses ineligible erstwhile they spot that it’s registered arsenic a message forwarding service.

As agelong arsenic the “Commercial Mail Receiving Agency” enactment is marked with an “N” (as is the lawsuit for 24/7 Parcel’s backstage address), issuers volition admit the code arsenic a residential address, and you’ll beryllium bully to go.

Step 2: Get a US Bank Account

The adjacent measurement successful the process is to acceptable up a US slope account.

The crushed for getting a US slope relationship is twofold:

• Paying disconnected your US recognition paper bills (although this tin besides beryllium done via prime higher-end Canadian-based slope accounts)
• Verifying your US code with US recognition paper issuers

This measurement is reasonably easy. Several Canadian banks person subsidiaries successful the US, and if you slope with them connected the Canadian side, it tends to beryllium a beauteous straightforward process to acceptable up an relationship successful the US arsenic well.

For example, if you slope with CIBC successful Canada, you could research options with its US counterpart, CIBC US. One enactment is to unfastened a Smart Account, which has a nary monthly interest and includes escaped incoming ligament payments and escaped measure payments.

It’s truly casual to get acceptable up if you’re an existing CIBC lawsuit with Canada. You tin use online, and besides transportation US funds betwixt your Canadian- and US-domiciled CIBC accounts instantly online.

The equivalent holds existent with TD Canada Trust and TD Bank (the Convenience Checking relationship is simply a precise affordable option), BMO Bank of Montreal and BMO Harris Bank, arsenic good arsenic RBC Royal Bank and RBC Bank.

All of these banks person precise well-established Cross-Border Banking products and guidelines, truthful simply spell online to get much accusation connected their idiosyncratic checking options and to unfastened an account.

No substance which US slope relationship you spell with, you’ll ideally privation to acceptable your US code (from Step 1) arsenic the superior code connected the account, specified that the US code shows up connected each your monthly banking statements. This volition beryllium utile erstwhile it’s clip to verify your code with recognition paper issuers aboriginal on. 

Step 3: Get Your First American Express US Card

Once you person a slope relationship and address, you tin commencement applying for cards now.

You request to unfastened a fewer accounts to commencement gathering recognition past from scratch, and the easiest issuer to statesman with is American Express US.

Amex is simply a planetary company, and they connection their cardholders immoderate casual ways to transportation their rank to different state whenever they “relocate”.

Method 1: American Express Global Transfer

Presently, the easiest enactment to kickstart your travel into US recognition cards is to initiate an American Express Global Transfer from Canada to the US.

To beryllium eligible for a Global Transfer, you request to person astatine slightest 1 Canadian-issued American Express relationship that’s been unfastened and successful bully lasting for astatine slightest 3 months.

Then, you tin telephone the Global Transfer bureau and archer them you’d similar to bash a Global Transfer arsenic a existent Canadian cardholder to a US recognition card, and past proceed to implicit the US recognition paper exertion implicit the phone.

Alternatively, you tin implicit the process online.

On the Amex US recognition paper exertion page, look for the Social Security Number (SSN) box. If you don’t person a US SSN oregon Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (see below), look for the container that says “I person had a recognition paper oregon indebtedness successful Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, oregon the United Kingdom”.

If you click connected the accusation awesome (the circled “i” adjacent to Social Security Number), a popup volition look connected the page. At the extremity of the blurb, there’s a nexus to log successful to your Amex relationship from different country. Click connected this link.

Another popup volition appear, and you’ll request to hold to Amex US accessing your Amex relationship past from different country. 

You’ll past beryllium prompted to login to your Amex account, and immoderate of your accusation volition auto-fill connected the exertion page.

You’ll beryllium asked to supply government-issued ID information. Again, if you don’t person a US SSN oregon ITIN, cheque the container that says “I don’t person a Social Security Number but tin participate a government-issued ID number”.

Next, take an eligible papers from the government-issued ID benignant dropdown menu. The champion enactment is apt your passport. 

At this point, you tin implicit the application. If you’re lucky, you’ll beryllium instantly approved, and your caller US-issued paper volition beryllium mailed to your US address.

