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HELP!!! Secured Credit Card on F-1 visa.
Hello everyone and thanks for reading my post.
I have a rather difficult question and I can't seem to find any internet help, so I am trying my luck here with the hope that one of you smart people out there might have some answers. The situation is as follows: I graduated this May from University of Tampa FL with my BA. I am originally from Germany and came to the US in 2008 on F-1. Now I am working full time and paying taxes on OPT extension. I have a valid social, but on the social it says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization". I have the intention of staying int he states and that, along with some other pressing issues require me now to build a credit history. I went to my bank that I have had a checking account with since 2008 to apply for a secured credit card and after some waiting period, while my banker looked into that for me I was told that apparently my F-1 status and SSN prohibits me from building credit in the US, which is obviously a problem. The Bank is 53rd Bank in Tampa. I am not certain if that might just be 53rd policy or if that applies for every bank.
Now my question. Has one of you been in the same situation or knows something about the subject matter and can provide some insight?
I am thankful for every little piece of information.
Thanks in advance guys and enjoy your day.
Laura
I have a rather difficult question and I can't seem to find any internet help, so I am trying my luck here with the hope that one of you smart people out there might have some answers. The situation is as follows: I graduated this May from University of Tampa FL with my BA. I am originally from Germany and came to the US in 2008 on F-1. Now I am working full time and paying taxes on OPT extension. I have a valid social, but on the social it says "Valid for work only with DHS authorization". I have the intention of staying int he states and that, along with some other pressing issues require me now to build a credit history. I went to my bank that I have had a checking account with since 2008 to apply for a secured credit card and after some waiting period, while my banker looked into that for me I was told that apparently my F-1 status and SSN prohibits me from building credit in the US, which is obviously a problem. The Bank is 53rd Bank in Tampa. I am not certain if that might just be 53rd policy or if that applies for every bank.
Now my question. Has one of you been in the same situation or knows something about the subject matter and can provide some insight?
I am thankful for every little piece of information.
Thanks in advance guys and enjoy your day.
Laura
), and I had no trouble getting a secured credit card. It has been a couple of years, so I don't know if the rules changed in between. Go to a bigger bank, preferable to a branch that is close to a big university with lots of international students. Good universities usually make sure that the banks close to them know the rules, so that international students for example have no trouble opening a bank account without a SSN. I got my secured credit card from Bank of America, by the way.
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