2026 ITIN Credit Card Beginner Guide

Hi so I’m not claiming to be an expert and am fairly new to the US credit card game but this is what’s worked for me and would recommend to anyone starting off

Pre-Reqs:

– US Phone Number: some people recommend tello, or mint I personally use voip.ms. I topped it up with $15 and it’ll probably last me a year

– US address: some people use a friend or family’s house, a lawyer’s office or a virtual mailbox. Make sure you check if it’s a CMRA on USPS using to lookup tool or else you won’t be able to get the care shipped. I used anytime mailbox but had a horrible experience and have switched to physical address.com for slightly more but has better support imo

– US Proof of Address: your first account is almost always gonna ask for proof of address. Make a rental agreement or ask to be put on utilities if you use a family or friend. Otherwise I recommend trying a bunch of banks till you get lucky using a phone bill or a insurance policy (one time cost of like ~$10)

– ITIN: you can do it yourself by filling the forms on the website and mailing it or going on a trip in person but I didn’t wanna waste time and used an online service on fiverr (im not sure if I can link it or if it’d be against the rules but there’s plenty of them if you check, iirc it was like ~$100 and took 2ish months for the guy I used)

1. AMEX using Global Transfer (DEC 2025)

– I used my history with amex in Canada and called up global transfer and said I’m planning on moving to the states and they asked me what card I wanted to apply for

– my first card was the AMEX Delta Gold with a CL of $10000. They also didn’t ask me for a proof of address so I was able to use the bank statement for any future accounts

1. BMO using Cross Border Banking (DEC 2025)

– if you’re Canadian as well I’d really take advantage of the big 5 banks since they almost all exist in the states as well and it’s easier to jump start your credit card journey (also didn’t ask for proof of address)

– applied for the BMO Escape Credit Card CL of $8000

ITIN Letter arrived in February

1. Bank of America using ITIN (FEB 2026)

– tried to open a checking account online and on the phone because I had issues submitting my information but was rejected and told they couldn’t verify my ID and to come to a branch

1. Capital One using ITIN (FEB 2026)

– I recommend using the preapproval checker and not apply directly to any card

– I got approved for the Savor for good credit, quicksilver for good credit, platinum and venture one for good credit and was told to send my passport and ITIN letter

– I chose the quicksilver and got approved the next day with a CL of $2000 (also didn’t ask for proof of address)

1. AMEX using ITIN (FEB 2026)

– I got asked to send my ITIN letter and proof of address this time and just used my other bank statements this time

– I was also told to use a notary system to verify my ID this time

– applied for the Hilton Honors and got approved with a CL of $14000

I also only have two checking accounts (BMO advantage and WISE) I personally have found WISE to be the best to transfer currency and pay off my statements

Checking credit score using free reports:

– so a lot of banks offer a free check in their apps but it usually won’t work with an ITIN. I recommend making a free MyFico account and the calling to verify your ID to track it

Other info:

– for my apps I’ve just put $75000 for income

– I also don’t ever carry balances on any accounts and have an average monthly spend of $8000-$10000

My next two cards I’m thinking of are a Chase Preferred and another Capital One but I’ll probably space it out

I hope this helps anyone else planning on starting and if you have any tips or suggestions I’d love to hear them