However, there’s a bully accidental that you’ll beryllium contacted by Amex US to verify the accusation you provided connected the application, which tin include:

• Verifying your individuality documents, specified arsenic uploading a PDF transcript of the passport accusation you provided
• Verifying your US address, specified arsenic uploading a slope connection from Step 2 with your US code connected it, oregon calling American Express and speaking with an agent, who’ll initiate a three-way telephone with your slope to verify your address

If you conscionable request to upload a papers oregon 2 to the Amex website, the verification process shouldn’t instrumentality precise long. However, if Amex needs to bash a three-way call, it could effect successful a agelong clip spent connected hold, oregon it could neglect wholly if they’re incapable to scope your bank.

In immoderate event, beryllium definite to person each of your documents ready, arsenic it volition trim the turnaround clip to get your US recognition paper successful your hands.

Method 2: Nova Credit

In caller years, American Express US has begun moving with a work known arsenic Nova Credit to use for US cards straight utilizing your Canadian TransUnion recognition file, without needing to beryllium an existing Amex cardholder connected the Canadian side.

However, Amex US precocious made it indispensable to person a US SSN oregon ITIN earlier you tin use utilizing Nova Credit. Therefore, the beneath process lone works if you person a US SSN oregon ITIN. If you person neither, past you’ll person to use via Global Transfer (see above).

If you don’t person an SSN oregon ITIN, cheque retired our usher connected however to get an ITIN successful Step 4 below.

To use via Nova Credit, unfastened up the exertion signifier for immoderate Amex US personal credit card, and past click the “I person had a recognition paper oregon indebtedness in… ” checkbox wherever it asks for your Social Security Number. You’ll besides request to adhd your ITIN oregon SSN here.

Note wherever it says, “Log successful to assistance america entree your overseas relationship information.” Even if you hap to beryllium an existing Amex Canada cardholder, it isn’t indispensable to motion in.

In fact, doing truthful volition initiate the “Global Transfer” process described above, whereas not signing successful volition effect successful the arguably smoother Nova Credit process, arsenic agelong arsenic you person an SSN oregon ITIN.

Submitting the exertion volition bring you to the Nova Credit portal, wherever you’ll beryllium asked to prime the overseas recognition past connected which you’d similar to basal your application.

Canadians would prime Canada, though the aforesaid process could beryllium utilized by residents of Australia, India, Mexico, and the UK to use for US recognition cards arsenic well.

You’ll beryllium asked to capable successful immoderate accusation to find your Canadian TransUnion file, including your name, day of birth, and caller address. Once a imaginable lucifer to your recognition record is located, you’ll besides beryllium asked a acceptable of 3 individuality questions based connected your TransUnion recognition record arsenic different verification step. 

(The Nova Credit process results successful lone a brushed inquiry, not a hard inquiry, connected your TransUnion recognition record successful Canada.)

Once that’s done, you cheque a fewer boxes to authorize Nova Credit to transmit your Canadian recognition accusation implicit to American Express US. 

Next, you whitethorn beryllium asked for immoderate supplemental accusation astir your finances. Providing this accusation is optional, but whitethorn assistance velocity up your application’s processing time.

The last measurement is to supply details of a overseas ID, specified arsenic a passport, that tin assistance beryllium you are who you accidental you are. A Canadian passport should enactment fine. 

Once this is done, there’s a tiny accidental that you’ll beryllium instantly approved astatine this stage, if everything lines up.

However, it’s much apt that you’ll beryllium asked to verify immoderate accusation earlier your exertion is approved, arsenic is the lawsuit with Global Transfer.

Once each of your accusation is verified, you should expect a shiny caller portion of integrative (or metal!) to beryllium connected its mode to your US address. 

Some individuals’ experiences bespeak the Nova Credit method tin beryllium utilized to use for aggregate Amex US idiosyncratic recognition cards successful speedy succession erstwhile you’re archetypal starting retired with US recognition cards.

You aren’t guaranteed to get approved for aggregate Amex US cards via Nova Credit to start, but the strategy has paid disconnected for galore applicants successful the past.

It’s recommended to use successful arsenic speedy succession arsenic imaginable if you’re funny successful starting disconnected with much than 1 Amex US card, arsenic it seems similar the longer you hold betwixt aggregate Nova Credit applications, the little apt you’ll beryllium approved connected consequent applications.

Which Amex US Credit Card Should You Start With?

One question mightiness beryllium connected your mind: which Amex US merchandise should you prime arsenic your archetypal American recognition card?

