Tip for Canadians

[Anonymous]

Just noticed something pretty cool on my credit report that should be a valuable tip for Canadians: The RBC Bank Signature Visa:

http://www.rbcbank.com/borrowing-in-the-us/visa-credit-cards/index.html

I applied for that card in August, while I was still in Canada. It's the oldest thing on my credit report. Now kicking myself that I didn't apply for it years ago. At that time I did not yet have a US SSN because I was still waiting for the visa paperwork to go through, I knew I was moving, and had started preparing by opening up a US bank account via RBC and applying for that card.

Here's the kicker: The card was issued in August and there is no corresponding HP on my US credit history. They hit my Canadian credit, rather than my US. When I eventually called to give them a US SSN they started reporting the card -- they are reporting "OK's" all the way back to August even though my US SSN wasn't issued until October. 

So for any Canadians considering an eventual move to the US, you get that card issued on your Canadian credit history, you get it without a HP on your US credit, and when you do finally provide a SSN it reports all the way back to opening date, which is awesome.

Had it occurred to me to build US credit history before I got offered this job I would have applied for that card years ago and I would now have a long credit history. If any other Canadians are out there contemplating a move, there's no need to wait.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Just noticed something pretty cool on my credit report that should be a valuable tip for Canadians: The RBC Bank Signature Visa:

http://www.rbcbank.com/borrowing-in-the-us/visa-credit-cards/index.html

I applied for that card in August, while I was still in Canada. It's the oldest thing on my credit report. Now kicking myself that I didn't apply for it years ago. At that time I did not yet have a US SSN because I was still waiting for the visa paperwork to go through, I knew I was moving, and had started preparing by opening up a US bank account via RBC and applying for that card.

Here's the kicker: The card was issued in August and there is no corresponding HP on my US credit history. They hit my Canadian credit, rather than my US. When I eventually called to give them a US SSN they started reporting the card -- they are reporting "OK's" all the way back to August even though my US SSN wasn't issued until October. 

So for any Canadians considering an eventual move to the US, you get that card issued on your Canadian credit history, you get it without a HP on your US credit, and when you do finally provide a SSN it reports all the way back to opening date, which is awesome.

Had it occurred to me to build US credit history before I got offered this job I would have applied for that card years ago and I would now have a long credit history. If any other Canadians are out there contemplating a move, there's no need to wait.

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Nice ... moral of the story RBC backdates!

[Roarmeister]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Just noticed something pretty cool on my credit report that should be a valuable tip for Canadians: The RBC Bank Signature Visa:

http://www.rbcbank.com/borrowing-in-the-us/visa-credit-cards/index.html

I applied for that card in August, while I was still in Canada. It's the oldest thing on my credit report. Now kicking myself that I didn't apply for it years ago. At that time I did not yet have a US SSN because I was still waiting for the visa paperwork to go through, I knew I was moving, and had started preparing by opening up a US bank account via RBC and applying for that card.

Here's the kicker: The card was issued in August and there is no corresponding HP on my US credit history. They hit my Canadian credit, rather than my US. When I eventually called to give them a US SSN they started reporting the card -- they are reporting "OK's" all the way back to August even though my US SSN wasn't issued until October. 

So for any Canadians considering an eventual move to the US, you get that card issued on your Canadian credit history, you get it without a HP on your US credit, and when you do finally provide a SSN it reports all the way back to opening date, which is awesome.

Had it occurred to me to build US credit history before I got offered this job I would have applied for that card years ago and I would now have a long credit history. If any other Canadians are out there contemplating a move, there's no need to wait.

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Cool!  Not that I will be planning to move south anytime soon but still knowledge is an asset no matter the circumstance.