Credit card for international students

[enharu]

Read the T&C.
In the Barclays T&C it clearly states that you have to be at least permanent resident to apply.

Just because the terms are sometimes hidden in the T&C and not as clearly stated like BofA did, doesn't mean you can ignore it

Copied and pasted it below for you. This is for Barclays. I can't copy the exact parts I want because I'm on a cellphone.


By clicking on APPLY you are applying to open a credit card account issued by Barclays Bank Delaware ("Barclays"), (hereafter "we") located in Wilmington, Delaware. You agree to the following in connection with this application and any account we open:

Account Agreement Your account will be managed according to a Cardmember Agreement that will be sent to you in our Welcome Kit. The Cardmember Agreement will be governed by Delaware Law. You understand and agree that the terms of your account are subject to change as stated in the Cardmember Agreement.

Credit Reports You agree that we have a right to obtain a credit report in connection with our review of your application and after we establish an account, to administer the account. You agree that we may report to others our credit experience with you. At your request we will provide the name and address of each consumer-reporting agency from which we obtained a report about you.

Dispute Resolution You agree that any dispute between us will be resolved by binding Arbitration. For more information regarding Arbitration please consult the Cardmember Agreement.

Express Delivery If you are approved for an account your card will be sent via next day FedEx delivery after your account is opened if the request is made before 3:00pm EST of that day. If the request is made after 3:00pm EST delivery will be made the following day. Delivery will be made only to your home address and a signature is required. If you added an additional card user(s) on your application the additional card(s) can not be express delivered.

By providing your telephone number, at the time you apply or anytime thereafter, you authorize Barclays Bank Delaware and its affiliates, agents and independent contractors, to contact you regarding your account at such number using any means of communication, including, but not limited to calls placed to your cell, mobile or other phone using an automated dialing service, prerecorded messages or text messages. Standard text messaging and/or calling charges may apply.

Information Sharing We do not share information with third parties, other than as required to service your account, without your consent. You have the opportunity to select the manner in which we use and/or share information for marketing of products and services during the account set-up process. If we do not set up an account for you we will not share any information with third parties unless you have agreed to the sharing at the time you applied. For more information about our information handling see our PRIVACY POLICY.

By pressing APPLY I certify that:

I am at least 18 years old and a permanent resident of the United States;
I understand that Barclays may call me in connection with this application and for other matters relating to this account;
I have reviewed and accept the Terms and Conditions that were provided before I applied for each account; and
I have truthfully and completely provided the information on this application.

[100down0monthly]

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@longtermgardener wrote:

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@enharu wrote:
From what i remember, Barclays and American Express requires you to be at least permanent resident status to apply.

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This is not true. I am on visa and I have AMEX. I am considered as an US resident for tax purpose. Whoever has Social Security Number(SSN) can get AMEX. I didn't had AMEX in my home country. One good thing with AMEX is that if you have AMEX in your home country and if it is in good standing, you can get AMEX in US quite easily. You need to get SSN for that.

However it is true that for BoFA  you need to apply in branch as while applying online, in the form it is clearly mentioned that if you or not a citizen or permanant resident, you have to apply in branch. I applied for Chase Freedom online but I didn't see this message. My application got rejected not because of immigration status but short history(just 8 months).

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Incorrect.  You are an Alien Resident.  You are NOT considered a US resident unless you have a permanent residency AKA greencard.

[longtermgardener]

That's why I clearly mentioned "For tax purpose" . Alien residents are issued SSN and have to pay same tax and social security payments as US residents do.

[100down0monthly]

I would guess you have a TIN (tax identification number) and not a social security number.  Residency is a requirement when applying for a SSN.

[enharu]

@Longterm: nope you are still wrong. People with non-immigrant visas are not required to pay social security taxes unless they have been in USA for more than a certain number of years.

And the t&c is talking about your legal status in the United States as defined by the USCIS, which falls under the department of homeland security. Just because you might be paying social security taxes or classified as a resident for tax purposes doesn't mean you are really a resident here. The tax laws are written so that non-immigrants are still responsible for their fair share of taxes, not for illegal immigrants and non-immigrants to get legal immigrant status.

Trust me, I know only because i went through this process.

@monthly, non-immigrants can get social security number as long as they are hired by an employer out of campus, can prove their legal status in the USA, and hasn't been out of status for a period of time. You can read the specific rules on social security administration website.

[enharu]

And to add.... The apps specifically state PERMANENT resident. Alien residents are NOT permanent. Permanent residents = green card and other types of IMMIGRANT visas.

F-1 visa and H1-B are NON-immigrant visas.

List of non-immigrant visas: http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1286.html

[longtermgardener]

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@100down0monthly wrote:

I would guess you have a TIN (tax identification number) and not a social security number.  Residency is a requirement when applying for a SSN.

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SSN is issued to all work visa holders like H1B, L1 and other long term visas. Don't need green card to get SSN.

[longtimelurker]

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@enharu wrote:
@Longterm: nope you are still wrong. People with non-immigrant visas are not required to pay social security taxes unless they have been in USA for more than a certain number of years.

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Really?  Wonder if that is "recent"  When I came here in 1984, on an H1, I had social security taxes deducted.   Did I not need to?

[100down0monthly]

I stand corrected.  By clicking the "I am a US resident" on a credit card application as an H1B holder, wouldn't you be technically committing credit fraud?

[enharu]

Longtime lurker: the duration you dont have to pay social security taxes depends on the type of non-immigrant visa you are on. For f-1 its 5 or 6 years, from what I can remember. For H1-B holders they need to pay social security taxes from day 1.

@monthly:
Yes that constitutes as fraud.

The banks require applicants to be residents and permanent residents not because of discrimination, but purely out of their own security. A non-immigrant can rack up tons of debt, pack his bags, leave the country, and the banks essentially cannot do anything about it