In astir cases, it’s champion to commencement retired with a basal Amex recognition paper with nary yearly fee, specified arsenic the American Express US Hilton Honors Card.

That’s due to the fact that this is going to beryllium the oldest relationship connected your US recognition history, and you’ll beryllium helping your recognition people the most if you support this relationship unfastened forever.

Another enactment would beryllium to take a paper that could marque consciousness to support astir for the agelong run, specified arsenic the Amex US Hilton Aspire Card.

Not lone does this paper typically connection a precise awesome invited bonus, but its yearly interest of $550 (USD) is offset by a $400 (USD) Hilton Resort recognition and a $200 (USD) formation credit, plus you get an yearly Hilton Free Night Reward and top-tier Hilton Diamond status for arsenic agelong arsenic you clasp the card. 

Sometimes determination are limited-time elevated offers that look precise charismatic connected premium cards similar the Amex US Gold Card oregon the Amex US Platinum Card, which could marque for a omniscient prime for your archetypal US recognition paper too.

However, successful these cases, you should either beryllium comfy paying the card’s yearly interest twelvemonth aft twelvemonth to sphere your US recognition health, oregon admit that your recognition people whitethorn instrumentality a deed if you were to cancel your archetypal and oldest US recognition paper successful the future.

It’s besides worthy noting that most business recognition cards don’t study to idiosyncratic recognition bureaus successful the United States. Therefore, concern recognition cards don’t assistance you physique recognition past and truthful wouldn’t beryllium a bully prime arsenic a starter US card.

If you’re funny successful 1 of the Amex US tiny concern cards, your champion stake would beryllium to archetypal acceptable up a US recognition past by getting 1 of the idiosyncratic cards, and past applying for a concern paper 3–6 months aboriginal (see Step 5 beneath for much connected this).

You’ll mostly statesman your US recognition paper travel with American Express US.

Step 4: Get an ITIN

While it’s casual to get your archetypal recognition paper with Amex US oregon 1 of the Big 5 banks’ US arms, you’ll request to person a credit record identifier if you privation to yet determination onto the different American issuers, similar Chase, Citi, Capital One, oregon Bank of America.

Just similar Canada, idiosyncratic recognition reports successful the US are associated with a unsocial identifier – typically a Social Security Number (SSN), the equivalent of our SIN.

If you already person a SSN arsenic a effect of being born, living, oregon moving successful the US, past erstwhile again, fortunate you! Forget astir this step, find those mouthwatering signup bonuses, and spell distant and conquer!

For the remainder of us, we’re gonna request to enactment successful a small spot of enactment here. In summation to the SSN, recognition paper companies besides judge what’s known arsenic an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) connected recognition paper applications.

ITINs are issued by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), truthful getting 1 requires mailing a clump of documents to the IRS, oregon applying successful person.

Now, perceive up here, due to the fact that this is important. One of the reasons 1 mightiness beryllium eligible for (and successful fact, encouraged to use for) an ITIN is if they are a overseas nonmigratory who earns income successful the US, you’ll request to state it and wage the corresponding taxes.

If we deliberation astir it, anyone who’s earned immoderate wealth done US-based services – specified arsenic casino winnings successful Las Vegas, betting with US-based online betting companies, oregon trading stocks with a US-based brokerage – should beryllium applying for an ITIN and self-reporting their income if they privation to fulfill their obligations to the IRS.

After all, if you didn’t person an ITIN, you’d beryllium taxable to hefty withholding taxes connected each your winnings, royalties, and dividends. We wouldn’t privation that, would we?

(The information that these sums whitethorn beryllium arsenic debased arsenic $5 is not important here.)

There are 2 superior approaches to obtaining an ITIN: getting assistance done a dedicated service, oregon the do-it-yourself method.

Method 1: Use a Dedicated ITIN Service

These days, the astir reliable method to get an ITIN is to question retired a paid work to assistance you with your ITIN application.

Services that Prince of Travel readers person recovered utile include:

• US Tax Resources
• Frugal Flyer

These services volition mostly supply you with a completed W-7 form, which is the ITIN exertion form.

They’ll besides assistance you implicit a valid US taxation instrumentality connected your behalf based connected immoderate magnitude of earned income from US sources that you state (such arsenic $5 successful gambling winnings). This serves to warrant wherefore you necessitate an ITIN successful your application. 

It’s worthy noting that determination are different dedicated services, known arsenic Certified Acceptance Agents, who besides supply afloat assistance with ITINs. However, the fees are typically rather hefty, truthful if you look into this option, beryllium prepared to wage a premium.

Method 2: Do It Yourself

If you’d alternatively not wage for nonrecreational services, you tin besides instrumentality the do-it-yourself attack to getting an ITIN.

However, beryllium warned that adjacent tiny discrepancies successful however the forms are filled successful tin effect successful a rejected application, and each exertion tin instrumentality respective weeks oregon months to complete. 

All of the accusation you request to use for an ITIN is listed connected the dedicated leafage connected the IRS website. In particular, you’ll request to compile the pursuing documents and nonstop it disconnected to the IRS, oregon make an assignment successful person and bring the documents with you:

• Document justifying the request for an ITIN (e.g., a 1040NR US taxation return with a tiny magnitude of income declared)

• Completed W-7 ITIN exertion form

• Original overseas passport, oregon a certified copy

You tin find the authoritative IRS instructions for the W-7 signifier here. Tax proposal is beyond the scope of this website, though determination are galore online resources to usher you done the process of filling successful IRS forms.

In addition, you besides request to see a transcript of your passport with the exertion arsenic a means to verify your presumption arsenic a overseas national. It’s up to you whether to nonstop successful your original passport oregon a certified copy.

You won’t get your documents backmost successful the message from the IRS for a while, truthful support that successful caput if you mightiness request your passport for upcoming travel. Personally, I didn’t privation to hazard my passport getting mislaid successful the mail, truthful I went with the certified copies.

Importantly, a certified transcript is not the aforesaid arsenic a notarized transcript of a passport that you tin get astatine immoderate lawyer oregon nationalist accountant’s office.

Instead, it’s provided straight to you by Passport Canada, truthful you’ll person to docket an assignment with your section passport bureau oregon apply by mail for a certified copy. Keep successful caput that determination could beryllium a backlog of appointments, truthful use sooner alternatively than aboriginal if you privation to expedite the process.

The interest for certified copies is $45 (CAD), which is bully for one, two, oregon 3 copies. Most radical opt for 3 copies, sending 1 to the IRS and keeping the different 2 astir for different juncture erstwhile they mightiness beryllium utile (hint: they astir apt won’t).

Lastly, whether you’ve sought assistance from a dedicated work oregon filled successful the forms yourself, compile each of the documents successful an envelope addressed to the IRS’s receiving code indicated connected the ITIN accusation website, nonstop it off, and wait.

Or, marque an assignment astatine an IRS bureau for your adjacent sojourn to the US, and past marque definite you bring everything with you.

You should expect to hold rather a portion – arsenic of 2023, the existent turnaround times astatine the ITIN processing bureau look to beryllium successful the portion of about 8 weeks.

If you’ve done everything right, you should yet person a missive successful the message indicating your recently minted nine-digit ITIN.

Step 5: Build Your Credit History

Once you’ve acceptable up your address, slope account, archetypal recognition card, and ITIN, the hard enactment is over.

Now each that’s near is to hold for your recognition past to mature agelong capable for you to beryllium approved for immoderate of the recognition cards with bigger bonuses.

Chase Credit Cards

Once your narration with Amex US matures to a fewer months (usually 3–6 months), you’ll beryllium capable to commencement applying for much Amex US cards and getting approved for them.

However, you’ll privation to gait yourself a small bit, with a presumption of getting cards from Chase successful the future:

• Chase recognition cards unlock unsocial caller opportunities that aren’t different disposable with American Express connected either broadside of the border, specified arsenic 1:1 points transfers to World of Hyatt programme for high-end Hyatt edifice redemptions. 
• Chase is stricter than American Express erstwhile it comes to approving clients with “fresh” recognition histories. They’ll mostly privation to spot 12–18 months of liable recognition usage earlier approving you for your archetypal Chase card.
  • One mode to physique your narration quicker and velocity up the process with Chase is to unfastened a Chase checking relationship (which you tin easy bash arsenic a Canadian) astatine a subdivision connected 1 of your trips down to the US.
• Chase besides has the infamous “5/24 rule”, successful which you won’t beryllium approved for immoderate recognition cards if you’ve opened much than 5 cards successful the past 24 months. That’s a cardinal obstacle to support successful caput arsenic you statesman to navigate the US landscape.

Therefore, you privation to get a fistful of Amex US cards to usage responsibly arsenic you hold to beryllium eligible for Chase cards.

But astatine the aforesaid time, you don’t privation to get too many Amex US cards – oregon other you’ll fastener yourself retired of the “5/24 rule” by the clip you’re eligible for Chase.

Amex US Business Credit Cards

One mode astir this conundrum is by going for the American Express small business credit cards aft you’ve gotten your archetypal Amex US product.

As mentioned earlier, Amex concern recognition cards don’t study to idiosyncratic recognition files successful the United States, truthful you tin rack up the signup bonuses connected the concern products without affecting your aboriginal Chase 5/24 eligibility.

Examples would see the Amex US Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, the Amex US Hilton Business Card, oregon the Amex US Business Platinum Card.

Of these, 1 crushed to see the Amex US Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is that the 15 elite qualifying nights fixed each twelvemonth arsenic a cardholder payment stack with the Amex US Marriott Bonvoy idiosyncratic cards.

If you besides hap to clasp the Amex US Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, you’ll get a full of 40 elite qualifying nights each twelvemonth (25 from the Bonvoy Brilliant, and 15 from the Bonvoy Business. 

Note that Amex US concern cards cannot beryllium obtained done Nova Credit; however, an SSN oregon ITIN is not perfectly indispensable to use either.

If you don’t person an SSN oregon ITIN, you tin use for Amex US concern cards implicit the telephone by submitting your overseas passport arsenic a valid signifier of ID successful spot of the SSN oregon ITIN.

Capital One Credit Cards

Capital One has a beardown beingness successful the United States. In particular, its Capital One Venture X Card is perfectly worthy considering arsenic you research assorted US recognition paper options.

Similar to American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles transportation 1:1 to utile hose programs, specified arsenic Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and Air France KLM Flying Blue. 

As with Chase, Capital One mostly approves applicants who person an established US recognition history. Some information points suggest that you should person astir 3 years of recognition past and nary much than 1 exertion successful the past six months crossed each 3 recognition bureaus.

Keep an oculus retired for charismatic signup offers with the Capital One Venture X Card aft you’ve established your US recognition history, arsenic it whitethorn good beryllium a worthy summation to your US recognition paper portfolio.

Other US Credit Card Issuers

In summation to Chase and Capital One, a fewer different US-based issuers volition besides judge ITINs for recognition paper applications, with galore products that are worthy getting: 

• Citi’s recognition cards let you to gain Citi ThankYou Rewards, which tin beryllium transferred to a assortment of utile oregon unsocial hose partners. 
• Bank of America’s Alaska Airlines oregon Air France KLM co-branded recognition cards connection different mode to gain miles with Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan and Air France KLM Flying Blue.
  • Bank of America lone accepts ITIN applications implicit the telephone oregon in-branch.

Once your US recognition record is much mature, you tin commencement to use for cards from Chase, Citi, and different issuers.

Overall, the extremity for US recognition cards is simply a batch much focused connected playing the agelong game than up present successful Canada.

US-issued recognition cards thin to person strict rules connected invited bonus eligibility, truthful the strategy is mostly much blimpish and much astir gathering your recognition past implicit the agelong tally to beryllium eligible for the overmuch wider scope of bonuses and benefits recovered successful the US.

Lastly, if you person a spouse oregon partner, it’s recommended to spell done this process for some of you astatine the aforesaid time. After all, we cognize that maximizing points successful two-player mode is 1 of the champion ways to standard up your earnings, truthful conscionable ideate however overmuch is connected the array erstwhile it comes to US recognition cards.

America, the onshore of accidental indeed!

Conclusion

Getting your precise archetypal US-issued recognition paper tin beryllium rather a analyzable but worthwhile undertaking.

From registering for a US mailbox to dealing with the highly progressive process of getting an ITIN, it’s a tricky process to negociate and tin easy instrumentality up a bully chunk of your time.

This usher aims to laic retired the cardinal elements for you and helps you interruption down the process into much manageable steps, arsenic you prosecute each of the bountiful bonuses and benefits southbound of the border.

The station Getting US Credit Cards for Canadians appeared archetypal connected Prince of Travel by Ricky Zhang.